Rusty's Rock Rails

fdsa487

NAXJA Forum User
Ok so here is the story. I ordered some stuff from Rusty and decided not to use it because i went with a smaller lift the i was originally going to go with. I now have store credit there and need to figure out what to get. Im thinking about getting either his Gas Tank Skid Plate or his Rock Rails. Does anyone have any personal experience w/ his rock rails? Tell me what you think about them please. I was just going to get the gas tank skid w/ my store credit and a rear dif guard and get the rock rails elsewhere but if the rock rails are decent then i will go with them instead of the gas tank skid and i will get the gas tank skid later down the line. Ok here are some pictures and what the web site says about each of the rock rails.

#1 $369.00
Rusty's heavy duty rocker armor are made of 3/16" and 1/4" steel. There are 27 mounting points to secure the skids to the uni-body, pinch seam and rear spring hanger better than any other rocker protection. A backing plate is included for the back side of the pinch seam for an even stronger mount. These are COMPLETE rocker protection! They will protect your rocker panels, strengthen your uni-body and WILL NOT MOVE! Available for all year XJ Cherokees and ZJ Grand Cherokees. Comes complete with hardware adn instructions. (Picture Below)
RORRockRail1.jpg



#2 $279.00
Rusty's heavy duty rocker armor are made of 3/16" and 1/4" steel. There are 27 mounting points to secure the skids to the uni-body, pinch seam and rear spring hanger better than any other rocker protection. A backing plate is included for the back side of the pinch seam for an even stronger mount. These are COMPLETE rocker protection! Only 1" loss of clearance below pinch seam. They will protect your rocker panels, strengthen your uni-body and WILL NOT MOVE! Available for all year XJ Cherokees. Comes complete with hardware and instructions. (Picture Below)

RORRockRail2.jpg
 
Either of those is way too much to pay for a good set of rockrails.

JMHO
 
I have the #1's. I bought them from the original designer (Ged) before he sold the design to Rusty. Ged is literally a rocket scientist. He did a bunch of structural analysis from a mechanical engineering standpoint. These rails distribute the load like no other rail that I've seen. They are easy to install and well thought out.

I've dragged them all over the Rubicon and all the damage I have to show is some scraped powder-coating.

You have to decide how serious you want to go, but if you want to go serious... these are the ones.
 
Dirk Pitt said:
Either of those is way too much to pay for a good set of rockrails.

JMHO


Where did you get yours and how much were they? You have pics? .....Curt
 
purl said:
Where did you get yours and how much were they? You have pics? .....Curt

Custom made by a friend.

Every bit as beefy as Rusty's and considerably cheaper.

slider_bottom_view_2.JPG
 
purl said:
Where did you get yours and how much were they? You have pics? .....Curt


I can get you pictures from any angle that you would like.

I bought mine directly from Ged (He used to be XJArmor -- it's a different company now) years ago and I don't remember the cost.

The things are a work of art. The bends he designed allow the rails to tuck up extremely close to the body and add additional rigidity to the whole thing.
 
SARgroundpounder said:
I can get you pictures from any angle that you would like.

I bought mine directly from Ged (He used to be XJArmor -- it's a different company now) years ago and I don't remember the cost.

The things are a work of art. The bends he designed allow the rails to tuck up extremely close to the body and add additional rigidity to the whole thing.

Can you please post up pictures from the side and one from underneath that would be fabulous. I think that im going to go with the ones that are $279 then look like they tuck up higher and im sure that they are ok in quality. This is going to be my 1st piece of armor. I need a gas tank skid next. I have already hit it once (luckely it didn't break open):us:
 
If you have all ready bashed your gas tank, I think this would be a better item to buy. With careful driving, and a good spotter you can keep your rockers intact. Sometime the gas tank.. has to take one for the team, just for the fact that it is out back by itself.


On the rails, I built my own for my MJ, using 1/4 2x3 tubing, along with some 3/4x3/4 angle (pinch seam), and some 2x2x3/16 for my stand offs (used 3), with 1/4 plate to the body mounted by 4 3/8 self tapers. All told I had less then 100 bucks into it(bought used steel), and they have taken a mighty beating, I just wish i had them when I first started wheeling my rig.. I would have way less body damage.




Patrick
 
cj7xjmj said:
If you have all ready bashed your gas tank, I think this would be a better item to buy. With careful driving, and a good spotter you can keep your rockers intact. Sometime the gas tank.. has to take one for the team, just for the fact that it is out back by itself.


On the rails, I built my own for my MJ, using 1/4 2x3 tubing, along with some 3/4x3/4 angle (pinch seam), and some 2x2x3/16 for my stand offs (used 3), with 1/4 plate to the body mounted by 4 3/8 self tapers. All told I had less then 100 bucks into it(bought used steel), and they have taken a mighty beating, I just wish i had them when I first started wheeling my rig.. I would have way less body damage.




Patrick

Rock rails before a gas skid for sure..............:lecture:
 
fdsa487 said:
Can you please post up pictures from the side and one from underneath that would be fabulous. I think that im going to go with the ones that are $279 then look like they tuck up higher and im sure that they are ok in quality. This is going to be my 1st piece of armor. I need a gas tank skid next. I have already hit it once (luckely it didn't break open):us:


Sorry to take so long on the photos. I've been having some other XJ problems which have kept me busy.

Here are the photos of the rails (they're big):

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/[email protected]/album?.dir=/7fd2&.src=ph

You can see by the pictures that these don't take away much clearance. Though they look like it from the side, most of the bulk is ABOVE the mounting plane.

d9ef.jpg
 
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