[DoubleUp686]

Anybody have any experience with these? Any reason not to get them? Are the advantages of the aluminum worth it? I don't do any rock crawling (at this point in my life). I just want to take off the factory side steps and get something that will still protect the rocker and look nice. Thanks.

[Stu Olson]

It would depend somewhat on the alloy used and how thick it was.

I am very happy with my aluminum skids....but since I made one and know how the other is made, I am confident they will perform as intended (and they have thus far).

Can you post some specs for these rocker guards? A photo would be nice too.

[rs232d2]

Originally Posted by DoubleUp686

Anybody have any experience with these? Any reason not to get them? Are the advantages of the aluminum worth it? I don't do any rock crawling (at this point in my life). I just want to take off the factory side steps and get something that will still protect the rocker and look nice. Thanks.

They will be plenty adequate for your needs.

There have been 2 iterations of these guards. The first, of which I have one of the first sets from several years ago, was made of a high strength 5000-series marine alloy of which I never was able to get the specific alloy out of them. They retailed about a minimum of $350. There are 3/16" thick and were bent, with caps welded at the ends, and there was a laser cut logo. After several winters of salt spray they show no corrosion. I bolted them up with the provided stainless hardware and have no problems with corrosion of the tub. They are about 10-12 lbs. a side or whereabouts.

The current iteration, which replaced the previous, dropped the laser cut logo. They are now 1/4" thick, 6061 extruded--not bent alloy like before. End caps are still welded. Cheaper, stronger, and the finish work is better. Otherwise the same design. My buddy bought a pair of these newer ones in the black powdercoat, and they are nice. Personally I would go with no finish coat--6061 has plenty good corrosion resistance and you are going to bash them anyways. The weight savings is worth it. No weight, no paint, no rust, no fuss.

Pic of old version:

[DoubleUp686]

Nice. I like the bare finish on the black. I have a yellow jeep so I'd have to go with the black.

[Rivka]

one thought, welding aluminum reduces it strength a lot and basically scrambles it's properties, so i would not trust the end-caps as much as the rest of it, shame to because end caps are usually welded to add strength.

[Stu Olson]

While welding reduces the strength to some degree, whether it is a LOT or even enough to cause issues is open for discussion, IMO.

TBT runs a TJ with 40" tires on the end of D60 housings. His rear D60 is aluminum....end to end. He welded the AL axle tubes to the center section himself. The aluminum bumpers (front and rear) and also the aluminum rocker guards, side sliders, and rear corner guards are all welded.

That TJ is subjected to more abuse than any other I've seen.....it runs the same trails as the local rock buggies. If welding aluminum was as much of an issue as you indicate, everything would have fallen off the frame years ago. I am not saying you can not break a welded aluminum component.....but I won't pass judgement on its performance until it is proven on the trail.

[Rivka]

Originally Posted by Stu Olson

If welding aluminum was as much of an issue as you indicate, everything would have fallen off the frame years ago. I am not saying you can not break a welded aluminum component.....but I won't pass judgement on its performance until it is proven on the trail.

I was not saying that welding aluminum ruins it, i was just saying keep in mind that the weld points are usally the week spots as compared to steel where the welds are often the strongest spots. As for day to day reliability, it depends hugely on the alloy and keep in mind that aluminum often fails catastrophically where steel fails incrementally. This is not a vote against aluminum parts in any way. just thoughts to ponder. I restore vintage aluminum Airstream trailers so these talks come up a lot.

[rs232d2]

Originally Posted by Rivka

one thought, welding aluminum reduces it strength a lot and basically scrambles it's properties, so i would not trust the end-caps as much as the rest of it, shame to because end caps are usually welded to add strength.

I don't know for certain, but I would make a pretty good guess that the guards are undoubtedly hardened to T6 temper or similar AFTER welding--it would only make sense since they are also extruded. It would basically be a non-issue for these. Welding would not be recommended without bringing the material back to the specified hardness, or weakness would result, as you mention.

[rs232d2]

Originally Posted by DoubleUp686

Nice. I like the bare finish on the black. I have a yellow jeep so I'd have to go with the black.

It's patriot blue. Everyone thinks it's black.

Get the unfinished ones. I think it would be sweet, like a space banana.

[DoubleUp686]

Originally Posted by rs232d2

It's patriot blue. Everyone thinks it's black.

Get the unfinished ones. I think it would be sweet, like a space banana.

Oh, well it still looks real good. I can't get the bare ones, I've already got the whole black and yellow thing going on. I still have not completely decided to get these yet. I can't decide if I want to spend $311 for these shipped with rocker guard gasket...

Just Empty Every Pocket

[01amberfirewv]

I was split between those and the A to Z ones. Zach gave me a good deal because I got mine the same time as another guy so I went with A to Z but from what I read when trying to decide the Bd ones are also good. I would never pay for powder coating though. It may be a regional problem but evey one I know that has any extrernal protection powdercoated regrets it. Rattle can is cheaper and easier

[Rivka]

Originally Posted by rs232d2

I don't know for certain, but I would make a pretty good guess that the guards are undoubtedly hardened to T6 temper or similar AFTER welding--it would only make sense since they are also extruded. It would basically be a non-issue for these. Welding would not be recommended without bringing the material back to the specified hardness, or weakness would result, as you mention.

it would rock if this is the case and would of course be the thing to do!

[options]

I just installed a set of BDO steel rockers. Prior to installation, I called BDO and asked if the rocker gasket material was a good idea. They said it wasn't necessary, but if I was concerned about stuff getting between the paint and the guards to just put a bead of black silicone along the top edge. That is exactly what I did. They came out great. Unless the aluminum ones are a different shape than the steel ones, only a couple of inches along the top will be in contact with your tub anyway, so the silicone made more sense to me. By the way, I ended up shaving the spacers for the bolts underneath about a 3/8" to get mine to fit nice and tight to the bottom edge. That's what angle grinders are for!

[rs232d2]

Originally Posted by DoubleUp686

I can't decide if I want to spend $311 for these shipped with rocker guard gasket...

Don't know where you're looking but give www.goferitoffroad.com a call. The AL ones aren't listed on the site but they can get them, they're right near BDO. They were cheapest there by far when I bought a few years ago, and they only charged like $8 for shipping--another benefit of aluminum