Jeep Articles / Technical and Installation (Rocker Guards by Shrockworks)

Rocker Guards by Shrockworks

Article written by Tom Dube

Date Added: 05/01/2006

Protection, protection, protection. Here I go again, finding a way to protect the rigs that we wheel.

Some of you may say dents and trail rash are a mark of honor. Yes, you may be right, but there is a way to still wheel hard and keep the rockers looking straight.

I have been looking at rock sliders for a while, and there are many designs and makes. Finding the one that meets your needs can be confusing. So, let?s talk about construction. I was looking for a slider that would protect not just the edge of the rocker, but as much of the underbody to the frame rail as possible. Some sliders extend just an inch or so under the body and have tabs that attach.

So what did I find? ShrockBars from ShrockWorks.com

I called ShrockWorks and talked to the owner, Jim Shrake. Jim is not just the owner, but also the designer/welder. He is very easy to talk to and is happy to explain how his design had come to market. Jim told me the ShrockBars' tube portion of the sliders is a beefy 1.75? x 0.134" wall tubing. The tube is attached at an upward sweeping angle and is reinforced with two center support pieces. The steel plate is 3/16" thick and extends up almost to the bottom of the door edge. Looking at the how far they extend under the body is impressive - a full 8?, and that is the full length of the sliders. When looking at the underside, you will see that all the mounting bolts are counter sunk, so there are no bolt heads hanging down to be sheared off by the rocks.

The ShrockBars are manufactured for the CJ, YJ and TJ?s, including the Unlimited. Mounting hardware includes six to eight stainless steel flush mount bolts per side (5/16?x 1?), depending on the model Jeep you have, and they run the length of the rock slider to control vertical forces. The underside mounting hardware includes four stainless steel flush mount (5/16?x 2 ½?) Allen head bolts and two (5/16? x2 ½?) standard hex bolts. These bolts come up through the floor pan, going through three steel backing plates (provided by ShrockWorks) that they call the vise.

When ordering you have the option to get the ShrockBar sliders powder coated, but I ordered mine without. Mine were delivered unpainted, and I cleaned them with vinegar and water to remove any oils on the steel. Then, I painted them with Rustolem Hammered paint. This way when I scratch them, I can tape them off and repaint; I've discovered that the Hammered paint covers scratches very evenly.

Also when you order, you can ask for the sliders to come with the laser cut ShrockWorks name or without. Mine came laser cut, and I placed some aluminum tape behind the name to make it stand out.

Installation

1. If you have a Sahara or Renegade model, you have a little more prep than other Jeeps. You will have to remove the plastic rocker panels, where you will find a steel strip riveted to the rocker. Here is where it gets fun. Drill out the rivets that hold the steel strip to the rocker, and put the steel strip in the pile with the other spare Jeep parts you have in the garage. Take your time, as some of the rivets can be stubborn. Once you have that off, you are then ready to get started with the install. Clean the rocker with some glass cleaner.

2. Place the slider on top of the floor jack with the wood under the slider and jack it up.

3. Once you have the slider between the wheel wells, check the distance from front to back. Make sure it is all the way into and up against the bottom of the rocker.

4. If you have carpet in your Jeep, you have to pull it up out of the way. Check position again and start drilling.

5. Using the holes in the slider as a template, the first hole to be drilled should be the front-most, followed by the rear-most hole.

If you use an 11/32? drill bit, the bolt will insert easier. Insert a 5/16?x 1? flush mount Allen head cap screw in each hole, then place a fender washer and lock washer and 5/16? nut inside the front and back and hand tighten only.

6. Finish drilling the other four holes in the side of slider and hand tighten. Once they are all in, tighten from the center out, alternating left to right.

A socket and ratchet on the inside nuts makes the job easier.

7. Now that all the side bolts are tight, you can drill the underside. If the wood that you used to get the slider up into place is centered, you should be able to drill the front two bottom holes.

8. Remember your eye protection, as you will be on your back looking up, and the metal chips will be coming down on you. Use the holes in the slider as a template again. When drilling the bottom, remember the floor pan is double-walled; you will be drilling through two layers of steel about 3/4'? apart. Insert two 5/16? x 2 ½? Allen head cap screws from the bottom and find the backing plate marked with the ?F? (front), placing the inside over the bolts coming through. Place a washer and lock washer over the backing plate and tighten the 5/16? nuts.

9. Next will be the back end of the slider. You will need two 5/16?x 2 ½? standard hex bolts. Drill through both layers and insert bolts. The backing plate marked ?B? (back) goes inside the Jeep. Secure using included washers and 5/16? nuts.

Use a ratchet/socket on the hex head bolts, and use a wrench for tighening the nuts inside.

10. Lower the jack and drill the two holes in the middle. Place the backing plate, marked ?M? (middle), over bolts inside. Install washers and nuts.

At this point, you are done with the first side, and it's time to work on the other side.

After you have both sides completed and before you put back the carpet, you will notice the bolts stick up from the floor.

11. You can use a Dremel tool to cut the excess threads off. If you can?t cut them off, you can use rubber caps so that the threads won't wear through the carpet.

Final Thoughts

Okay, lets see how strong the welds on the bars are. Block the wheels, get a hi-lift, and start lifting on the slider bar. Up it goes! I left it on the hi-lift for about 15 minutes and then checked for any bending or stretching. Jim at ShrockWorks was right on the money; these ShrockBars are strong, and the design displaces the load on the rockers with no damage to the Jeep. The welds on the bar are rock solid.

I tried to come up with anything to make these sliders better, but why mess with a good thing?

After the install was done, my sister in-law came over to see them. You guessed it - I have now installed a set of ShockBars on her TJ!

So what do I think of these sliders? WOW! Sure is good to know that there are products out there that really do what they are made to do. This is money well spent in my book!

Vendor Response

Many people have had bad experiences with powder coating. I've see it flake and fall off in less than a year. This is the result of skimping on the prep work. Without good prep, the coating does not adhere well to the base metal. Good prep work is time consuming and expensive, hence the temptation to skimp. Our powder coating is a many step process involving washing, baking (to solidify any grease & oil), sand blasting and re-baking. We have had ZERO reports of our powder coating coming off.

Having said all that, painting them yourself is still a great way to save some money, and I actually recommend it for people who know they will be constantly scratching them up offroad. It makes touching up large areas simple when you can just re-spray with the original paint.

Jim

Purchase / Vendor Info

Vendor Name:	ShrockWorks Offroad Fabrication
Address:	14015 Barrington Fairway Houston, TX 77069
Phone:	(877) 474-7625
Website: