I need rock rails for my wife’s '04 Sport ASAP. I wanted the Double Tube Rocker Guards from Custom 4x4 Fabrication (http://custom4x4fabrication.com/roundnerf3.jpg) but they are not currently making them. So I’ve looked at All J’s Boulder Bars, Rocky Road Outfitter’s Rock Rails and Rusty’s Rocker Panel Skids but can’t tell from the websites and pictures which will provide the most protection.

All J’s Boulder Bars - http://www.boulderbars.com/kjboulderbars.htm
Rocky Road Outfitter’s rock rails - http://www.rocky-road.com/kjrockrail.html
Rusty’s Rocker Panel Skids - http://rustysoffroad.com/Merchant2/merc ... de=kj_skid

This is my wife’s daily driver and we’ll be taking it to the Hot Springs, Arkansas Jeep Jamboree this October. Prior to that I’ll drag her to a few local off-road parks to build up her confidence and want rock rails before we go out. Since this is her daily driver, the appearance of the rails is very important. She wants the to tuck under as much as possible or I suppose stuck out as little as necessary yet still provide adequate protection. I’m most concerned with the structure and protection provide. We have the factory skid package but when I pick a company to buy rock rails from I’ll also buy their tranny skid, so let me know if that factors in to the decision.

Please give me your opinions

Thanks,
Jeff

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2004 KJ Sport 4x4
Mopar tow package, Off Road Group, Selec-trac
All-J Products Boulder Bars and Super Skid
All J Products Frankenlift
General Grabber AT2 245/75-16
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2649833

All J's Boulderbars.

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99 TJ
71 C101
04 KJ
03 SFA KJ Sport
LOST JEEPS So-Cal

I 2nd this. Although RRO gives lifetime warrenty to have to worrie about the hasle sucks, the All J's are superior in design.

I have slightly bent my RRO Rails nothing serious but you can't really tell. Actually hit a rock hard and the bottom front fender, near the bottom of the door but before the front panels start, bent up a little. I was able to push it back but thought that wouldn't happen.

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2004 Silver Liberty Sport 4x4 (gone)
1996 Land Rover Disco I
L.O.S.T #000522 Life Time #JH053535

All J's Boulder Bars - no question these provide the best protection of all the options available.

<% echo All J %>

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Matt Townsend
Sebastopol CA

02 Red Libby w/Frankenlift, Full armor incl AllJ stuff, 245 MTRs on Cragars, ARB locker, custom rack, K&N FIPK, 8000lb winch, RE rear LCAs, Optima Yellow Top, RL Rear Bumper, Custom Front Bumper
98 TJ w/5.5" RE Long arm lift, ARB front/rear, 35x12.5, Borla, Warn winch, Teralow, etc., etc..

Unless I there are several overnight posts disputing the reliability or quality of All J Products’ Boulder Bars, I’ll be placing an order as soon as they open on Thursday.

Anyone want to comment on the difference, other than $75, between All J, Rocky Road and Rusty when it comes to tranny skid plates? Are the extra supports provided with All J’s skid worth the $75?

Thanks again for everyone’s assistance.

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2004 KJ Sport 4x4
Mopar tow package, Off Road Group, Selec-trac
All-J Products Boulder Bars and Super Skid
All J Products Frankenlift
General Grabber AT2 245/75-16
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2649833

it may be a week or 2 before you can get your hands on a set of all j's bars. i just ordered a set last week and was told it would be early august before i saw them (about the 2nd or 3rd).

they are running a bit behind in production but doing everything to get them out as soon as possible.

quin was up front about the delay before i ordered and having heard the accolades from all of the members here i decided it was worth the wait.

All J supports this group in the most visible, positive way. As well, they have great boulder bars.

All J, or else say 'No way!'

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jeep movies: http://users.catastrophe.net/~eric/jeepmov/
other stuff: http://www.zischen.org/

Another thing to consider during installation of rock rails on a daily driver is: How many holes you want to drill in the body of your vehicle? All-J and Rocky Road both build bars of pretty tough stuff, but each require a lot of holes that Daimler-Chrysler do not provide. Holes in the "frame" rails, and holes along the pinchweld of the unibody.

I wasn't too worried about holes in the "frame", but I didn't want to drill a bunch of holes in the unibody.

One other thing I considered was: If the rails are attached directly to the body of the vehicle, and they for some reason DO bend, they have no choice but to bend the body along with them. For my purposes, I would rather have a little space between the rails and the body in case the rails DID bend. There would then be some room for them to move, and do their job, taking the brunt without transfering the force directly to the body of the vehicle, possibly causing body panel damage. I wouldn't mind taking a sledge to the rails to straighten them out, but I am not very practiced at body work.

Some may fault my reasoning, but it worked for me. So I went with the Mopar rock rails.

Just curious...but has anybody ever seen an All J boulder bar actually bend?

For Fellow members with Boulder bars. Have you run into any corrosion problems with the holes you were required to drill through the original factory paint, in the pinch weld, to mount the bars to the pinch weld? Thanks

2 years, 2 Denver winters and no corrosion problems.

but denver winters also mean "no salt"

not that i think there would really be a corrosion problem anyway.

once the powercoat flakes of (inevitable over time) there will be some rust

It means plenty of water and mag chloride though!

Well, I never heard any comments about the different transmission skid plates but I feel confident that All J Products Skid will be high quality. I have just placed an order with Quinn for ’04 KJ Boulder Bars and Super Skid II.

He said they were hit with several orders this week and it may be 3+ weeks before I see the bars, so no instant gratification. Well, the skid should ship this week but asking your wife crawl under the car to see the $600 you just spent doesn’t have the same effect as her seeing the bars every time she drives the Jeep.

Thanks to all that took the time to comment.
Jeff

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2004 KJ Sport 4x4
Mopar tow package, Off Road Group, Selec-trac
All-J Products Boulder Bars and Super Skid
All J Products Frankenlift
General Grabber AT2 245/75-16
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2649833

Seeing them is not as cool as Hearing the bars and skids scraping over rocks and boulders while wheelin'!

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99 TJ
71 C101
04 KJ
03 SFA KJ Sport
LOST JEEPS So-Cal

It goes something like...scrape...I love All J...scrape...thanks Quinn and Steve...scrape/bang....I love All J. That's how it works for me anyway.

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Nanette

03 Freedom with some neat stuff done to it that I learned about here.

you aint kidding there. they bathe the streets in that stuff

Here's where I think the fault in your reasoning lies... If you were to hit the boulderbars hard enough to bend them AND your body, then the Stock rock rails would have probalby split in two and much more damage would have been done to your body.. you did see this pic right?



That's mine with the stock rock rails.. I was going over some telephone poles on an obstacle course, droped down maybe 6" onto one and it did that! Now, telephone poles are wood,. wood is alot softer than rocks, and I only fell maybe 6"! Now imagine the force it would take to bend the boulderbars AND your body being applied to the stock rock rails....

And I'm pretty sure if I take a sledge hammer to my rock rail it will probalby split in half.. you can only bend metal so much.

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Adam,
2005 Liberty Renegade
Locked & Lifted! Rusty's Coil & Powertrax NoSlip, 245/75/16 Bridgestone Dueler MTs,
CB w/ 4' Firestick mounted on Tire Carrier,
Full MOPAR Skids, RRO Diff guard, 'AllJ Boulder Bars, Rhino-lining applied to sides.
On-board Air (Superflow MV-50)

How do the MOPAR rock rails attach? Do you have pics?

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MikeP
L.O.S.T. #000202
2021 Compass