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Brand New Ace Rock Rails Rusting

9K views 76 replies 43 participants last post by  Scipio24 
#1 ·
So check out the rock rails that have been on my jeep for maybe 2 weeks. Waited for a good bit because of back orders from Ace. Then get them on and 2 weeks later and this is what they look like. The weld points are terrible but didn't really notice when I was putting them on but the rust outlining them now surely shows them. Seriously, 2 weeks old. For those of you wondering... i live in Charlotte NC and we have maybe had a few days of rain at all since i got them and put them on. The rest have been pretty much 60-70 degree days. No salty roads or anything. Both sides are showing the points right by the front wheels but it is on both sides.


 
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#14 ·
Same here, I'm now starting to doubt that I should have gone with Ace. I read a LOT of positive reviews though, too. Maybe just a bad individual or run? It can happen, but how they handle the issue will be important.
 
#15 ·
When I got my Ace front and rear bumpers last August, upon unpacking them I noticed that the powdercoat was peeling off in several areas. I took pictures and sent them to Ace. Their response was essentially, they were fine when they shipped. That put me off. Well, five months later, January 2017, I totalled my Jeep. The damage looks minimal, but it was in excess of $25,000. I contacted Ace to get a copy of my receipt, which they willingly provided. I also told them about my accident and how well the front bumper held up, again, they didn't seem to care. My front bumper is destroyed and I can't get the back one off due to a twisted and buckled frame, so I will need new bumpers on my next Jeep. Ace makes a good product, but has some work to do in the customer service area. My new bumpers will be crawler conceptz. I vote with my wallet.
 

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#17 ·
Sorry to hear, my passenger side rail is rusting in the exact same spot but on the rear of the rail.
 
#20 ·
Dude... scuff that up with a wire brush, and spray it with black rustoleoum semi gloss, it will have the same finish and you're going to laugh about it later on. they're made of steel, and steel rust, have you seeing what happens to sliders when you hit them against rocks ? they rust badly if you don't do anything about it.

I spray my sliders from time to time to keep them looking decent, but their main job is to prevent damage to the rocker panels, so they get scratched/gouged etc here and there, that tiny rust won't hurt them, and you can always retouch them. Sure there are better power coatings out there, but unless you were trying to win car shows, i wouldn't worry too much about it, unless the metal was falling apart.

Good luck.
 
#34 ·
These aren't spray painted - they are powder coated, or they are supposed to be. We just traded our Xterra powder coated White Knuckle sliders which look the same as the day we installed them. If you have knocked the PC off via heavy rock climbing, sure - touch them up with some paint. But PC should not just fall off and start rusting.

Here is what the vendor says on their site.

With an unobtrusive matte black texture powder-coat, ACE Rock Sliders compliment the looks of any Jeep, and the slight-grit in the powder-coat helps prevents slipping. All of this, and guaranteed for life? Thats how ACE does it.
 
#23 ·
Ace should reply to this, It's threads like this that will ruin the reputation of a company. It sounds like they are in the habit of deny any liability. If the product is rusted when you open it up brand new, or after a month, and they dont do anything about it, that is bull crap. My rubicon rails are painted metal and no rust after a year and a half. Crappy workmanship and qc is the cause.
 
#24 ·
Sure, we touch up our sliders with the rattle can when necessary, but if you really look at those pipes the welds are really terrible. Besides, round sliders are weak anyway... they're always bent and mangled. But if you don't mind purchasing accessories for eye-appeal rather than functionality, go for it.
 
#25 ·
Wow, I've had mine for about a year in Central Florida- tons of rain, park outside, no rust. My welds look good, nothing like your photos. In cases like these, the manufacturer usually changed something (subcontracted, found a cheaper way...) and this is the result. Too bad, because it was the glowing recommendations on this forum that got me to buy them. These manufacturers live and die by their reputations, and stuff like this destroys a hard-won reputation quickly.
 
#41 ·
You shouldn't kid YOURself. The type of people that add rock sliders, bumpers, lifts, etc. ARE the ones that research on forums, youtube, etc. And your right Ace will survive this one measly thread, but i guarantee you it has a big impact on reputation and perception, the more threads like these that popup WILL definitely lose them a large amount of business.
 
#27 ·
Me personally I was ready to get the ace to match my rubi factory rails but forget it. The welds bother me more than the rust but looking around again I think I wanna get the hard rock boat sides. A great step for the wife and they look good. 2x the $ but ya get what ya pay for.
 
#29 ·
Do you mean the Hard Rock enhanced Rock rails?

If that's the case, have you looked at them in person for step use? A guy at work has them and when I looked at them, the step doesn't stick out very far. I could barely get my toes on them where it seemed very easy for someone to slip, using them as a step. I was considering the Ace sliders but I'm now waiting for the LOD destroyer steps to come out.
 
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