Hi,

I just ordered a 22 and those are no longer a factory option, been reading they look like they come out as far as my wife's rock sliders on her 2015 Hard rock.

Also eyeballing one's from ACE that you can bolt on over the factory slim sliders. Think they may be cheaper than the Mopar wide sliders.

Ref: https://aceengineeringandfab.com/collections/jl-products/products/jl-rock-sliders-4-door

Regards,
Jim

 

Hey BergerBoy,

I'll be ordering a Willys Sport next month, and plan on having the Mopar performance rock sliders installed by the dealer, so I'm interested in the same aspects of them as you are.

I decided to go with these as, after a lot of research, they seem like some of the best all-around heavy-duty rock rails out there. Not only are they heavy-duty steel, but they are heavily galvanized to resist corrosion, and THEN also coated with a bedliner-type material for additional protection. My only quibble with them (as with so many other rock rails) is that they are body-mounted rather than frame-mounted.

 

If you are not crawling over rocks, get a set of Sahara side step takeoffs and be done.

They weigh a lot less, provide a wider step and can be had for $300 on Craigslist or eBay.

They attach to the exact same spots where your rock rails are currently mounted. It is a 15 minute install.

Good luck.

Part No. 68292907AF (left) and 68292906AF (right)

 

There is a new pair on eBay for $299, free shipping. Says it is the last set he has left.

2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler JL 4 Door Running Board Side Steps 82215164AB Mopar OEM | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler JL 4 Door Running Board Side Steps 82215164AB Mopar OEM at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

Aldo - Are these able to be installed over the existing Rubicon Rock Rails? I'd like to keep them on if at all possible. I don't care for the look of the exposed pinch seams under the rockers if the Rock Rails are removed.

 

I have these on my Jeep. They are very usable as a step but keep in mind how high they are. Not a lot of use to someone of smaller stature and not necessary for someone 6 ft or more. I bought them, in part, to be a step for my wife (she does not ride in the Jeep all that often) but moreover as an attempt to reduce rock chips on the rear door hinges. As mentioned above, the composite side steps are a good (maybe better) choice for a lot less money, especially considering you won't get anything for JLU rails. 2 door rails do have a bit better market, however.

 

I neglected to mention that I had the ACE sliders over Rubi sliders on my 2 door JK. They were a decent step for my wife but stuck out quite a ways making it a nusiance for me to get in and out of the Jeep. I elected to not do that again because I was also trying to reduce rock chip damage. They looked good, though. I never actually put them to a real test offroad.

 

If you can't find a set that is for sale on the used market, they are not that bad as a new item.

Mopar 82215164AB Production Style Side Steps for 18-24 Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited

Enhanced Accessibility: These side steps offer a wider and more secure stepping surface, making it easier to get in and out of your Wrangler, especially for passengers and those with reduced mobility.

www.quadratec.com

 

@BergerboyJL: These side steps came with the 2-dr 2020 Willys and they work well getting in and out. Are yours different on your 2021?

EDIT: I went to your intro thread and see the photo of your ride. You have the Rubi Rails and I now understand your situation with ingress and egress.

Tube rail sliders will give you the rock protection and barely enough width to get in and out. However, if they ice up . . . . . no fun. I had RedRock sliders that fit over the Rubi Rails on my JK Willys and while they were great, every now and then I had small projectiles flying through the rails at times. So I would go with Aldo recommended.

 

This is my Sahara: you can see how the side steps cover the pinch seams.

 

Thanks,
Interesting that I went back to my window sticker and it doesn't show any added cost for the Rock Rails, although I remember ordering the "Heavy Duty Rock Slider with Step Assist by MOPAR" for $925. The Jeep was delivered with the "Rock Protection Sill Rails" that appears included as part of the 22W package.
So, maybe they are running short of the Step Assist Rock Rails at the end of the model year?
At least I feel better now, knowing I'm not removing an option I paid $925 extra for, in place for these Step Assists for the added $300 off of eBay.
Also - The Step Assist Rock Rails that you recommended, look like they are ABS (plastic) construction, but there's got to be steel in there for structural strength, right? I can't imagine these being 100% plastic and being durable at all.

 

Thanks,
Interesting that I went back to my window sticker and it doesn't show any added cost for the Rock Rails, although I remember ordering the "Heavy Duty Rock Slider with Step Assist by MOPAR" for $925. The Jeep was delivered with the "Rock Protection Sill Rails" that appears included as part of the 22W package.
So, maybe they are running short of the Step Assist Rock Rails at the end of the model year?
At least I feel better now, knowing I'm not removing an option I paid $925 extra for, in place for these Step Assists for the added $300 off of eBay.
Also - The Step Assist Rock Rails that you recommended, look like they are ABS (plastic) construction, but there's got to be steel in there for structural strength, right? I can't imagine these being 100% plastic and being durable at all.
View attachment 4529111
View attachment 4529112

Double check your window sticker, not your build sheet. The dealer might have ordered them, but if there are no super duper rock rails available, they shouldn’t have charged for them. If the dealer charged you $1,000 for the standard rock rails, you got ripped off. I’d be paying them a visit.

The side steps are extremely durable. I have slid sideways onto a tree and bashed them on the trail: they are tough as nails.

I can understand your hesitance to replace the steel rock rails with a set of $300 plastic steps. But unless you rock crawl, those steel rails are just decor; meanwhile you are still in need of side steps...

Good luck.

 

BTW, ACE Manufacturing offers sliders that mount on top of the factory rock rails; the protruding tubes double as a narrow step.

But again, unless you are rock crawling, you’d be adding weight and gaining only a narrow foothold. They ain’t cheap, either. They look very cool, though.

ACE ROCK SLIDER KIT, FITS JLU, TEXTURIZED BLACK. MADE IN THE USA.

JeepHut Offroad is your destination for Custom Jeeps and off-road accessories. Offering Jeep parts and accessories including Bumpers, lift kits, Tires, wheels and more for your truck or Jeep. We are your Jeep and 4x4 experts!

thejeephut.com

 

The regular Sahara side steps also protect the side of the jeep from mud and splashes.

 

And from flying rock and debris...hitting and chipping your door hinges and rear fenders.

 

How well do the Mopar performance rock sliders protect the sides of the Jeep? Can anyone here answer that? I have not seen that matter discussed here before.

 

Moderately well. It will protect your rocker panels as long as you hit the rock straight down.

These rock rails are partly there for function, partly there for looks. There’s only so much stress anything mounted to the pinch seam can withstand.

It is probably enough for 90% of users, though.

 

Thank you for that clarification, DBJeep.

Can you describe exactly how you modified the WeatherTech mud flaps to accommodate the Mopar performance rock rails? I was hoping to do something like that as well.

 

I held them up to the rails and marked/trimmed out the extra area to the outside of the existing rail pocket. What looks like a step in the surface of the flap is the original rail pocket. The flap wraps around the rail. It's not a perfect solution but it seems to work OK and looks fine. I simply marked the flap with a Sharpie pen and trimmed it to fit with utility knife.

 

Update: It appears, according to the new "Build & Price" webpage for the 2022 models, that the Mopar performance heavy-duty rock rails with step assist are now once again a factory build option --- and $100 less than in 2021!

 

I see it's online but my salesperson couldn't find it on his list of options back on 11/29, got a email trying to see if I can get them on my order.

Regards,
Jim

 

Thanks for posting that photo, DBJeep, although I must admit that I am not entirely sure what I am looking at there --- I even blew-up the photo to try to see more detail, but I'm sort of confused by what I am seeing there.

I can see what I take to be the end cap of the rock slider, but then there is a black(er) piece of plastic (?), roughly five-sided, that appears to lie over the end of the rock slider, over the right-hand half of it as seen in the photo above. What is that?

 

The 5 sided piece is the original pocket in the flap. What looks like a step down on the LH side is the end of the rails just like you surmised. These flaps were designed to fit over the Rubi rails and had a molded recess in them to accommodate the rails. That 5 sided feature is the bottom of the recess that would accept the Rubi rails.
My JLU came from the factory with Rubi rails. I installed the WeatherTech flaps to minimize rock chips. Unfortunately, they were not enough so I spend the money on the Performance rails. Since I already had these flaps, I was out nothing by modifying them to fit.

 

OK, thanks for that detailed explanation, DB. I really appreciate it.

So, for somebody (myself) who is going to be ordering a Jeep with the Mopar performance rock rails from the get-go, would you advise getting and installing the WeaterTech mudguards as well, or maybe some other kind of mud guards instead? I really want to try to minimize the amount of splash-up on the sides of the Jeep, so I do want to install some kind of mud guards.

The WeatherTech ones initially looked, to me, to be maybe not long enough, so I was actually looking at the RokBlokz mud guards instead. But those would still need to be cut and/or modified to accommodate the Mopar performance rock rails, which they are not designed to do.

 

Yeah, I would get some type of mudflaps on from the get go. Especially in the type of climate you will be driving the Jeep.

The Mopar mudflaps work on Sport without rock rails, and on Sahara with the standard side steps. They do not work with any type of rock rails, unfortunately.

BTW, you can buy the Sahara side steps for 2-door. There is no Sahara 2-door any more...but you can buy Sahara side steps for 2-door. Go figure!

 

The Mopar mudflaps work on Sport without rock rails, and on Sahara with the standard side steps. They do not work with any type of rock rails, unfortunately.

Actually, I have read (in another forum) how the Rokblokz mud flaps can be adapted to Jeeps with the Mopar performance rock rails. It's kind of a make-do modification, and involves using a cable tie to secure the inner part of the mud flap to the hole that one of the screws would normally be in. It involves resting the mud flap over the (slightly protruding) end of the rock rail, as the attempts of several others to cut out a hole in the mud flap for the rock rail apparently left it just too unsecured, and they would quickly rip off. That is just speaking of the RokBlokz mud guards, though.

 

Mopar Side steps Part No. 82215145AB

Mopar splash guards Part No. 82215332AB (front) and 82215333AB (rear)

Jeep Wrangler JL Mopar Running Board 2 Door Black Molded Side Steps - 2018-2021 | Auto Parts

2 Door Running Board Side Steps for 2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler JL 82215145AB

www.bamwholesaleparts.com

Mopar Front Splash Guard Pair Sport/Sahara Jeep Wrangler JL 2018-2021/Gladiator 2020-2021

Pair of Mopar Front Splash Guards for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Jeep JL Wranglers and 2020-2021 Gladiators.

www.cjponyparts.com

Mopar Rear Splash Guard Pair Jeep Wrangler JL Sport/ Sahara 2018-2021

Pair of Mopar Rear Splash Guards for 2018-2021 Sport and Sahara Jeep JL Wranglers.

www.cjponyparts.com

 

I have been researching rock rails and mudflats; the weather tech site says their mud flaps will work with the rubicon performance rock rails. Don’t know if it’s true tho.

 

Hi

To my understanding they will work but you have to cut the mud flaps to go over the rails or add a window in the mud flaps so it will slide over the rail.

Regards,
Jim

 

Hi again,

Here are the weather tech one's you might have to modify for the wider rails

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-Door No-Drill MudFlaps | WeatherTech US

Check out our Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-Door No-Drill MudFlaps and more from WeatherTech US!

www.weathertech.com

Regards,
Jim

 

Jim, it looks to me like those WeatheTech mud flaps you show above have a punch-out for the standard Rubicon-style rock rails, but I doubt that they would work with the Mopar performance rock rails, which are significantly wider than the standard rock rails. That is what appears to dooms most mud flaps being modified for them: any cut-outs into the flaps would have to be so wide as to seriously weaken their attachment to the vehicle.

 

See DBJeep's post

MOPAR Performance Rock Rails / Step Sides? Anyone?

Anyone use these? I'm looking for a step-side upgrade from the basic MOPAR Rock Rails that came on my Willys. Wife and I both are thinking we'd like a step up to help ingress/egress, but not too interested in the larger, more prominent nerf-style steps that are out there. Is this an effective...

www.wranglerforum.com

Regards,
Jim

 

I have what appear to be the mopar step assist rails on my gladiator. The dealer added them before I bought it. They are definitely heavy duty metal with a rough top for grip. They are too high to be useful to me for entry or exit. I have the mopar lift. They look like they could offer decent protection. The only issue I have seen is after driving on muddy gravel roads, small rocks get wedged between the step and body. Enough that they need to be pried out. I cringe thinking about what that may be doing to the paint.

 

Wildlifeguy, that is an interesting if negative observation about the Mopar performance rock rails (which I was planning on ordering on my Jeep). My impression/assumption was that they lay pretty much flush against the body, but I have not seen any of them 'in real life', so I have only had photos to go by. Apparently I was mistaken. I can't say that I like the idea of stones routinely getting lodged between them and the rocker panels of the Jeep, requiring prying out the stones.

Do you, or does anyone else, know if the stock Rubicon-style rock rails do this same thing with small rocks?