Rock sliders are an aftermarket accessory popular among four wheel drive vehicle owners who engage in more serious off-road driving.
Rock sliders are typically made of heavy-duty box section steel, although they can also be made from tubular steel as well. They run along each side of the vehicle, from just behind the front wheel to just before the rear wheel, just below the level of the door sills. They are affixed to the vehicle's chassis, and their function is to protect the door sills and door bottoms from damage when crossing large obstacles (such as rocks - hence the name).
This is what I went to find when looking to add some mods to my Generation 3 LWB Pajero. I found some good ones at Burnco and Lynx4x4 but in the end decided on Org from Tough Stuff as he has built a number of these things for Cruisers and Prados and specialise in Rock sliders and not any other 4x4 accesories. Furthermore he came highly praised in this post https://www.pajeroclub.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=339 Who said a Gen3 does not have a chassis rail and can't fit sliders!!
My LWB (2001) model would have been the first LWB Pajero that he made, so it took about a week to get it done. The 2000-2004 LWB (only GLS models were available then) Pajero have a different bottom 'tupperware' design than later models which I wanted modified and cut to prevent further damage, especially to the front mud flap part that looked battered and bruised on my vehicle. Org convinced me not to go too extreme in the end with the cutting of the plastics and this what we ended with in the end.
This is what it looked like before the slides were fitted.
What I like:
They are narrow enough to not be in the way when entering the vehicle but still wide enough to assist the kids in getting in and out.
They blend in nicely with the car without attracting too much attention. I opted for silver paint rather than the standard black powder coating.
They give superior protection and are probably overengineered with an extra bar under the 'pinch' line on the vehicle to assist in carrying the weight if they do move when used for lifting.
There is extra gusseting used on the standard monting points to spread the load when used.
The Hi-Lift points are a geart bonus for emergencies in extreme situations.
What I dont like:
They are heavy weighing in at almost 60kg for both sides according to Org due to the exctra thick steel used. The price for durability.
They took a small amount of clearance away on the side of the vehicle, althogh they are equal to the lowest point on the vehicle being the exhaust.
Price was just under R5000 with 50% deposit upfront.
Thought it looked like the original engine lower cover plate......which are way too thin for serious off-loading. Hence assumed that as you fitted a "dinkum" rock slider setup, you might have also considered the bottom bash plate upgrade ?
