Rock-/ Treeslider – installation Discovery 3/4

Rocksliders are a very useful tool on any off-road vehicle, especially when the wheelbase (distance between front and rear axle) is relatively large, like on the Discovery or the 110 Defender.

Rocksliders, or often called treesliders, side protection tubes or sill protectors, have the task of protecting the sill from damage if the vehicle slides on a rock or root or the like. This happens very quickly, for example, if the front wheel has rolled over an obstacle and then slips off the obstacle and the ground clearance is insufficient. The vehicle then lies with the sill on the obstacle and this can lead to nasty dents or scratches. Even driving around obstacles very closely can cause the side of the vehicle to touch the obstacle, resulting in major damage.

Running boards are no Rocksliders

If you are looking for real vehicle protection, please do not confuse the real rock sliders with the so-called running boards (door steps, etc.). The running boards really have, as the name says, the function that you can use them as a small step to make it easier to get on. But running boards are usually not built so stable that they could realize real protection. So they are more a visual gimmick or a little help when the little kids want to climb into the vehicle.

Of course, the rocksliders also fulfill this function, so they can be used as steps or running boards, which can sometimes be very useful when loading the roof.

As disadvantages of rocksliders you could name them here: Rocksliders reduce the ground clearance on the side. Furthermore, the rocksliders sometimes disturb the entrance because you have to make a “bigger” step. Also, you might mess up a light-colored pair of pants when you get in or out of a rockslider because you often drag along it. But all in all, the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages – especially on off-road trips. And of course they also look cool.

Which Rockslider is the best?

Rocksliders come from different manufacturers and basically all models are quite similar. Qualitative differences are mostly in the wall thickness of the chosen materials, in the type of steel or alloy, or coating, or of course in the look. In the end a Rockslider is not a high-tech product. Scratched Rocksliders (i.e. those that have served their purpose) can sometimes get a bit of rust. It doesn’t look great, but is usually no problem.

Rockslider assembly

Here you find a small assembly instruction with pictures, here done at my D4 (MY2011):

First remove the fairing screw in the front of the rear wheel arch, so the fairing can be loosened and pulled out of the clips.

Loosen screw in rear wheel arch

Afterwards all clips and covers can be removed, which are located on the plastic sill cover.

The plastic cover is additionally clipped in several places, but can be removed quite easily. In the sill itself the threads are already present, because they can also be used for original accessories (running boards). But the threaded holes are covered with big black stickers, so they are not immediately visible.

In addition all these white clips have to be removed, which is best done with a screwdriver or even better with a special tool for removing fairing clips.

Here you can see the stickers that cover the threaded holes

Clips are best removed with such a tool

When all the clips are removed and the stickers have been taken off the tapped holes, you can get the tap. The threads are almost always so rusty that the screws are difficult to screw in and you run the risk of screwing them in crooked or that they seize. Therefore we recommend to re-cut the threads (M10) with a drop of cutting oil and a good tap. This also makes the whole assembly easier.

Before the Rockslider is mounted, we recommend to decouple the metal-metal support with a strip of adhesive tape

On the clean paint, an adhesive strip (armour tape) can then be stuck on, so that the metal does not lie directly on the metal and can rub or rattle there.

At the bottom of the picture you can see one of the rusted threads. Under the car the threads almost all look like this.

The M10 threaded holes rust easily. Mostly they have to be recut everywhere with a tap.

Ready mounted Rockslider

If you are interested in such products you will find them in our store. We have different brands and manufacturers in our program from inexpensive to noble.

 

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All information as always to the best of our knowledge and belief, but without guarantee!