Any "real" rock slider will and must be able to used with a jack.
The whole purpose of rock sliders are to support the weight of the vehicle "sliding" onto/off of and even bouncing on obstacles.
Yeah, there are those chrome side steps type bars you see all the time on full sized trucks, but do not be confused, there is a huge difference between rock sliders and side steps. Side steps type bars offer no protection and only good for stepping on.
Nor will side steps offer any side impact protection, whereas real rock sliders do and will protect you in case of a side impact.
Most of last century we didn't have no stinking rock sliders, they didn't exist from the 70's-90's
Although guess in the SW in the 90's a few were running them.
Side steps are usually body mounted, as you said stay away, far away! Some are now frame mounted with a couple of bolts and only on the face of the frame. Still pretty much worthless IMO.
When rock sliders first came out in addition to protecting the rocker panels one of the main uses was for pivoting off rocks in tight turns. The sliders were tight alongside the body. If the offset angle isn't steep enough then they can get hung up going through rock gardens. Most all were round tubed which helps with rolling off rocks if they got hung up. A few shops made square tubed and still do but round tube still rules most of them. At least for true rock sliders.
I don't pivot off rocks much although run into a lot of Canadian Shelf. And a few rock fields where a dozer has opened up a logging trail. Glacial moraine deposits are common here and Canada where I travel and with the freeze thaw cycles rocks and boulders are pushed out of the ground each year. But not my main nemesis trees are. Pretty much every rig I've had since the 70's has had body damage from a tree biting me. From Washington State to Western North Carolina and a few places in between. Including Minnesota and Canada. Lateral slides on icy trails into trees is my main concern and cause of damage.
11 years ago I wanted zero offset sliders for my Tacoma and not many shops made zero offset then and weren't even an option at most places. I found a shop down in Iowa
4X Innovations that was willing to make me a set with zero offset. With tubing and expanded steel mesh as filler plates between the tubes.
I also had them built with kickouts. The theory with kickouts is that as you pass a rock rubbing against it the vector of the kickout will push your rig out further so that the rear area of the rig doesn't get hit by the rock. Sometimes works sometimes doesn't. My Taco got a dent in the drivers side rear panel after all LOL. Although it was from a lateral slide on ice. And another damn tree.
Most everyone said going zero offset wouldn't work and I was crazy. Now they are often a standard build. Who knew?! LOL.
Ordered mine Nov 24th ORDER 74020 no change in status yet. So I'm going to have to live vicariously through yours until mine come in LOL. Good luck on the install, and hope all goes well for you this weekend! Staying tuned...
