Xterra Rock Sliders - Protection And Peace Of Mind

The trickiest part of the entire install was feeding the handle nut through the frame for the lower bolt hole in the rear. It's not rocket science but you do need to exercise a little bit of patience here. Once you get the bolt started into the nut, tighten it...

...very slowly so that you don't rip off the handle and lose the bolt inside the frame. After everything was bolted tight, we opted to leave the handle attached to the nut and tuck it up into the framerail. This way if we ever need to remove the rock sliders we can safely fish out the nut.

Aside from the obvious protection properties of a good rock slider, the majority of four-wheelers find them to be a very useful jack aid. With our brand-new Hi-Lift X-Treme jack planted firmly into the Hi-Lift Off-Road Base, we lifted one side of the Xterra into the sky to be sure the new sliders would do the job. Although our tire size is not that large at this time, many off-road vehicles run 35-inch-plus tire sizes, which makes factory bottle jacks almost useless. With the ShrockWorks sliders and a Hi-Lift, you can safely replace a tire on the trail with ease.

The new Hi-Lift X-Treme jack model XT-485 and Hi-Lift Off-Road Base make a great combination and a worthy component to any adventure vehicle. The new X-Treme series of jacks are all-cast versions available in 48 or 60 inches that include a charcoal metallic powdercoat finish, gold zinc-coated hardware and handle, and a special winch-clamp-spreader attachment. A Hi-Lift can be used...

...for a great deal of duties from winching, clamping, spreading, and jacking up to 5,000 pounds. The Off-Road Base is essential if you plan on adding a Hi-Lift to your vehicle. The various terrain challenges we often tackle usually don't leave us with a flat surface when it comes time for repairs. The security and peace of mind of having a wide base for your jack goes without saying. Don't be cheap and think you don't need one.

Many of us carry gear on the roof of our vehicles simply because we don't have enough cab space for certain items. Getting to the roof can be a burden, especially for shorter occupants, and the sliders provide a strong step for extending one's reach.

During a recent trip into Silverado Canyon, we crossed through a riverbed that proved to be a good initial testing ground for the rock sliders. We bashed our way through some of the bigger rocks on the trail, purposely hitting them to see how our new side protectors would do. After about a dozen jaw-smashing hits, we pulled over to a safe spot to check out the bottom of the sliders. Sure, we had a few new scrapes, but the powdercoating was not compromised. After all, scars, scrapes, cracks, and dents are what make us wheelers, right? Look for more pictures of our trail tests soon.