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ACE rock sliders - tough enough??

29K views 34 replies 25 participants last post by  pluke the 2 
#1 ·
So the '09 Rubi is gone, and the '12 Sport is in-house. This will be a different build - very modest for the first few years, a BB, meats, and a few other small items - to run moderate to low-end-of-difficult trails. And I'm trying to do it on the cheap.

For sliders I'm considering ACE. They are cheap and have positive reviews. Really I need protection from mild impacts and scrapes, a step for my daughter, and a place for the high lift if necessary. I don't plan on coming down them hard or generally beating the shit out of them.

I'm skeptical as to their toughness. Again, I don't need Hammers-level stuff, but last time I spent big bucks on a name-brand slider only to have my tub damaged. If I use the ACE sliders, they will be used alone without Rubi rails. I have heard a few instances of them flexing enough to fubar the pinch seam, but I don't know how they were being used.

Part of me wants to just pony up for the LOD sliders (these will work with my far-future lift) but none of our vendors I know of work with LOD and I hear they take a long time to deliver.

Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
I know the ACE rails mount to the body mounts not the pinch seam like other. I have seen them in person on a 4dr and did my best to jump on them with all 250lbs of my fat ass as hard as I could and they didnt budge. Everyone Ive talked to with them love them and ya cant beat the price.
 
#5 ·
We have them on our JK. We use them as well! We have had quite a few customers beat on them and say these have protected their rocker pannels and doors from some nasty trail damage. I dont see why they would not hold up for what your looking to do with them. Also, you cant beat the price on them as well!

We also carry LOD though if you would like to go that route. Their shipping does take longer than ACE's though.

-Jason
 
#7 ·
Hmmm, i would have said go for it, hands down, until i read no rubi sliders. I've hammered the living daylights out of mine, and while they are rockstars i've noticed they do have some up and down flex in them. Maybe i just need to retighten the bolts, but its a good distance from the frame rail to the outside edge of the tube.
I'm taking mine out this weekend and i'll drop it on a boulder to see if the rails will push into the pinch seam with the whole jeep resting on them :)
 
#8 ·
I had the ACE sliders and had to sell them because they are not compatible with the Poly rear LA brackets. That being said, I wouldn't have had issue with running them. I've read plenty of good stuff about them.

FWIW, I got my LoD front bumper from RDMOffroad. Unless I missed something he should still be a sponsor here.
 
#11 ·
I run ACE and feel that they are pretty stout. Good for steps. I have had them flex into the pinch seam though (not much though). I've hit them pretty good at slick rock and deer valley. I'd buy them again, but i would run them with the rubicon rails if you have them.
 
#29 ·
Was there any damage from them flexing into the pinch seam? Was that with or without rubi rails? I was planning on Nemesis sliders, but after reading this thread, I may just go with the Ace. The Nemesis sliders are very stout, but its that drilling into the sheet metal thing. And the fact I don't really trust a body mount slider anyway.
 
#13 ·
Why run the ace sliders plus the rubi rail instead of 1 sturdy slider that will have more clearance?

I've seen people recommend the ace/rubi combo and I always wonder why. I've wheeled with guys that have that and they usually bang the sliders on stuff that I don't even touch because of how far the ace sliders hang down.
 
#14 ·
I've always wondered the same thing on both counts. The ACE sliders do seem to hang fairly low. As an advocate for keeping things as light as reasonably possible, the concept of hanging 100+ lbs off EACH side of the Jeep in the form of Rubi rails plus ACE sliders just to get 'full' protection is pretty half baked.

For those wondering I'm simply refusing to go with body-mount sliders this time. The body is just flat weak. The only one I trust is Nemesis, but frankly I still would rather not drill holes in the tub and they are pricey (but apparently very much worth it). So frame mount it is.

Of those, only two will work for future application - LOD and EVO. The EVOs are just badass but aesthetically they just don't work for me (petty, I know). That leaves LOD, and the ACE as 'a few years temporary' sliders.
 
#16 ·
My reason for the ACE slides was simple, price and how long I would have to wait on them. Price because I am just a weekend warrior with a DD. And anywhere I go to off road, I have to get back from. So how hard I push things is always based on that. And for the wait, I had them on 2 days after I ordered them.

I added the Rubi rails, because I traded even up to someone for my OEM steps. Now when I make contact with something now, the Rubi rails are right there filling the space between the ACE rails and the pinch seam. That is a plus not a negative.

The ACE rails stick out enough to be a step for the wife and kids, and protect the JKU from the side. That's helped save totally ripping off of my rear flares a few times, but not always. The others appear to give this same protection.

I not going to bash any of them, but I just can't see any extra ground clearance with LOD or EVO, at least not from their website pictures and the size tubing each uses. I measured mine from the pinch seam (not the Rubi rail) to the bottom of the tubing of the ACE and it's 2.5".


The LOD's done appear to give much better clearance. I say that based on the fact that they use 2" tubing and there is a gap between the rail and the pinch seem. Weight is 120 pounds. Price almost double, wait time more than I am willing.

The EVO's use 1.75" tubing and look like they are spaced a little more off the pinch seam than the LOD's. Weight is not list so don't know. Price again is almost double, wait time I have no idea on.

So I am just not seeing that the clearance is going to be that much different than ACE's. Minimal at best, again I am judging this by their photos, not seeing on in person. So it is a little bit of an opinion.

I will agree that frame mount is superior to body bolt mount. But for twice the price and nominal added, if any ground clearance, my build just doesn't justify it. Besides, I could tie them into the frame similar to the bolt on design of the LOD if every I thought I need too. And still not be anywhere near twice the price.
 
#17 ·
Do you really want to drill holes in the tub for a body mount? It's a lot more work than installing the ace rails.
 
#19 ·
I'm currently running the ACE sliders and i can tell you that they can take a hit. I dropped the full weight of my JKU on them last year at Jeep Jamboree. I bent them all to be damned, but they kept my pinch seem from getting wrinkled.

Installing some Teraflex aluminum boatsides soon though. Not as a nock against the ACE rails, just wanted something different.
 
#23 ·
A friend made these for me. They serve as steps, protect the body and the flares. I have used a hi-lift and the sliders to jack up the Jeep with no issues.









Passenger side got used on this little obstacle:
 
#26 ·
Jason,
Are the ACE rock sliders slippery if used as steps? Would it be advised to put anti-slip tape on them? I've read a lot of positive reviews for their function as rock sliders, but my GF passenger needs them to work as steps for her, and might think a round tube might not offer the best footing - particularly when wet.

Also, do you guys offer any discounts for forum members?
Thanks,
Scott
 
#28 ·
here is my 2 cents...

ive had the ace sliders drug all over rocks on either side and they are stout. they hold well, just a few scrapes and scratches, overall i cant complain one bit about them for the price.

i have a rubicon and i would suggest having some rubber material between the rubi rails and the ace rails. if the ace rails are loose at all you will get a lot of noise out of them.

as far as slippery, just go to lowes or home depot and get some of the gritty antislip stick on step thingys, trim them to the length you want and stick them on top of the "step". works well for me.
 
#30 · (Edited)
For those of you looking for stronger and higher clearance sliders but still want the great price of ACE don't forget they have the weld on one's that weld to your frame and tuck up real tight with the body like the evo's.

http://www.aceengineeringandfab.com/ACE-JK-Weld-On-Rock-Sliders-4-Door_p_71.html

And I personally don't like the bolt on ones because they lose way too much ground clearance with the rubi rails and they look retarded without the rubi rails because there's a HUGE empty gap between the slider and the rocker. I love the weld on one's though and think they look a lot like the EVO's except they don't have the boxed in ends.
 
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