Good Times
03-31-2007, 08:11 PM
Trail Armor Options
Armor is the single most important modification you must do if you plan to venture into the unknown. I feel that this is much more important than getting a lift or even better tires. With armor at your sides you will be better prepared for what the trails will offer with the ease of mind knowing that your vehicle's body will be protected. Lifting and getting upgraded tires will help you get to places you traditionally can't get to but this also means that the trails get incrementally more difficult. Difficult trails are a tall tail sign of body damages if you don't have armor so I highly recommend that you invest in some armor prior to anything else.
With this in mind, there are many vendors that offer welded and bolted applications for the sliders. Sliders aka Rock Sliders are armor that protects the side of the body panels from rocks and other large objects. This is the single most important armor that you can do to project the sides of your vehicle. These sliders will replace the running boards so please do keep this in mind. There are many different types of sliders ranging from round tubing to square tubing. All of the variable applications do what they are built for so there is no need to be concerned that one design is much more inferior to another design. This also applies for welded and bolted applications. Both are trail tested and both deserves the same recognition. I highly recommend any of the vendors listed below as all vendors comes highly recommended by many of the owners in the community.
Bumpers: Aftermarket bumpers help to increase approach and departure angles which greatly give the drive the ability to take a more aggressive trail with their vehicles. The bumpers also offer the ability to add a winch for situations such as recovery or even for trail repair. These aftermarket bumpers also offer a more rigid protection vs the factory plastic bumpers. There is one vendor currently in the process of building an off-the-shelf bumper so stay tune for more info.
Skidplates: Skid plates are direct stock replacement made out of thicker steel. These skid plates do not protect the transmission or the transfer case. Other skid plates are in r&d at the current moment by other vendors.
Sliders / Rock Rails
Manufacturer 4runner FJ Cruiser Tacoma
4Crawler (http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/RockSliderZ.shtml)xxx
All Pro Offroad (http://www.allprooffroad.com/)xxx
Demello Offroad (http://www.demello-offroad.com/catalog/)xxx
Hanna Quality (http://www.hannaquality.com/)x
Shrockworks (http://www.shrockworks.com/)x
Sonoran Steel (http://www.sonoransteel.com/)xxx
Stubbs Welding (http://www.stubbswelding.com/)xxx
Trail Gearxxx
Bumpers
Manufacturer 4runner FJ Cruiser Tacoma
All Pro Offroad (http://www.trail-gear.com)xx
ARB (http://www.arbusa.com)xxx
Demello Offroad (http://www.demello-offroad.com)xxx
Shrockworks (http://www.shrockworks.com)xx
[u]Skid Plates
Manufacturer 4runner FJ Cruiser Tacoma
Downey Offroad (http://www.downeyoff-road.com)xxx
Bud Built (http://www.budbuilt.com)xxx
All Pro Offroad (http://www.allprooffroad.com/)xxx
Armor is the single most important modification you must do if you plan to venture into the unknown. I feel that this is much more important than getting a lift or even better tires. With armor at your sides you will be better prepared for what the trails will offer with the ease of mind knowing that your vehicle's body will be protected. Lifting and getting upgraded tires will help you get to places you traditionally can't get to but this also means that the trails get incrementally more difficult. Difficult trails are a tall tail sign of body damages if you don't have armor so I highly recommend that you invest in some armor prior to anything else.
With this in mind, there are many vendors that offer welded and bolted applications for the sliders. Sliders aka Rock Sliders are armor that protects the side of the body panels from rocks and other large objects. This is the single most important armor that you can do to project the sides of your vehicle. These sliders will replace the running boards so please do keep this in mind. There are many different types of sliders ranging from round tubing to square tubing. All of the variable applications do what they are built for so there is no need to be concerned that one design is much more inferior to another design. This also applies for welded and bolted applications. Both are trail tested and both deserves the same recognition. I highly recommend any of the vendors listed below as all vendors comes highly recommended by many of the owners in the community.
Bumpers: Aftermarket bumpers help to increase approach and departure angles which greatly give the drive the ability to take a more aggressive trail with their vehicles. The bumpers also offer the ability to add a winch for situations such as recovery or even for trail repair. These aftermarket bumpers also offer a more rigid protection vs the factory plastic bumpers. There is one vendor currently in the process of building an off-the-shelf bumper so stay tune for more info.
Skidplates: Skid plates are direct stock replacement made out of thicker steel. These skid plates do not protect the transmission or the transfer case. Other skid plates are in r&d at the current moment by other vendors.
Sliders / Rock Rails
Manufacturer 4runner FJ Cruiser Tacoma
4Crawler (http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/RockSliderZ.shtml)xxx
All Pro Offroad (http://www.allprooffroad.com/)xxx
Demello Offroad (http://www.demello-offroad.com/catalog/)xxx
Hanna Quality (http://www.hannaquality.com/)x
Shrockworks (http://www.shrockworks.com/)x
Sonoran Steel (http://www.sonoransteel.com/)xxx
Stubbs Welding (http://www.stubbswelding.com/)xxx
Trail Gearxxx
Bumpers
Manufacturer 4runner FJ Cruiser Tacoma
All Pro Offroad (http://www.trail-gear.com)xx
ARB (http://www.arbusa.com)xxx
Demello Offroad (http://www.demello-offroad.com)xxx
Shrockworks (http://www.shrockworks.com)xx
[u]Skid Plates
Manufacturer 4runner FJ Cruiser Tacoma
Downey Offroad (http://www.downeyoff-road.com)xxx
Bud Built (http://www.budbuilt.com)xxx
All Pro Offroad (http://www.allprooffroad.com/)xxx