Quality rocker protection for pickup trucks is sometimes hard to find. Sure, there’s always the option of custom-welded tube sliders, but some owners are looking for a simpler way to gain some lower-body protection. Randy Ellis Design (RED) is filling some of that void with their Sleekster Rockers, bolt-on body-mounted rocker protection that requires no welding or cutting on your truck. Most of the Sleekster Rockers come as one formed piece of sheet steel. The F-150 versions, such as the ones installed on this Raptor, come as a two-piece assembly that is installed to form the complete boxed rocker.Most of the Sleekster Rockers come as one formed piece of sheet steel. The F-150 versions, The rockers are formed on a large press brake into a sturdy box shape using 0.130-inch sheet steel. Once they are formed, they provide wheel-to-wheel rocker panel protection and hang no lower than the frame, so no overall ground clearance is lost. The design is super rigid, meaning the weight of the truck can sit on them or they can be used as a jacking point to lift the truck. Finish is a nice satin black powdercoat. There are no tubes running from the framerails with the Sleekster Rockers, so the length underneath is free of points where rocks can catch. The result is the addition of useful body armor in a discrete package. Installation of the rockers should take the average home installer less than two hours and can be done in a driveway using common tools. Given the length of the rockers, a helper can be handy to position the long pieces.Installation of the rockers should take the average home installer less than two hours and RED currently offers their rockers for Toyota Tacomas, late-model 4Runners, FJ Cruisers, and F-150 four-door trucks. By the time you read this, they should also have them available for ’09-’13 Dodge Ram four-door trucks. We followed along as they did a rocker install on a ’12 Ford Raptor. Total install time in their shop was less than an hour. The top half on the F-150 rail fits against a step in the lower body sheetmetal so it’s easy to align. Installation does require drilling some holes for the rivets used to attach the upper portion.The top half on the F-150 rail fits against a step in the lower body sheetmetal so it’s ea Each upper half of the rocker is secured to the lower body sheetmetal with 16 rivets. The 3/16-inch steel rivets are staggered to maximize the attachment rigidity. The guys at RED used an air-powered riveter, but a quality hand riveter can be used, as well.Each upper half of the rocker is secured to the lower body sheetmetal with 16 rivets. The With the upper half mounted, the lower half of the box rail is slid in place. Stainless button-head bolts clamp the two halves together.With the upper half mounted, the lower half of the box rail is slid in place. Stainless bu The lower half is further secured to the lower body sheetmetal with a series of bolts. The multiple means of fastening the two halves and the body adds additional strength to the overall assembly.The lower half is further secured to the lower body sheetmetal with a series of bolts. The With the new rockers in place, they protect underneath and easily provide a long surface that can be used as a jacking point to lift the truck off the ground. The rockers sit just below the door threshold but steal no overall ground clearance.With the new rockers in place, they protect underneath and easily provide a long surface t The rails stick out just enough to be useful as an entry step yet don’t add extensively to the body width. You get a purposeful addition of armor in a clean-looking package.The rails stick out just enough to be useful as an entry step yet don’t add extensively to Sources Randy Ellis Design 2855 W. Fairmount Avenue Phoenix AZ 85017 602-803-1122 www.randyellisdesign.com By Jay Kopycinski Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
