just looking for inspiration. Im just gonna use 2x4x120 tube, and am just looking for ideas on mounting. At this point, I will capture the rear leaf spring front bolt, the middle body mount, and am not sure on the front mount. BUT, still would like some ideas.

and no, I dont want nfabs

 

I've been looking at the problem myself. I don't really like all the tube and billet style steps. I was thinking of getting the electric retracting steps .
I think I'm probably going to fab my own. Nice & sharp for maximum shin damage.

 

I've built some for my XJ Jeep. I used 2x2 square tubing. Cut to lenght, right to the fenders edge, front to rear. Angle cut and filled so it wouldn't get caught up. Then I attached to the frame useing the same stuff going width wise. One end welded to the 2x2 rockerprotector and the other welded to flat iron and that was bolted to the frame. I had three attachment points on each rockerprotector, which means, of course, three points mounted to the frame on each side.

 

yeah I have built my own for my rock crawler too, but Im not wild about welding to the frame if I can avoid, nor do I expect these to take the punishment my rock crawlers do, thus the 120 wall.

was looking at some aftermarkets, and they were using those nutserts with the gator clip thing, designed to fit into sheetmetal holes (like bolting down the top on my bronco if you have ever seen those). Not sure how strong they would be, thats really my only concern. If I can use these, I would need to drill 1 hole per frame, and I thnk I can make it work. Two holes in the body mount, and thats it, should be pretty simple, but still wanted some other ideas.

 

I have fabbed both in the past. Am currently thinking idea for some for the Dually as it needs a step and some rocker protection.

However there is a big difference between a nerf/step tube and a rockrail/slider. Most all of your step tubes are mounted to spot that the step manufacture find convenient. Also somewhere that the average joe can tackle with basic hand tools.

I am currently fixing some steps on a Durango. The owner took it to a window tint/bolt on truck assc. place for some dee/zee steps. What the shop did was follow the directions and bolted the top part of the bracket threw the lower rocker panel. However to be able to put a nut on there the install shop hacked holes into the rocker on the back side! I am talking drill bit and tin snips with the metal still hanging there. By the time I got to them to repair them here now three months later. The holes were rusting and full of corrosion. I am having to cut a larger patch area and weld in new sheet.

Now a step like that will do alot of damage in the way it was mounted. If he were to hit a large item, ie: rock, he would have shredded his rocker panels.

A well build rock slider is either build to replace the entire rocker panel with a heavier plate/tube combination or to bold directly to the frame. The sliders we are working on fabing will bolt to the frame and provide a step and lower body protection from the front fender around to the outer lip of the dual wheel fender.

These are along the lines of what I have been thinking up.

 

I've done rock rails on my jeep also... I plan to make some for my truck, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to make them look good when I want them to stick out just a little less then the mirrors do, that way they will have a little better change stoping the doors from the parking lot idiots...

I do think rectangular tubing will look the best, or maybe some 1.5 DOM that would be doubled up and blended together at the ends...

 

again, Im not planning on mounting to the body. moreover, the hardest wheeling this would see would be camping/fishing and fire trails, soI really dont expect to need much protection, just a conveniet step for a pregnant wife, and something more durable that .090 aluminum steps mounted to body seams

 

I was thinking along the lines of making some brackets that would sandwich over the frame. My understanding is that your not supposed to drill through or weld on the frames. I guess I need to get busy with the brake and mig. If I come up with anything that'll bear the weight , I'll post some pics.

 

I found that the inboard rocker panel has a series of holes (covered with tape) that are of an ideal size to use a few T-Head anchor bolts. I'm thinking of mounting a 2" square tube rail on the studs of the T-Bolts . The holes run the length of the cab from mount to mount. I would probably run a couple strap braces from the cab mount hardware to prevent much stress on the rockers.
There are also several places along the frame that are ideal for mounting plates that could support steps or skid rails.

Looks like a trip to Grainger's for me.