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Rocker panel protection on my new paint job

Loyalpoke

Loyalpoke

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I'm almost ready to take my tub into the paint bay and I really dont want to ruin this paint job on my gravel roads with rock chips. My 8 is close to stock so I'm not crazy about the body armour looking rocker protection. OEM rocker trim is almost non-existant. Is there a solution I should be considering? I haven't found a great aftermarket product even though Kentrol comes close with a stainless piece of trim. I intend to powder coat or paint it. I also wondered about a protective film like 3M makes. Any thoughts?
 
Leave it in the garage for a couple of years. Then drive the crap out of it. :) Just kidding. Just remember one thing. Life is short sometimes and who knows what will happen. Enjoy it while you can and don't worry
 
The 3M film is good stuff and darn near invisible. Another thing that works great is mud flaps. They are a love ‘em or hate ‘em thing. I’m reinstalling the factory rocker guards and attempting to find unobtrusive flaps. I might put a thin strip of the 3M in front of the rear wheel well and behind the rear wheel once I think my paint is fully cured.
 
I'm currently debating putting on diamond plating. hard to drill the holes though!
 
Loyalpoke said:
I'm almost ready to take my tub into the paint bay and I really dont want to ruin this paint job on my gravel roads with rock chips. My 8 is close to stock so I'm not crazy about the body armour looking rocker protection. OEM rocker trim is almost non-existant. Is there a solution I should be considering? I haven't found a great aftermarket product even though Kentrol comes close with a stainless piece of trim. I intend to powder coat or paint it. I also wondered about a protective film like 3M makes. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...er-Panel-Coating/?N=5002385+3293193752&rt=rud

This has been suggested before for texturing half hard top repaints.

Maybe using it for it's designed purpose wouldn't be a bad idea either. :rolleyes:

I didn't do any research for availability of different textures.
 
MomoJeep said:
I'm currently debating putting on diamond plating. hard to drill the holes though!
Click to expand...
I don’t want to discourage you if that’s the look you want, but diamond plating is usually the signal for “hidden rust”. Especially because if there wasn’t rust there before the install, there will be sometime after. There are several companies that make dedicated steel rocker protection panels, and they also have a gasket of sorts to keep the rust monster away. The gasket doesn’t really work under the diamond plate because it’s too flexible. Also, being flexible, diamond plate really doesn’t provide good impact protection. Hope I’m not out of line with my suggestion, I just see so many Jeeps for sale with diamond plate and the first comment is usually “Wonder what rust is hiding under there.”
 
Does anybody still make steel diamondplate guards or just flat steel? I have a set of NOS black steel Off Your Rockers in the basement(not for sale). Pretty sure they were the original serious rocker armor readily available(not counting nerf bar style ones).
 
If you go off roading and need the protection from rocks, then the aftermarket protection is useful. If you are just thinking about little nicks from road gravel, then just get some touch up paint from your painter and that will be less noticeable than anything else.
 
MomoJeep said:
Yeah, the daimond plating is a "maybe"... What would ya'll recommend for this:
View attachment 83401View attachment 83402
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I had these made by Hanson Enterprises about 21 years ago. Worked great. They wrap under and bolt to the roll bar support.
Took lots of big hits at Moab and the Rubicon. These pics are just before I started tearing down my jeep. Will be doing the Poison Spider stuff you see in the last pic now. I may make a small guard like you see on the new Rubicon Gladiators to add to it.

Corner 1.JPGCorner 2.JPGCorner 3.JPGCorner 5.JPGCorner 4.JPG
 
I've seen pics of cj's that had pipe bent and mounted to the frame (similar to roll/step bars trucks have it get into their trucks). Rear end can slide on the rocks without touching the body.
 
I personally resist adding a rear bumber because the departure angle on Scramblers isn't as good as a CJ7 or CJ5. I used to have a CJ5. I guess I got spoiled...
 
Thanks for the feedback and ideas. I do intend to add install mudflaps from the OE patterns I have found on this site. I think I will keep looking for OEM rocker panels but after the paint cures enough I will use the 3M coating. I got to looking and it is on my parents Lexus SUV from the factory as a bra. It is not very noticeable.
 
Loyalpoke said:
Thanks for the feedback and ideas. I do intend to add install mudflaps from the OE patterns I have found on this site. I think I will keep looking for OEM rocker panels but after the paint cures enough I will use the 3M coating. I got to looking and it is on my parents Lexus SUV from the factory as a bra. It is not very noticeable.
Click to expand...
Until it gets some age. This is on my Toyota image.jpeg
 
That is what my Toyota looks like.
 
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