And while this installation can be done by one person, having
a friend around to hold or balance things can make it go a little
smoother.
First things first, we need to remove the factory flare extension
(on Sahara / Renegade models you will also need to remove the
plastic rocker panel cover). On my '98 this was done by loosening
the three bolts and sliding the extension rearward and then pulling
outward. The extensions will then pop off. Be sure to remove the three
bolts. As a side note, I will tell you that I have also seen that
some TJ flare extensions must have the bolt completely removed
in order to remove the extension itself.
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Stock "Sport" extension removed |
Now take some time to clean the rocker panel area as thoroughly
as you can. I would suggest using a mix of vinegar and water which
will remove any adhesive and road tar, as well as any other debris
that may have accumulated over the years. If you don’t have
any vinegar handy you can use a glass cleaner.
Now position the sliders against the Jeep by having a friend
or two hold them in place. OK, seriously, place the
slider on your floor jack (use an extension if needed). Position
the jack in the middle of the slider (front to rear) and just
inside the outside lip. Keep in mind that the Shrockworks logo
goes toward the front of the vehicle.
Here’s where a friend or two can help out. Using the jack,
lift the slider into place. Be careful not to scratch the paint
on the Jeep while getting the rocker properly positioned. I actually
scratched my paint a little during the installation.
Mine was an early set and Shrockworks has begun rounding off the edges of their current design,
which should help to keep this from happening.
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|
Using a jack and extension to hold the slider in place |
Notice the white marks above the Sliders. These are actually scratches in the paint from my own carelessness during installation |
Once you have the slider positioned perfectly to your liking,
check to make sure the bottom is flush up against the lower part
of the Jeep. There will be a slight gap at the very outside edge and it shouldn’t be able to move up at all.
Using holes # 2 and # 6 (one hole inside from the front and the
rear of the sliders) as guides, drill two holes completely thru
your rocker panels.
Insert 1” cap screws through these holes and place a fender
washer then a lock washer and nut over the bolt from inside the
Jeep. Hand tighten the nuts so that they help to hold but don’t
lock them down tight yet.
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|
Install the 1" cap
screws from the outside |
Use a ratchet on the inside nut to
tighten |
Go ahead and drill out the other 5 holes and insert the bolts
along that side. When you have them all in and snuged down go
ahead and tighten all the bolts along that side. It seems to work
best if you tighten the nut on the inside with a socket or wrench
while simply holding the hex bolt on the outside.
Note:
On my installation we had to mount the sliders and then remove
them in order to drill holes for my roll cage bolts to pass thru.
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|
Drill out the front and rear side holes.
Install bolts to hold the sliders in place. |
Mark any special holes needed, remove
the sliders and drill these out now. |
Next, move your carpet or floor liners back (or take them out).
Then lie under the Jeep and locate the six holes that you will use
to guide you as you drill the holes for the interior plates. It
is highly advised that you wear eye protection (or better yet,
a face shield) and gloves during the entire installation, but especially here, as you will be lying
on your back drilling holes straight above your head.
Using the six holes in the bottom of the slider as a guide, drill
5/16” holes completely through both walls of the double-walled
floor. When you’re done be sure that you can see the ground
through each hole from the inside of the vehicle.
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|
Starting in the back, we drilled up through
both floor panels |
Continue toward the front |
Place the backing plates inside the vehicle so that they line
up with the six holes you just drilled. The smallest plate goes
over the front two holes, the medium sized plate goes in the middle
and the larger plate goes toward the rear.
Note: on the newer design the two rear plates
are both “medium sized” – due to changes in
the tub in ’03 and up Wrangler models. However, the plates are now
laser=etched with F, M and B to signify “Front”, “Middle”
and “Back.”
Insert the 2 ½” cap screws through the bottom of
the slider and through the backing plate. Place a lock washer
and nut over the screws and tighten them down. Repeat the process on the other side.
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|
The middle plate laid in place |
Notice the cap screws are installed
from the bottom up |
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Passenger side installation |
Drivers side installation |
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|
Notice how smooth the underside
is. All the bolts (except for the temporary ones holding
my rollcage in place) are either recessed or use cap screws. |
That’s it. You are done with the basic installation.
However, there are still a few things to consider.
1) As the sheet metal on most rigs is not entirely straight, if you have gaps you
can seal the top with a bead of silicon. However, keep in mind
that these sliders do extend slightly below the body so there
is plenty of room to wash out any junk that may get collected
behind them and they should not build up water or rust because
of this “air gap.”
(2) If you value your carpet then I would highly suggest you
use a grinder to cut off any bolt that sticks up into your passenger
compartment. Make sure that the surface is smooth before you put
your carpet or mats back down. You might even check with a local
hardware store for plastic caps that you can put over the nuts
themselves.
We made one final installation check - the all-telling jack
test! Notice we have no problems lifting the TJ from the sliders.
Note: since we are not on the trail, we did
use a pad between the Hi-Lift and the paint.
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|
Full weight on the Hi-Lift
(the sway bars are connected) |
Notice that the jack is actually on
the slider bar |
Now put your carpet back in and enjoy never having to worry about
your rocker panels again!
On
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