BigDaveZJ
04-02-2006, 11:44 PM
Most of the regulars around here are quite familiar with KevinsOffRoad (http://www.kevinsoffroad.com) and the parts that he makes. This review isn't really geared towards the regulars that are familiar with his products, but more to the people that are new to the ZJ thing and aren't very familiar with Kevin and his shop. If you don't know how Kevin got started making ZJ parts, here's a quick blurb from his website:
I began making custom Grand Cherokee parts in early 2000 because there wasn't a lot of options for Grand Cherokee owners like me who wanted heavy-duty offroad equipment. Most of my products are items that I made for my own Jeep, tested on some of the most difficult trails in the country, and have reproduced for my customers. I also have several items that you just can't find anywhere else because no one else makes one. Whatever your level of interest and expertise in offroading, I think you'll find something interesting in the menu to the left. (I also take requests (sales@kevinsoffroad.com?subject=Request for new products, Kev!)) http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/images/winkeye.gif
KevinsOffroad.com was founded on the principal of offering high-quality aftermarket parts while striving to provide the best customer service in the industry. Customer service and satisfaction is essential to a positive buying experience, wouldn't you agree? Don't forget...I'm a consumer too! I stand behind the quality of my work 100% and I have loads of happy customers (http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/testimonials.html) out there who have been treated with the utmost respect, which is something that you don't find a lot of in this industry. I also like to make it known that I've spent less than $800 in advertising in my three years of business, because I feel word of mouth is much more meaningful than an ad in the back of some magazine (any schmoe can pay for ad space...it doesn't mean they have a good product OR good customer service). That's the game-plan...keep overhead low, and keep right on producing top-quality products at a great price...
So that's how Kevin got here, now let's get on to his Rock Sliderz. Kevin makes several versions for ZJ's, WJ's, and XJ's. One of the biggest advantages of Kevin's LP-1 Rock Sliderz that we are installing on Project Trixie is the lateral protection that it offers. Since my ZJ is beat to hell, I was hoping we could keep Project Trixie in decent shape and looking pretty nice, but still being a very functional vehicle on and off the trail.
Trixie made a couple voyages during the summer of 2005 without any rocker protection at all . . . . and well . . . . didn't fair very well. There's a couple nice dents in the rocker panels on both sides of the vehicle. So much for that plan to keep it looking nice eh?
But we're going to keep that from happening again with Kevins LP-1 Rock Sliderz. Kevin's LP-1 Sliderz feature a bar that extends beyond where a normal rock slider goes. These extensions serve many purposes. The most obvious one is the lateral protection that the LP-1 Sliderz give to keep your doors away from trees, rocks, shopping carts, whatever. There is also a 1" gap in between the inner and outer bars. This provides an excellent spot to put a Hi-Lift jack to allow for easy tire changes on the trail, as well as many other repairs that need to be done. Another, often over-looked advantage, is that these also double as a step. Many manufacturers make nerf bars that LOOK like they are a rock slider, but will crumple if you look at them wrong. With Kevin's LP-1 Sliderz, you have the strength of a rock slider, a place to Hi-Lift from, and a step to reach on top of the vehicle or to add ease of getting in and out of the vehicle.
Kevin's LP-1 Sliderz are constructed of 1/8" thick box tube. Some other companies out there use 3/16" and 1/4" for their rocker protection, but Kevin's have proven to hold up just fine with 1/8" thick metal. Being lighter, they don't increase the overall weight of your vehicle as much, making things easier on your drivetrain.
On to the install of the Sliderz. It's pretty straight forward and simple. Today we got done with the prep of the Sliderz. We cleaned them up with some Brake Cleaner and rags to eliminate any oil on them, and cleaned some areas up with a grinder and a flap disk. We didn't spend too much time on the prep because I knew most of the paint would end up being scraped off on a rock somewhere anyways. How much time you spend on prep is up to you, the more prep, the better they'll look, but if they get used as designed, all of the prep in the world won't keep the paint on them. We used black rattle can Hammerite because, well, it's Hammerite. A bit thicker and more scratch resistant than normal paint, easily touch-up-able, and helps prevent rust.
Here's a pic of the Sliderz with a fresh coat of Hammerite ready for the installation.
http://www.mallcrawlin.com/productreviews/korsliderz/korsliderz001.jpg
We're hoping that next Sunday we can tackle these getting mounted up into the Trixie and getting some work on the Aussie Locker. We'll post up the results as soon as they're done!
I began making custom Grand Cherokee parts in early 2000 because there wasn't a lot of options for Grand Cherokee owners like me who wanted heavy-duty offroad equipment. Most of my products are items that I made for my own Jeep, tested on some of the most difficult trails in the country, and have reproduced for my customers. I also have several items that you just can't find anywhere else because no one else makes one. Whatever your level of interest and expertise in offroading, I think you'll find something interesting in the menu to the left. (I also take requests (sales@kevinsoffroad.com?subject=Request for new products, Kev!)) http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/images/winkeye.gif
KevinsOffroad.com was founded on the principal of offering high-quality aftermarket parts while striving to provide the best customer service in the industry. Customer service and satisfaction is essential to a positive buying experience, wouldn't you agree? Don't forget...I'm a consumer too! I stand behind the quality of my work 100% and I have loads of happy customers (http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/testimonials.html) out there who have been treated with the utmost respect, which is something that you don't find a lot of in this industry. I also like to make it known that I've spent less than $800 in advertising in my three years of business, because I feel word of mouth is much more meaningful than an ad in the back of some magazine (any schmoe can pay for ad space...it doesn't mean they have a good product OR good customer service). That's the game-plan...keep overhead low, and keep right on producing top-quality products at a great price...
So that's how Kevin got here, now let's get on to his Rock Sliderz. Kevin makes several versions for ZJ's, WJ's, and XJ's. One of the biggest advantages of Kevin's LP-1 Rock Sliderz that we are installing on Project Trixie is the lateral protection that it offers. Since my ZJ is beat to hell, I was hoping we could keep Project Trixie in decent shape and looking pretty nice, but still being a very functional vehicle on and off the trail.
Trixie made a couple voyages during the summer of 2005 without any rocker protection at all . . . . and well . . . . didn't fair very well. There's a couple nice dents in the rocker panels on both sides of the vehicle. So much for that plan to keep it looking nice eh?
But we're going to keep that from happening again with Kevins LP-1 Rock Sliderz. Kevin's LP-1 Sliderz feature a bar that extends beyond where a normal rock slider goes. These extensions serve many purposes. The most obvious one is the lateral protection that the LP-1 Sliderz give to keep your doors away from trees, rocks, shopping carts, whatever. There is also a 1" gap in between the inner and outer bars. This provides an excellent spot to put a Hi-Lift jack to allow for easy tire changes on the trail, as well as many other repairs that need to be done. Another, often over-looked advantage, is that these also double as a step. Many manufacturers make nerf bars that LOOK like they are a rock slider, but will crumple if you look at them wrong. With Kevin's LP-1 Sliderz, you have the strength of a rock slider, a place to Hi-Lift from, and a step to reach on top of the vehicle or to add ease of getting in and out of the vehicle.
Kevin's LP-1 Sliderz are constructed of 1/8" thick box tube. Some other companies out there use 3/16" and 1/4" for their rocker protection, but Kevin's have proven to hold up just fine with 1/8" thick metal. Being lighter, they don't increase the overall weight of your vehicle as much, making things easier on your drivetrain.
On to the install of the Sliderz. It's pretty straight forward and simple. Today we got done with the prep of the Sliderz. We cleaned them up with some Brake Cleaner and rags to eliminate any oil on them, and cleaned some areas up with a grinder and a flap disk. We didn't spend too much time on the prep because I knew most of the paint would end up being scraped off on a rock somewhere anyways. How much time you spend on prep is up to you, the more prep, the better they'll look, but if they get used as designed, all of the prep in the world won't keep the paint on them. We used black rattle can Hammerite because, well, it's Hammerite. A bit thicker and more scratch resistant than normal paint, easily touch-up-able, and helps prevent rust.
Here's a pic of the Sliderz with a fresh coat of Hammerite ready for the installation.
http://www.mallcrawlin.com/productreviews/korsliderz/korsliderz001.jpg
We're hoping that next Sunday we can tackle these getting mounted up into the Trixie and getting some work on the Aussie Locker. We'll post up the results as soon as they're done!