How to Install Rock Sliders Land Rover Defender

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How to Install Rock Sliders - Land Rover Defender

Written By: Gibson Hull
September 11, 2025

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Est. Completion Time: 02 Hours

- Stage 01 Tools:
-Combination wrench set
-Socket set
-Screwdrivers
-Picks
-Hammers
-Pliers
-Safety glasses
-Gloves
-Flash light
-Plastic pry tools

Parts Required:
-Defender Rockslider Kit

Additional Resources:
- Land Rover Defender Workshop Manual - Owners Edition
- 1993 Land Rover Defender Haynes Manual
-1993 Land Rover Defender Parts Catalogue

The rocker panels under the doors of Defenders are flimsy at best. If you plan on using your Defender anywhere but for crawling the curb at your local Cars and Coffee, or like me want to protect from shopping carts and boulders, rock sliders are a great addition. It can give you much needed side impact protection, keep your doors opening and closing properly after harsh use, and in my case incorporate a step, albeit a high one. I got my rock sliders from Rovers North. I went for the scratch and dent option given the price was much lower. These beefy rock sliders from one of the US’s premier aftermarket Land Rover retailers still cost a pretty penny. I expected them to bolt right in and only have to worry about a scratch or two. They would tuck up nice and tight to the body work, and everything would work smoothly. Alas, the fit leaves much to be desired for me, and one mounting hole was drilled in the wrong place... Sometimes it pays to pay. But we are undeterred! Let's jump in.

Fig. 01: Rockers to sliders.

Part 01 - The Setup

Step 01. Locate rocker panel fasteners. You can use your Land Rover Defender Parts Catalogue to get a good exploded view of how the rocker panel bolts on, but you can also just crawl underneath and take a gander at how it is all bolted together.

Step 01: Locate rocker panel fasteners.

Part 02 - The Job

Step 02. Unbolt the rocker panels. Using a 10mm socket and ratchet and a 10 mm wrench, remove the nuts and bolts holding the rocker panels to the floor frame.

Step 03. Remove bulkhead nut. Locate and remove the 19mm nut from the large bolt that goes through the front bulkhead to the frame just ahead of the door. Do not pull the bolt out or you may have trouble realigning the bulkhead and frame afterwards.

Step 04. Remove plastic clip holding fender flair to the rocker panel. Mine had a phillips head screw to remove first before removing the clip. I used a small ratchet with a phillips head bit as the tire gets in the way of a normal screwdriver.

Step 05. Attach outrigger to the rockslider. Using the bolts provided in the kit, attach the outrigger to the rockslider.

Step 06. Place the forward bracket of rock slider on the 19mm bulkhead bolt at the front, then slide the outrigger into its hole in the frame at the back. This takes a bit of wiggling, jostling, and hammering with a plastic deadblow hammer to get it all aligned. (Not pictured).

Step 02: Unbolt rocker panels.

Step 02 (cont.): Unbolt rocker panels.

Step 03: Remove bulkhead nut.

Step 04: Remove plastic clip holding fender flair to the rocker panel.

Step 05: Attach outrigger to the rockslider.

Step 07. Replace the 19mm bulkhead nut, and screw the provided bolt through the inside of the frame and into opposite end of the outrigger with the included washers. (Not pictured).

Step 08. Rinse and repeat on the otherside. But wait. The passenger side rockslider came with a front bracket with a hole in the wrong place! Remember I mentioned before this was a really nice looking “Scratch and Dent” option that someone returned. We found why!

Step 09. Regroup and rework. After some measuring and finding the problem, the simplest fix was to redrill the hole in the correct place. This required way too many measurements and holding the heavy rock slider in the air to make absolutley sure we drilled the hole in the right place.

Step 10. Drill a new hole in the rockslider bracket in the correct location. Simple really. A christmas tree bit and electric drill make short work of a new hole in the bracket. While the two holes touch, there is plenty of purchase for the bolt. It holds firm and does not slide into the other hole.

Step 11. Now install the new rockslider. Same as the other side, slide onto the bulkhead bolt, then slide the outrigger into the frame and bolt it all down tight.

Step 10: Drill a new hole in the rockslider bracket in the correct location.

Part 03 - The Result

Step 12. Stand back and look at the before and after! I am not 100% happy with the fitment. They stick out entirely too far from the body, and the end of the fender flairs dangle off into nothing. I plan to revisit with some serious modifications. However, I do like the simple mounting instructions. Also we hit the spot with the new mounting hole. Dont despair! There’s always a way to modify what you have to make things work and get down the road. Looking forward to breaking out the welder and cut off wheel and taking these to the next (more understated) level. Catch you in the next one!

Step 12: Before.

Step 12 (cont.): After.

Step 12 (cont.): The sliders stick out too far for my taste.