CBI Angled Bolt-On Rock Sliders Without Step Plates for 6th Gen Bronco – Installation Guide, Overview, and Review

If you’re looking for a set of high-clearance angled rock sliders without step plates that tuck close to the body, mount to the frame rail, and provide much better protection than the factory rock sliders, this option from CBI might be for you.

The factory “rock sliders” on the Sasquatch package Bronco mount to the body, not the frame rail, and although they might prevent your rocker panels and doors from getting damaged, they’re not going to stand up to years of hard abuse.

After a handful of big hits, the factory sliders are going to fold causing the pinch welds to fold and warp – ultimately causing potential body imperfections as the stress heads up into the door jambs. If you plan on wheeling your Bronco hard, a rock slider upgrade is inevitable. Whether you jump on a set of CBI rock sliders or another brand, I would highly consider looking at all the options to further protect your Bronco.

CBI Has Options

CBI offers a simple bolt-on installation and does not require any fabrication or drilling.

CBI offers two different slider options for the 6th Gen Bronco; flat sliders with step plates and the angled version without step plates (pictured here). The flat option includes a top plate designed to be used as a step, while the angled version hugs the vehicle’s body closely and excludes a top plate.

Angled Vs. Flat Sliders – What’s For You?

The main difference between the two in terms of aesthetics, other than the obvious features is that the angled option will better hide the ugly exposed rocker body pinch weld area.

If you decide to run the flat sliders, CBI offers the pinch weld cover which is essentially a blackout trim kit that runs along the length of the pinch weld.

Because the flat slider sits out a little further than the angled sliders, the pinch weld cover is highly recommended.

If you run the angled sliders, you can get away without running the pinch weld cover but it wouldn’t hurt to run it. Even though we have the angled sliders, we’re still going to install the pinch weld cover later on.

Find it online: 

• CBI Off-Road Flat Sliders or Angled Sliders: Check Price

Hardware Overview

• 3 X Bottom Frame Rail Bolts with Washers
• 2 X Stick Nuts
• 8 X Pass-Through Frame Bolts with Square Washers

Step 1. Remove the 13mm Bolts on Factory Slider

Start by removing the main 13mm head bolts holding the factory rock sliders to the underside of the body.

Step 2. Remove the 10mm Bolts & Remove Slider

Remove the remaining 10mm bolts holding the rock sliders onto the pinch weld.

Now you can pull inward on the rock sliders and drop them out from underneath the body. These are not heavy and can be lifted out by one person.

Step 3. Disconnect Wiring Loom Harness

Using a plastic pry tool, pop off all of the wiring harness plastic tabs and relocate any ABS/brake lines that are also in the way of the rock slider faceplate.

Step 4. Slide Stick Nut Into Frame Rail

For the front bolt under the frame rail, you will need to place a stick nut in the large oval hole in the frame rail. Place the stick in with the nut on the top of the plate.

Step 5. Position Stick Nut

Once the stick nut is inside the frame rail, re-position it with your fingers to align the threads in the center opening of the oval hole.

Step 6. Prep Bolts with Anti-Seize

Before threading any of the bolts into place, make sure you coat the bolts with some anti-seize. These bolts are going into an open surface area within the frame rail and you want to mitigate rust and prevent any galling, seizing, and corrosion.

Step 7. Position Rock Slider

With everything prepped and ready for installation, use your preferred method of getting the sliders in place. Because I am doing this install solo, I am using the Pro Eagle Jack and a flat piece of wood to level out and support the sliders. When setting the sliders on the flat piece of wood, it’s important to note that you should leave the mounting legs of the sliders hanging off in order to slide bolts through.

Step 8. Position Slider Under Wiring Harness

Once your sliders are balanced on a flat piece of wood, jack them up into place underneath the wiring harness against the frame rail.

Step 9. Position Slider Under Frame Rail

Locate the middle tab and loosely thread that bolt in first.

Step 10. Loosely Thread Bolts

Then move to the outsides of the rock slider and loosely thread those bolts into place. Thread them in about 80% of the threads, that way you have enough wiggle room to slide in the pass-through bolts.

Step 11. Prep Pass-Through Bolts

Using a 19mm 1/2″ drive and a 19mm open-end wrench – you should be set to install the pass-through bolts.

Step 12. Loosely Thread Pass-Through Bolts

Start from the outside with each bolt and slide them into the frame rail.

Step 13. Pass-Through Bolt Square Washer (Inside Frame Rail)

On the inside of the frame, slide on the large square washer and the provided nut. Loosely tighten this first one down for now and then move to the remaining pass-through bolts. Once all the bolts are connected, start torquing down all the hardware evenly. Start with the middle bolt under the frame rail first, and then the middle pass-through bolt.

Step 14. Torque All Bolts Down

Now move to the outsides and work your way in until all the hardware is fully torqued down. Your driver-side rock slider should be installed, but you’re not done yet.

Step 15. Zip-Tie The ABS/Brake & Wiring Harness Down

CBI provides holes on the gussets of the frame rail for your ABS/Brake and wiring harness. Zip-tie all the areas that no longer have a plastic tab attachment point.

Step 16. Passenger Side: Remove Outer Skid Plate Bolts

Moving onto the passenger side, start with the gas tank skid plate.

Step 17. Passenger Side: Pull Down Skid Plate

Once you have these three bolts removed, you can pull down on the skid plate in order to position the rock sliders in place.

Step 18. Position Rock Slider

Just like the driver side, position the rock slider in place and attach all the bolts provided.

Step 19. Re-Connect Gas Tank

During my installation, I also installed the CBI Gas Tank Skid Plate. That’s why you see a few different bolts here.

If you’re running the factory skid plate, you can mount the factory skid plate brackets over the rock slider plates.

Final Thoughts

The installation on these sliders was super easy and the protection over the factory “sliders” gives me peace of mind when out on the rocks. The angled version pictured here also looks amazing. This is one of the cleanest slider designs on the market for the 6th Gen Bronco.

It hugs the body lines of the rocker panels incredibly well, and appears to be minimal but underneath, adds a ton of protection.

There are 7 bolts per side holding these sliders onto the frame rail and four of those are pass-through bolts with massive square washers. No doubt these rock sliders are designed to take a beating.

I am incredibly stoked with how these turned out on the Bronco. Highly recommend!

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