Ford Ranger 3UZ V8 Custom Side Steps: Custom Made Rocksliders

A Tough Upgrade for a Ford Ranger with 3UZ 4.0 V8 Swap

Converting a Ford Ranger with a 3UZ 4.0 V8 from a Lexus LS430 not only involved extra power, but also some aesthetic and functional challenges. After installing large off-road tires and a body elevator, the existing rock sliders no longer fit the overall picture. They were too shiny and didn’t fit nicely with the new body lines. Time for an upgrade with custom rocksliders!

From Concept to Perfect Fit: The Design Process

One of the most important aspects when designing new rocksliders is the correct size and position of the step. This determines both the functionality and appearance of the new side steps.

Precision with BendTech Software

To ensure that the tubes are bent perfectly, we used BendTech, a specialized software that calculates exactly how many degrees a tube should be bent. Here, springback (the rebound of metal after bending) plays a major role. This can vary between 3-6 degrees, depending on the material. By setting this correctly in BendTech, we were able to create accurate bends for a perfect fit.

BendTech gave us:

• The exact tube length that was needed.
• Proper starting points for the turns.
• The number of degrees each inflection had to be.

For this project, we used 45×3 mm steel tube. This provides a good balance between strength and weight, as these rocksliders are primarily intended for appearance and ease of entry, not as full-fledged off-road rocksliders.

Precise Welding Joints with a Tube Notcher

After bending, the tubes were machined in a tube notcher, which allowed us to make perfect fitting pieces. A tube notcher uses a hole saw at the right angle to cut an exact 45 mm round hole in the tube. This ensures that:

• The welds fit perfectly to the pipe structure.
• The welding process is easier and neater.
• The final structure looks stronger and tighter.

Entry steps Designing in Fusion 360

For the finishing touch, we designed the entry steps in Fusion 360. Because the design was relatively simple, we were able to quickly create a sleek and functional design. A nice personal touch was milling out the owner’s initials in the side steps.

With just a few clicks, we were able to prepare this file for our CNC plasma table. This advanced cutting process provided:

• Tight and precise cutting lines without post-processing.
• A unique look by personalizing the entry plate.
• A robust construction thanks to the perfect fit on the rocksliders.

Assembly and Finishing

Attachment of the new rock sliders went smoothly thanks to reuse of the existing mounting points on the chassis. However, for added strength, we opted for three mounting points instead of the original two. This makes for a more stable and durable construction.

The final step? Powder coating! Although we haven’t had the rock sliders coated yet, the owner of this V8-built Ford Ranger will do it himself later. Powder coating not only offers a sleek finish, but also protects the sliders from rust and wear.