Installing Bestop’s HighRock Slider Step Kit and Lockbox on a Jeep Rubicon

Bestop’s inventive and intelligent engineers have done it again, and after seeing what they’ve come up with this time you’re going to want to add a little more weight and a lot more convenience to your Jeep Wrangler. We installed the lockbox and HighRock Slider Steps on a JK Unlimited, but Bestop offers a two-door Slider Step kit as well (lockbox fits both models). Author’s note: The Bestop Slider Step is available for all model Wranglers—1976 to 2011.

Since Jeeps can be used as topless convertibles, small-item security can be a problem—depending on where you’re forced to park—so I decided I could use a hidden lockbox to supplement the security of the Jeep’s glovebox.

The lockbox is probably the easiest thing I’ve ever added to a Jeep—any Jeep! The two front mounting bolts on the driver’s seat are removed, the lockbox is slid in under the seat, and the bolts are tightened. That’s it, folks! Easy, peasey, and in about 10 minutes you have a secure location for your wallet, registration, etc., while the Jeep is lidless and you’re off surfing, fishing, hunting, or just visiting.

I found that I was forced to use a 1/2-inch drive ratchet to remove the bolts, as they are quite long and the factory used a lot of force during their installation. I had to “break” them loose before removing them, and their length was the reason it took about 10 minutes to remove and then reinstall them.

I know many of us have locking gloveboxes, but the lockbox can easily go unnoticed by a light-fingered, grab-and-run thief; whereas, the glovebox could be the easy victim of a quick screwdriver. The lockbox’s high-tensile steel construction makes it almost impossible to break into without a thief drawing unwanted attention.

Bestop’s HighRock Slider Steps are fairly easy to install, they just take a little longer than we initially thought it would take. Bestop’s installation instructions indicated one hour would do it; however, we found it took two of us about six hours to install them. That said, the first side took about 4-1/2 hours while the second side took only a bit more than an hour, which is probably about what it will take you and a friend. And you’ll need a friend, because these Slider Steps are heavy! You’ll need two people to control their weight during the install. But considering that conceivably one of them could be called upon to support the weight of your Jeep while sliding over a boulder, they need to be heavy to do their job.

As always, make sure all the components are in the boxes when they arrive. You don’t want to be missing some little item and have your Jeep off the streets while you wait for it. And make sure you have all the tools needed for the installation before you start. As you can see in the photos, we used a transmission jack to support the Slider Step while we installed it. If you don’t have one, you might want to consider renting one to ease the installation.

For more information or to purchase these kits, visit http://www.bestop.com/ or 4-Wheel Drive Hardware (http://www.4wd.com/).

For more information or to purchase these kits, visit http://www.bestop.com/ or 4-Wheel Drive Hardware (http://www.4wd.com/).