I have ace sliders and they are extremely sturdy, also bought them to function as steps for my wife after the 35's and they function great as a step, the fit and finish is unbelievable And the install was probably easier than anything else I've put on my jeep!

 

ACE install on the body mount bolts...body is mounted to frame....thus ACE is mounted to frame.

 

I had the LOD on my 09 4 door. I just removed them and will be installing them on a new 2012. They are great rails with one problem of holding lots of crap in between the steps and bottom plate. This contributes to corrosion problems and mine started rusting within 6-8 months. The rust is mainly along the inside where the steps and bottom plates are welded. Its tough to access these areas for cleaning, prepping and touchup or repaint. Im getting ready to have them stripped and powder coated before i install them on the new 2012. Oh and what were they thinking when using bare steel for their emblems, these rusted up within a couple months.

 

I just received my evo ones but do not have them on yet. It only took me a week to get them in. They seem super durable.

 

In my opinion, EVO is the only way to go. The weld onto the frame and are virtually indestructible. Scrape them up and hit them with a can of flat black.
They work well as a tool to get over and around rocks. I use mine all the time.
(and I got them because I convinced the wife she could use them as a step).

 

My LOD sliders are definitely functional and well made. The powder coating that came with them was deplorable. I had them sent out to get sand blasted and recoated. They have held up pretty well, but after a couple years I am seeing the first signs of corrosion again. This is part due to the access to get them cleaned up and recoated is in part only available through the holes on the tread pad. It would certainly be an improvement if the tread pad portion of the sliders were bolt on allowing access to clean out collected mud, road salt and ice that builds up. To do it over again, I'd probably go a different direction and pay a little more attention to what I see as current design flaws in the LOD that if I lived in Phoenix wouldn't make a bit of difference.

 

Everyone loves their ACE sliders, but they are really just a step. They will not hold up to abuse like a frame mounted slider

 

Oh yes they will! I have abused mine countless times now and I only have a lot of the powder coat missing from using them on rocks. Nothing wrong with the sliders at all.

 

I just went through the identical exercise.....I narrowed my nomination down to LOD or Ace...I chose ACE.....you can use stock Rubi Rails with them if you prefer, which is a benefit for some, but for me cost was the driver...Ace will provide the same protection....(Ace rails are frame mounted - not body mounted)....I believe they will provide close to the same step capability......at 1/2 the price.....I could not convince myself that the LOD rails were worth 2x the cost....

The extra $300 I can use to subsidize my winch and bumper!!

 

If you want a step with it then look at Expedition One.