They are not a slider. They mount to the body. While they are made of steel and are very durable they wouldn't provide the same protection as a true slider.
Yes it did. I should also clarify that the tread plates are powder coated aluminum. They do not come color matched. I had a local paint supply store put single stage paint in a rattle can. Worked really well.
They are new and they have a lot in stock. It they are trying to figure out shipping packaging. I went to their store so they didn't have to ship them. If you are local or near them you can just go there and pick them up.
My plan was to also install the roof rack for the exact reasons you pointed out. I just didn't want to go to the expense if it was going to be noisy. The guy at the store made it seem like the sound would be akin to a police siren.
I was in 4Wheel Parts today looking at some lights to get ideas for what to do. I was told the light bars across the top of the windshield create a lot of wind noise.
Have any of you noticed this?
I had a 15 SR5 and just traded it for a 17 Pro. I bought the Pro mainly because I wanted the Cement color but I also liked the potential of the higher resale relative to the purchase (I paid MSRP). I think some may argue that the resale won't hold as it is now but so far, it has been great...