Limited rocker panel question

I see many people doing the side skirt removal on the limited/sport and replacing with SR5 skirt. Is this because the limited plastic molding is not suitable to recycle if you were to remove the rocker panel and solely use the limited plastic molding as protection?

 

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the environment. Limited/Sport owners want a better aesthetic look and more ground clearance. Removing the Limited/Sport side skirt accomplishes that.

 

Whoa, I’m not Captain Planet either bud. When I said recycle I meant to reuse the limited plastic molding again as a cover

 

Opens up options for sliders/rails if yer are into that

 

Understood, the question I would like to know is why not reuse the limited rocker panel molding (plastic) as opposed to buying a brand new rocker panel from another trim level?

 

Because it requires a lot of time, measuring, custom cutting and patience. I have a combo of customized rockers that were original that I cut, and fender caps and mudflaps from an SR5. The other reason is because the original running boards mount lower on the limited, therefore the rocker panel covers extend lower. In order to fit any aftermarket sliders or steps on the limited, you either have to remove the stock rocker panel covers (which is ugly AF), or modify. Believe me, it takes some balls to start cutting on your paint matched rocker panels. But it works as long as you're careful.

 

^^^That. You can't remove the Limited rocker panel trim, install sliders or steps meant for the other trims, then just slap the rocker panel trim pieces back on. They either have to be modified, pretty extensively, or replaced with rocker panel trim from the other models.

There used to be an aftermarket company who offered steel replacement rocker panels, Shrockworks, but they went belly up.