benjamin247
New member
thinking of adding sliders on to my 97 limited. any recommendations?
bolt on slider recommendations?
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habanero
Senior Member
I bought Shrockworks when there was a group buy. Spendy, but pretty nice. Have used the hi-lift on them many times, but only hit rock once so far- and only just a little bit. Would have preferred American steel. I liked that they made them the length I requested, no extra charge. They do require drilling your frame, but I didn't think it was a difficult task.
Brique
New member
Not bolt on, but super awesome: check out Stubbs welding hd-sko. Best sliders you can buy imo, and at a price that's pretty mind blowing. Made in America with American steel on American made equipment.
They come pre assembled so all the welder has to do is put them on.
My price was $310 plus shipping.
Also, Richard Stubbs is an awesome guy. Spent and hour and a half on the phone BSing with him, only 15 minutes or so was about the sliders.
Edit for link:
http://www.stubbswelding.com/page14.html
They come pre assembled so all the welder has to do is put them on.
My price was $310 plus shipping.
Also, Richard Stubbs is an awesome guy. Spent and hour and a half on the phone BSing with him, only 15 minutes or so was about the sliders.
Edit for link:
http://www.stubbswelding.com/page14.html
volkinator
New member
Just ordered mine this week! Can't wait to get them on! So glad to hear others like them too!
Mgyver1
Member
IBallEngineer
New member
Weld on is NOT any better than properly installed bolt on! My L/C weighs 7000 pounds, and I've pounded my bolt on sliders unmercifully. The tubes show significant damage, but the mounting points are solid.
The issue is HOW do you properly install bolt on sliders. The reality is the bolts going through the frame MUST be sleeved. This means if you want to use a 7/16" bolt, you must drill the frame 3/4" hole. In my case I think the holes ended up being 7/8". So I had to drill 4 holes on each frame side for ever attaching leg. That is 32 holes in total. In addition I made 3/16" plates for the back side, each with 4 holes, added to the slider bases that is another 32 holes. I had the luxury of having those holes punched by a fab shop which saved me a lot of time. Still the 32 holes in the frame took me days to complete.
Welding to the frame is way easier, and if properly done is plenty strong enough. The weakest link is always going to be where the tube attaches to the flat plate, not where the flat plate is welded to the frame. And in that respect there should be no difference between the welded and bolted designs. I chose to make mine bolted because I figured I could change them or redesign as things evolved, or repair damage. Also I was able to powder coat instead of paint. The reality is after I got them back from the powder coater I installed them and NEVER touched them again, that was over 10 years ago.
The bottom line is that the topic is very subjective, either way can work and work well, both have pros and cons. What you choose to do is very much dependent on what is important to you.
opcorn:
The issue is HOW do you properly install bolt on sliders. The reality is the bolts going through the frame MUST be sleeved. This means if you want to use a 7/16" bolt, you must drill the frame 3/4" hole. In my case I think the holes ended up being 7/8". So I had to drill 4 holes on each frame side for ever attaching leg. That is 32 holes in total. In addition I made 3/16" plates for the back side, each with 4 holes, added to the slider bases that is another 32 holes. I had the luxury of having those holes punched by a fab shop which saved me a lot of time. Still the 32 holes in the frame took me days to complete.
Welding to the frame is way easier, and if properly done is plenty strong enough. The weakest link is always going to be where the tube attaches to the flat plate, not where the flat plate is welded to the frame. And in that respect there should be no difference between the welded and bolted designs. I chose to make mine bolted because I figured I could change them or redesign as things evolved, or repair damage. Also I was able to powder coat instead of paint. The reality is after I got them back from the powder coater I installed them and NEVER touched them again, that was over 10 years ago.
The bottom line is that the topic is very subjective, either way can work and work well, both have pros and cons. What you choose to do is very much dependent on what is important to you.
opcorn:
MTD
New member
Bolt on is fine if it is double shear...I would not trust those White knuckle ones. I am working with 4xInnovations to make a set of bolt ons. They will warp around and sandwich the frame and will be just as strong as weld on.
Last edited:
MTD
New member
Also I was able to powder coat instead of paint. The reality is after I got them back from the powder coater I installed them and NEVER touched them again, that was over 10 years ago.
Powder coat is great in Cali, but one winter in around here and it is shit. Like absolute crap... Epox coating is the way to go up here, and not moisture cured epoxy like POR15 I mean like 2 part have to mix it epoxy.
IBallEngineer
New member
I'm not actually an engineer, but I play one in my driveway. I do however eye ball everything and although I am very familiar with double shear, I don't see how it helps the rock slider significantly since the forces are not acting upon the bolts at a 90 degree angle where shear is the biggest issue.
Because of the shape, and the distance from the frame to the rocker, the forces are stretching the lower bolts much more than anything. The upper area is compressing but I'm sure there is some shear involved.
I can see how the sandwich idea would spread that stretch force to the back side of the frame, but I don't see it as necessary. With the through bolts most of the force is trying to pull the lower bolts through the frame, using the sleeves and a rear plate spreads the force out some too, although I'm sure not as much as the sandwich concept.
I'm sure we have some trigonometricly(sp) knowledgeable folks on the forum who can do the calculations and school me.
:typing:
IBallEngineer
New member
MTD
New member
I am a mechanical engineer, well aspiring, lol but u can assure you that it is stronger and there is shear involved in the sandwich technique. With a u shaped sandwich the affects from sleeving it are negated.
MN4runnerman
Senior Member
Unner
New member
I'm pretty sure any bolt on for a 3rd Gen is going to require drilling into the frame though, there just aren't the right holes in the frame to get around it. While drilling the frame wasn't that bad honestly (using a unibit) if I was capable of welding I would have probably just welded mine on. I can't weld though and didn't want to pay $150 to pay someone to do it.
For just about everyone the shrockworks sliders are way overbuilt. I can jack mine off the ground from the sliders and they are bolt on. Mine may never get scraped, but I'd rather have them there than have more door skin ripped off. I am hoping to get into some more offroading though now that I have them. Unless you are slamming the truck from high drops onto the sliders repeatedly I don't think you're going to see an issue with their method of bolting on.
For just about everyone the shrockworks sliders are way overbuilt. I can jack mine off the ground from the sliders and they are bolt on. Mine may never get scraped, but I'd rather have them there than have more door skin ripped off. I am hoping to get into some more offroading though now that I have them. Unless you are slamming the truck from high drops onto the sliders repeatedly I don't think you're going to see an issue with their method of bolting on.
