Picked up a 2004 4Runner for my son a few months ago. We spent a fair amount of time getting it back into great mechanical condition. The PO changed the oil regularly, but didn't do much else. Needed new CV axles, rotors, brakes all the way around, front wheel bearings, change ever fluid in it, fixed a bunch of small leaks, installed an ICON lift and some tires and wheels and a bunch of other stuff. Then we decided to try building a set of sliders.
First I picked up this Baileigh bender real cheap... and then had some 1.75 DOM and 2x2 square tube delivered. This is my first project using a bender, so I spent a bunch of time reading before bending anything.
Started by figuring out the length and where I wanted the bends. Laid out a template on the floor, so I could replicate the bends.
I notched the tubes and cut some smaller support. Then welded them together.
Then I cut some base plates out of 1/4" plate. Drilled the mounting holes and had to bend the front plate since the frame on these truck start to narrow at the front body mount.
Then I cut some legs and tacked them to the mounting plates.
Then tacked the actual slider in place.
We removed the sliders and burned everything together. Then cut some gussets out of 1/4" plate and welded them to the legs at the mounting plates. This is how they looked once finished prior to powdercoating.
We dropped them off for powdercoating... and got these back. The powdercoating turned out great.
My son installed them yesterday. Pretty happy with the outcome given it was my first project using a bender.
The obligatory hi lift jack test...
At some point I might go back and weld the sliders to the frame along the bottom of the legs. For now it's a daily driver so not too worried about him beating it on the rocks.
First I picked up this Baileigh bender real cheap... and then had some 1.75 DOM and 2x2 square tube delivered. This is my first project using a bender, so I spent a bunch of time reading before bending anything.
Started by figuring out the length and where I wanted the bends. Laid out a template on the floor, so I could replicate the bends.
I notched the tubes and cut some smaller support. Then welded them together.
Then I cut some base plates out of 1/4" plate. Drilled the mounting holes and had to bend the front plate since the frame on these truck start to narrow at the front body mount.
Then I cut some legs and tacked them to the mounting plates.
Then tacked the actual slider in place.
We removed the sliders and burned everything together. Then cut some gussets out of 1/4" plate and welded them to the legs at the mounting plates. This is how they looked once finished prior to powdercoating.
We dropped them off for powdercoating... and got these back. The powdercoating turned out great.
My son installed them yesterday. Pretty happy with the outcome given it was my first project using a bender.
The obligatory hi lift jack test...
At some point I might go back and weld the sliders to the frame along the bottom of the legs. For now it's a daily driver so not too worried about him beating it on the rocks.
It was definitely a fun project. Taught my son to do a little welding and wrenching.
