Sliders - little different than everyone else (1 Viewer)

[Box Rocket]

I finally got around to getting my sliders on the truck over the weekend. While I really like the Slee, Hanna, metaltech sliders, I couldn't seem to come up with that money without seeing somewhere better to spend it. So for a cheapsk8 like myself, the best solution presented itself.........free.

I've had these for almost two years now, but I won them in a drawing over in Pirate. They are TrailGear sliders for an xtra-cab minitruck. For personal reasons had I actually paid for these I would have purchased them from Marlin Crawler rather than TrailGear but they are essentially the same for very little money when compared to the more common options many of you are using.

I decided to weld mine to the frame rather than have them bolt on. But with some minor fab work you could make them bolt on very easily. I did have to cut the legs to the right length and weld them to the slider and the frame, and come up with my own solution for under the cat. I was in a bit of a rush on Saturday working on these so I have a simple plate style leg under the cat, but it is too low for what I want. I will be rebuilding that plate soon. Overall pretty simple and I think they fit the 80 pretty well and the lines look good.

Just thought I'd throw this out as an option other than what you might have considered since full price on these is about $160 from Marlin and $145 from TrailGear.

 

[fzjchase]

Looks sexy. Is that an Evo 8/9 MR that I spy in the avatar?

 

[Isotel]

id be interested in how you got around the cats, etc on the tubes going to the frame. Photos of that would be cool!


and MAD props.. no way am i spending almost $1000 on sliders..

 

[2badfjs]

Q: isotel .. no way am i spending almost $1000 on sliders..

 

[Box Rocket]

I have one shot of the plate around the cat, but it is a serious "franken-plate" at the moment, and it's way too low right now. That's just what happens when you get in a hurry and the wife is expecting you home.;p

Since mine is a '93 I have the single large cat rather than the two inline ones of the later models.

Anyway, I'll post more when I get this peice rebuilt. I still have two legs left over from the "kit" I got from Trail gear. I am planning on using this tubing for the side of this plate under the cat and bring the plate up tighter under the cat.

 

[Box Rocket]

Is that an Evo 8/9 MR that I spy in the avatar?

Evo 8. You can also see a bit of it in the "full body shot" of the 80 in the garage. Fun daily driver.

 

[mnewell]

Those look great. I'd be interested in learning more about how you made these fit.

Thanks!

 

[Elijah]

Q: isotel .. no way am i spending almost $1000 on sliders..

x2.

 

[Box Rocket]

Posted bt mnewell:

Those look great. I'd be interested in learning more about how you made these fit.

Thanks!

No trick to making them fit at all. They are almost the perfect length. If you are REALLY critical they are maybe an inch too short, but I think they are just fine. The legs that come with the kit are already notched so you just weld them on at whatever angle you need them at. You can have the slider lay flat so it works more like a step or tip them up closer to the body if you like. For mine, the bottom of the legs are pretty much even with the bottom of the frame with roughly a 10* angle out to the slider so they're almost flat. To get them up as high as I wanted I did notch the little body seam on the bottom of the rocker just to clear the legs a little better in case there is some flex in the slider.

Since they are welded to the frame the plate under the cat is a peice of cake (overlooking the ugliness of the current state of mine). If you wanted to make them bolt on, all you would need to do is weld some plates to the frame end of the legs similar to the George Scolaro design or any of the other ones and use some u-bolts. And at the cat you could take the plate over to the captured nuts on the crossmember. Viola. Simple. Done.

 

[johnny4ever]

Welding to Frame.

Any worries about compromising the frame by welding directly to it?

J

 

[Gumby]

Looks sexy. Is that an Evo 8/9 MR that I spy in the avatar?

Thought it was a shopping cart

 

[Box Rocket]

Any worries about compromising the frame by welding directly to it?

Not really. Pretty sure Christo welded parts of the cage and rear tube section to the frame on the Shortbus. I'm putting my truck under much less stress and frame flex than the shortbus. Besides I had sliders, spring hangers etc welded to the frame on my FJ40 frame that was nearly 30 years old. Pretty sure the frame on my 80 is in better shape and stronger.

Snapped a few more pics. In this one you can see the lines and how far out it is from the truck. Looks pretty good to me.

 

[Box Rocket]

Little better shot of the passenger side. I'll post an update one when I rebuild the front support.

 

[Box Rocket]

driver side.

 

[Box Rocket]

Last one. Good clearance, subtle look.

 

[2badfjs]

Any worries about compromising the frame by welding directly to it?

J

no, these are'nt jeep frames.

i would suggest using a plate between the tubes and frame.

 

[green_machine]

second suggestion to 2bad's

put a plate aft and before your cat mount plat. If you're coming to cm07 you can ck mine. YOU WILL NEED THIS in the rocks. PERIOD.

Also, be prepared for some flex on that style mount around the cats... Ask me how I know.

j

 

[nautiq544]

no way am i spending almost $1000 on sliders..

Yup!

 

[Bear80]

Looks good! A close look can tell they aren't as beafy as the typical brands, and could possibly flex under the right situation. However, I think if you're someone like me who doesn't foresee running the 80 on major rocks, that added protection is perfect for expedition stuff. Thanks for trying this out, definitely something I'll do when I get to sliders!

 

[Box Rocket]

True, I don't think they are quite as stout as some other offerings, but I have seen these sliders take some SERIOUS abuse on minitrucks. Even though the minitrucks are lighter, I have seen some take some very hard blows directly on the sliders and not flinch. I believe with the proper gussets they will work just fine for everything except extreme hardcore wheeling in a very heavy 80. But that's not what I do with my 80.