Marlin Crawler sliders (1 Viewer)

[bhicks]

Who has ran these are their 80?

Rock Slider | Marlin Crawler, Inc.

I'm thinking about running these since they are about 1/3-1/5 the cost of the other ones on the market. I understand they are universal and the arms/braces would need to be cut to length and welded up. My little mig welder should be able to handle that. I have two BIG concerns before I buy and I want some feedback from those who are running these. The main beam that runs along the rocker panel is just some .120 wall DOM. That seems a little flimsy for rock sliders? My other concern is the issue of the dual cats on my 97. How did you guys that have these deal with that. Would love to see pics if possible.

 

[kidglove13]

That DOM is fine

I run 4x Innovations tube sliders just a little more than Marlins but the same principal

I would also consider 4X Innovations as well, they have a nice kick out which I love

I do not run cat protection, I personally think that it is overrated, that is just an opinion

Do a search there are couple of guys that have used either marlin or trail gear which are pretty much the same thing

 

[mr jits]

I run .250 wall on the sliders I made and have dented them. They're heavy as hell and I should have gone with lighter steel, because they're built to be beat on. Nothing is impervious to momentum and weight, so I wouldn't overthink your choice.

 

[Layonnn]

x2 on 4xinnovations sliders!!!

 

[bhicks]

That DOM is fine

I run 4x Innovations tube sliders just a little more than Marlins but the same principal

I would also consider 4X Innovations as well, they have a nice kick out which I love

I do not run cat protection, I personally think that it is overrated, that is just an opinion

Do a search there are couple of guys that have used either marlin or trail gear which are pretty much the same thing

Are the 4x innovations sliders designed for the 80 or are they universal like the Marlin's? What do they cost? Got a link to their website? I googled them but couldn't find a webpage.

Edit: nevermind. I found their website. They are 80 specific with the dual cat protection for $550. That's not bad. I thought the cheapest 80 specific sliders with cat protection were the Rocky road ones at $590. Looks like these are actually cheaper and their shipping is $40 less which puts them $80 less overall. If I can pull together another $200 then I will probably go this route. Thanks for the heads up on this co.

 

[kidglove13]

Are the 4x innovations sliders designed for the 80 or are they universal like the Marlin's? What do they cost? Got a link to their website? I googled them but couldn't find a webpage.

Edit: nevermind. I found their website. They are 80 specific with the dual cat protection for $550. That's not bad. I thought the cheapest 80 specific sliders with cat protection were the Rocky road ones at $590. Looks like these are actually cheaper and their shipping is $40 less which puts them $80 less overall. If I can pull together another $200 then I will probably go this route. Thanks for the heads up on this co.

You can also call Adam, I think that is his name, at 4x and they do make a generic slider like mine which is a weld on slider, I think I paid $300 to my door IIRC

Just remember that weld on sliders are a lot of work, you will need to either cut or fabricate completely different legs for the 80.

I have pounded my 4x Innovation DOM sliders for that last few years without issue

I would save up the other $200 hundred and get the 4X Innovation bolt on slider for your 97
I have a 94 and he does not offer a bolt on version for side by side cats

 

[bhicks]

Do the 4x innovation sliders sit up real tight to the body? Their website pics make it look like there is about a 2" gap between the top of the slider and the bottom of the rocker panel. Maybe you could post some pics of the side view and then one down the body. I would also like to see how far they stick out.

 

[kidglove13]

Mine are weld on so I put them about 3/4 inch away from rocker

Where ever there was a slider arm I bent up the rocker pinch weld to get them closer to the rocker

I have hit the sliders so hard that they have flexed up in to the rockers, but they did not bend at all

And they are welded and gusseted 4 legs per slider

The bolt on sliders might be a different story as far as mounting goes

My sliders are for one thing only protection and my rig is pretty much a trail rig

I will snap a couple of pics in the morning of a side view which will include major scarring from this past weekend of wheeln

 

[tpham32]

What are the advantages of a kick out?

 

[bryson]

Right from the link on Marlin's site... Looks like they fit very well on an 80.

Rock Slider Installation Pictures | Marlin Crawler, Inc.


I think the kickout can serve a couple purpouses... They can be a step for accessing your roof rack if you have one, and they also push your rig away from the rocks as you slide across them. I'm sure there are other benefits as well.

 

[86tuning]

A kickout will help prevent rear qp damage by pushing your truck away from rocks that you rub up against, yet keep the front portion of your sliders lower profile and closer to your truck.

One thing to keep in mind with weld on sliders is what would happen if you need to work on your exhaust? If the legs restrict access you might be in trouble...

Mine are bolt on and made by Cruisin' Offroad. They replace my running boards with heavy duty steps that I can put the weight of my rig on and not worry about rocker damage. Mine aren't normal tube sliders but rather they're slider-steps. Useful because my kids are small. And these look totally stealth. Almost stock looking.

 

[Bob_Garrett]

I used Marlin's, but made brackets so I could bolt them up.

 

[bryson]

One thing to keep in mind with weld on sliders is what would happen if you need to work on your exhaust? If the legs restrict access you might be in trouble...

My thoughts are if you can handle welding the sliders on, you can probably handle cutting them off and reattaching them for exhaust work. Welded-on sliders are much stronger IMO (especially on a big piggy like an 80,) and is how all of mine have been/will be attached. I do understand however that welding isn't an option for everyone, and that many bolt-on sliders out there are very stout and work well.

 

[bhicks]

Right from the link on Marlin's site... Looks like they fit very well on an 80.

Rock Slider Installation Pictures | Marlin Crawler, Inc.


I think the kickout can serve a couple purpouses... They can be a step for accessing your roof rack if you have one, and they also push your rig away from the rocks as you slide across them. I'm sure there are other benefits as well.

I looked at the link/pics and it appears that guy dealt with the dual cats by just removing them and running a single(much smaller) aftermarket cat. I guess that's an option, but the cost savings with going with the Marlins is kinda lost if I need to replace the cats. This may not be an option for me. Weldling on the legs will be easy, but cutting out a cat skid and building some brakets is probably outside of what my tools can do. I need to do a little more research before I buy these. I'm gonna talk to a local fab shop and see if they would be willing to just add some cat protection once I weld all the legs on.

 

[86tuning]

My thoughts are if you can handle welding the sliders on, you can probably handle cutting them off and reattaching them for exhaust work. Welded-on sliders are much stronger IMO

Yes. But what happens when I'm a thousand miles from home and need to drop it at a shop for repairs? That's the sucky part. I'm just a pessimist and prefer to leave stuff as serviceable as possible. If you leave the under cat skid portion as bolted on you would probably be just fine.

In any case my bolt on sliders were very well priced and leave everything serviceable.

 

[bhicks]

Yes. But what happens when I'm a thousand miles from home and need to drop it at a shop for repairs? That's the sucky part. I'm just a pessimist and prefer to leave stuff as serviceable as possible. If you leave the under cat skid portion as bolted on you would probably be just fine.

In any case my bolt on sliders were very well priced and leave everything serviceable.

My plan (if I go with the DIY route) will be to weld up the sliders myself. The final cross bar which we go where the dual cats are would not be done. I would take it to a local fab shop and have them build me a bolt on skid plate/cross bar. That way I can just unbolt it if I need to replace the cats. I'm still not sure though if I want to go this route or just find the best deal on 80 specfic sliders and just bolt the entire things on. I guess time will tell. Either way, I need to save up a little bit more money.