Does it make economical sense to build your own sliders?! (1 Viewer)

[40TUDE]

Just finished mine it took me 3 FULL days.

 

[Rwhat]

Materials can be expensive. I bought 9ft of 2"x2"x.250" and it cost me $80 for my labs swing outs. DOM is pricey if you use it.

 

[Land Speeder]

I'll try to google the name but if you should find this kit let me know please.

James

Is this MetalTech in Longmont, CO?! NOt sure...

So you really don't know who Metaltech is? Not trying to flame you, but you're on this site, own a cruiser... weird that you don't know them.

Metaltech 4x4 Protection Evolved

Mark is the cats nuts. The rest of them are cool too, but I know Mark personally and he is one hell of a guy.

 

[DiscoveredLC]

I did the same. Most metal suppliers sell their scrap for pennies for the pound. I made a set for <$100. The most expensive part is the bolts/hardware and a few cans of paint. If you have the time and tools it is definitely worth the cost to build your own, however, buying small quantities of steel at retail can be expensive. Go the recycled route.

IF you can find it... trying to find the right size steel without spending days grinding off rust or paint is hard or impossible. If you want good steel and the exact wall and size your looking for then go to a steel shop.



Atleast around here, you're going to find scrap at the scrap yard, not good clean steel.

 

[1FZj80]

IF you can find it... trying to find the right size steel without spending days grinding off rust or paint is hard or impossible. If you want good steel and the exact wall and size your looking for then go to a steel shop.



Atleast around here, you're going to find scrap at the scrap yard, not good clean steel.

I'm not buying anything with rust? This is this waste from large commerical orders. It is fresh cut clean steel at $.39/lb right from the distributer. Try the large commerical steel suppliers and ask where they sell their waste. You would be suprised at the great deals you can get. Don't go to a junk yard, go to a steel distributer

 

[kidglove13]

That is waht I do
Most steel suppliers have a cut off section in there yard where you can buy remnents from large or screwed up orders
But, some times it can be slim pickns, as I found out on my last trip there and I had to buy uncut material but it is still cheaper and more fun to built your own, or at least get a kit and build the rest

 

[sleeoffroad]

for some reason anything that says 80's series land cruiser seems to be made out of gold..... I still can't believe aftermarket parts are still this high 21 years after they started to be sold...... making anything for an 80 yourself is cost effective

There is no correlation between the age of the truck (or for that matter the purchase price of a used vehicle ) and what it cost to produce a quality product in the aftermarket. To make a commercial product, you have to market it, sell it, support it and offer a warranty on the product, answer the phone for both pre-sales and post sales support, provide technical advise and a variety of other costs that people just don't know about.

If you have a business there is a certain amount of profit you have to make to stay in business and cover your overhead. Otherwise the business will not make it. It is very difficult to compare the cost of a set of sliders that are "mass produced" (and that is very small masses for the 80 market) and kept in stock, ready to ship out when a customer orders it vs doing it yourself.

For some people it is worth the $'s to call and get something delivered and they can just bolt it on. They don't have the time to go to a metal dealer, get a piece of remnant material, take it home, make the sliders, run it over to the powder coater etc etc.

Are there cheaper ways to do it for the home fab guy, sure. Is everyone's time worth nothing, no. Is it satisfying for the DIY guy to make his own sliders, yes.

 

[ayrtime]

There is no correlation between the age of the truck (or for that matter the purchase price of a used vehicle ) and what it cost to produce a quality product in the aftermarket. To make a commercial product, you have to market it, sell it, support it and offer a warranty on the product, answer the phone for both pre-sales and post sales support, provide technical advise and a variety of other costs that people just don't know about.

If you have a business there is a certain amount of profit you have to make to stay in business and cover your overhead. Otherwise the business will not make it. It is very difficult to compare the cost of a set of sliders that are "mass produced" (and that is very small masses for the 80 market) and kept in stock, ready to ship out when a customer orders it vs doing it yourself.

For some people it is worth the $'s to call and get something delivered and they can just bolt it on. They don't have the time to go to a metal dealer, get a piece of remnant material, take it home, make the sliders, run it over to the powder coater etc etc.

Are there cheaper ways to do it for the home fab guy, sure. Is everyone's time worth nothing, no. Is it satisfying for the DIY guy to make his own sliders, yes.

X2 well said

 

[DiscoveredLC]

Is it satisfying for the DIY guy to make his own sliders, yes.

That right there pretty much sums it up in my opinion.

Building your own stuff does save you money (if you dont factor in the welder, pla$ma, tube bender, etc... ) but its not the main reason why most do it. Personally, I love turning ideas in my head into reality, and being able to say you built everything on your truck is a good feeling.

Its nice taking your truck out in the hills and putting the parts you built with your own two hands to use.

 

[kidglove13]

Same goes for me as well
Love to build it and beat it
And if something does not work right its all on me
It is not about saving money all the time

 

[1FZj80]

There is no correlation between the age of the truck (or for that matter the purchase price of a used vehicle ) and what it cost to produce a quality product in the aftermarket. To make a commercial product, you have to market it, sell it, support it and offer a warranty on the product, answer the phone for both pre-sales and post sales support, provide technical advise and a variety of other costs that people just don't know about.

If you have a business there is a certain amount of profit you have to make to stay in business and cover your overhead. Otherwise the business will not make it. It is very difficult to compare the cost of a set of sliders that are "mass produced" (and that is very small masses for the 80 market) and kept in stock, ready to ship out when a customer orders it vs doing it yourself.

For some people it is worth the $'s to call and get something delivered and they can just bolt it on. They don't have the time to go to a metal dealer, get a piece of remnant material, take it home, make the sliders, run it over to the powder coater etc etc.

Are there cheaper ways to do it for the home fab guy, sure. Is everyone's time worth nothing, no. Is it satisfying for the DIY guy to make his own sliders, yes.

you need to set up a fab facility in China, forward your tech support and sales to a call center in India and start selling through Walmart. Oh, and talk to AIG about providing warranty. that's the American way

 

[azcromntic]

you need to set up a fab facility in China, forward your tech support and sales to a call center in India and start selling through Walmart. Oh, and talk to AIG about providing warranty. that's the American way

Yeah, that sounds about right. That's the way this oligarchy goes. briggin fastards.

 

[ajax1]

yes unless u like to pay 700plus for sliders, made mine for less then 150