George's sliders (1 Viewer)

[semlin]

Has anyone fabricated sliders using George's plans from his website? Any comments on the quality/usefulness? Anyone tried adding welded tubes on the outside?

http://www.geocities.com/george_tlc/

P.S., please do not say "buy slees" or "buy hannas". I am aware of their strengths but the mighty canadian dollar remains a factor.

 

[Echo_29]

Well, when I asked about these a while back on the SOR board I was told by a number of people that the friend who was going to fab them wouldn't be my friend when we were finished...I'll be buying Slee

 

[Rogue]

Looking at the plans, they look much like the Hanna sliders minus the tube extension.

IMO, you already have the plans available to you and could probably get a shop to build them for you. The dollar savings probably won't be much, but considering the shipping and the problems with your funny money it may just be worth it.

 

[Beowulf]

Simon,

I have custom sliders using George's plans. In fact, he posted the plans to his web site after a little cajoling from me.  We finished the sliders in April 2002.

(Long Beonese dissertation follows: )

First, it is a big effort. I sincerely doubt that you can get someone to build the sliders from his plans for less than the Slee or the Hanna sliders.  If you are an excellent fabricator and welder then you could surely do it yourself and save money. If you have a good friend that you don't mind losing during the project then maybe they will help you.

Now that my recommendations are out of the way let's talk about the sliders.

1. Use the templates and make some cardboard mock-ups of the outriggers and maybe a wood 2x4 as a slider rail. Some of the measurements are a little off or something. We had trouble fitting the sliders going only by the plans. Adjust the templates as necessary after testing with the cardboard mock-ups.

2. The templates are for dual in-line cats.

3. The outriggers rubbed on the body pinch weld forcing me to have some of the seam removed. Nothing major but it had to be done and I wasn't happy about it.

4. You can do whatever you want with the sliders since everything is custom. I had the ends rounded and angled to help if hung on a rock. I had a step added instead of the welded tube.  I can easily remove the step (it's bolted on) and have a tube welded. I like the step.  If you choose a step then hit me via PM and I will give you some pointers... things to do and not do.

5. The full powder coat process is expensive.

6. The fabricator will need your truck for a long time in order to get a good fit.  They kept mine for about 3 x 2 hrs for initial fitting, then a week during final fitting before going to the powder coating, then another 3 or 4 hrs for installation and tweaking.

7. They are heavy. I think they are about 150lbs total.

8. I had a custom cat skid plate added to the design. They did exactly what I asked them to do. It is inadequate and wasn't designed properly. (100% my fault)

9. The whole process from start to finish took 4 months and the final costs exceeded the initial estimate by $500.  (Did I mention you will be better off buying Slee sliders?)

10. Change the templates to have elongated holes. This will allow more flexibility when mounting. In fact, change the plans wherever possible to give yourself more mounting options. I think you will see what I mean when you build the cardboard mockups of the outriggers.

11. These sliders are very strong and you will be happy with the final product if you have a good fabricator, welder, and powder coater.  I wouldn't do it again but I am happy with the final result.

-B-

 

[Wrench]

I made them from his plans. Never agian. Beowulf pretty much covered it all. I did exactually what Beowulf described.

 

[Beowulf]

Here are some images of mine.

In the above image you can see the skid plate under the cats and the rounded and beveled ends. This is right before they went to the powder coater.

The above image is after they had been used for about a year. This is the PS and it is the complex side due to the design of the frame and the location of the cats. You can see the skid plate gets bent easily and I have to straighten it after hard trails. I posted a large image so you can see the way the steps are mounted and all 3 outriggers on the right side slider. Yes, the verticle outer cat shield hits the outrigger; just a minor rattle, then you bend it back again.

-B-

 

[semlin]

wulf-man thanks for the dissertation and thanks to you and keep for the warning

I am curious why they are so heavy.

 

[Beowulf]

Simon,
As you can see in the images, that is a LOT of steel. They are very heavy duty and you can easily lift the truck by using the slider on either side.
-B-

 

[thelal]

I used George's PDF's and Autocad drawings as a start for my sliders. The drawings are not 'exact' as there was some tweaks needed to fit. However in the end it was a good starting point. My fabricator in the end did a more custom job and I am very pleased with them. I will be putting up some photos etc. later (normally on yahoo 80scool list) when I get around to finalising pics etc.. Mine look like factory running boards but are higher up (i.e. more clearnance) than George/Christo's. I also put back on the Toyota plastic liner.
Is is worth it? Certainly extra cost but I'm happy with the result and I have 'holes' slotted to take wrap-around bars (to front bull-bars and rear bumper) for more protection (later)

Lal
96 TLC 87K in Colorado (via Scotland/Ireland)
brendan.lally@ mail.com

 

[Beowulf]

Lal,
Don't you run on BBQ fuel?

Simon,
Here is the last photo I plan to post in this thread. If you look closely you will see that my fabricator filled in the gaps where George's plans had open tubing. This made for a very clean look and won't hold mud and junk. They did a very nice job but all that work takes time and costs money in the long run.
-B-

 

[Gumby]

B here's a question that may be obvious to a structural engineer type but I don't get. Why the box tube necked down for the out riggers. Why not 1" square straight across or even at an angle? Is it just to order one type of tube for the whole job?
My plan has 2x4 sliders, 1x1x1/4 outriggers, 2" tube steps. It would be good to know if I'm missing something before I start cutting.

 

[semlin]

wulf, i can't see the photos in your earlier post, just the last one.

 

[Wrench]

wulf, i can't see the photos in your earlier post, just the last one.

Same here.

 

[Beowulf]

Todd,
I can't give you a good answer as I have no welding, fabricating, or structural engineering experience. I had access to a couple of college kids that wanted to build the sliders and start a company specialising in off-road equipment and fabrication. They asked what I wanted and I showed them pictures of a few 80 series with sliders. They asked for the plans for George's siders so I got them. Then they started cutting and welding and fitting and grinding and ....

Four months later and out of their garage comes what you see.

I don't think any of us thought much about what we were doing and why.

-B-

 

[Beowulf]

Attach of 1st image.

 

[Beowulf]

Attach of 2nd image.

 

[Gumby]

Dan said his Hannas use a square tube at an angle. He's going to shoot me some pics when he gets back. I hope to get started maybe as soon as tomorrow on getting everything set up.

 

[Photo_Cruiser]

Just a little info..
I was talking with a guy at realcruiser.com. Forget his name

He has the Hanna Quality sliders, And I got Jims email, he said he'll be making more of his sliders, mid to end of may fyi.

The design looks well enough, cat design/solution doesn't look like it would bend. However, comparing to the Slee design, I think, looking at the photos on realcruiser, and at slee, Slee makes the rocker protection run closer to the front tire, thus having to cut notches out of the oem mud flap. Hanna looked a bit short as if rolling off of a pointy enough boulder might land you right on your front rocker area. I'd go w/ the longer design. but I think the hanna cat solution looks better. I'd love a combo of the two, no way am I making them though. Between job, two kids, wife, two dogs, aint happening.

 

[Rogue]

When I got my sliders from Ken I mentioned the longer design of the Slee Sliders. Ken said it was simply to clear the oem mudflaps and he could easily extend the rail if it was requested before hand and the purchaser was willing to wait a bit longer.