More interest in 80/81 sliders

[IronYuppy]

This thread started a while ago. At that point I was working with a local fabber to build some sliders, but he kinda flaked-out on me.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?p=2770126#post2770126


Is anybody seriously interested in starting this project, SOON? Perhaps if we can get a commitment if 15 purchases it would be worthwhile? We could measure Steve's sliders for leg length (with his permission, of course ), and the rest is pretty easy.

Metal Tech's design is beautiful, but expensive to make in small numbers and probably unnecessary. I think Schedule 80 tubing all around would be fine. Each slider would take about 13' of tubing. 26' of tubing per each truck, plus shop materials.

The market is there. I just priced-out a set of Metal-Tech sliders including shipping, brokerage, tax, exchange, etc and they're $1280(!) to my door. That's too much.

If we could do 10-15 sets I can see them delivered anywhere in Western Canada (FOB) for between $700 and $800 unpainted.

I see this not so much as a big money-maker as perhaps a way to raise a bit of cash for the club.

I would rent/buy a tube bender for this project if I could be first on the list to recoup my money after the core materials were paid for, following sales. I'm in a bit of a cash-crunch right now, but I really want to get going on this.

 

[hellbent40]

dont look that hard to build..

just curious.... your sched 80 tubing or pipe.... whats the O.D. of the tubing/ pipe your using?

Sched 40 pipe is around 3/16 to 1/4 and goes up
Sched 80 pipe is around 1/2 thick......

and as for the bending..... could always source out weld in 90 elbows...

just curious

 

[wussyPup]

Yeah, you guys can measure my Metal-Techs, but I don't think it will be very useful. A key characteristic of the MT sliders is the profile (pic from MT's site):

You aren't going to replicate that, so none of the MT legs will be "right" for your slider's main box or tube. But they will give you a general idea of what's needed where and how much bracing has been tested to work.

If you want MT quality, performance, and tested design it'll be cheaper to buy it than copy it. Work on negotiating a group purchase price and group shipping to Port Angeles, take the Coho over, pick 'em up and do the customs work your self. Better yet, make a road trip out of it and visit Mark in Newberg - he's a great guy. (oh, and if you have a bit of extra $, do the hot air ballon thing across the road from him - http://www.vistaballoon.com Gwen and I loved it)

 

[IronYuppy]

2" OD sched 80 pipe. I got quoted a "walk-in" price of $6.79/ft with a minimum purchase of 63' (3x21' lengths).

 

[IronYuppy]

Steve, you're correct. I thought that perhaps your sliders might be useful for figuring out the basic geography of the sliders without having to tie someone's truck up for a couple of days.

I grabbed these photos of a much more simple design from 'Mud. I can't remember who did these, but they're custom "garage-built" units. As you can see, it really isn't rocket science. The biggest obstacle is that stupid cat.

 

[hellbent40]

still dont look that hard to copy..... and make ... thats just me....

sched 80 is a bit overkill on it too... that will add alot of weight to your truck... i would go sched 40....

off topic... anyone done a cut and turn for a 40 axle..... done research through the tech links and does not give me a caster angle to go off of.....

i am rotating the pinion up 10degrees and stock caster is 1 degrees but i have read that anywhere from 2 to 6 degrees...

using the u bolt elimantor spring perch on the passenger side from ruff stuff....

axle is already ready to turn .... just need the angle so i can rotate the housing and tig weld it up....

sorry dont mean to go off topic just seeing if you guys know......

 

[d0ubledown]

if you've got the layout setup, with measurements bend radius etc etc all sorted out, im sure you could get bcc (bigcountrycustoms.com) to get em made up. bring in an 80 for test fitting, and im sure taran could mass (or mini mass) produce em at a reasonable cost. He’s a great local distributor of all the good parts…and does heaps for the bc (et all) Toyota community. may not be an islander, but hey at least its not cross border shopping..


im not a fabber so i dont know whats involved, but id bet that if he’s got measurements/material/design layout sorted and enough secure deposits to show people are interested…he can come up with something great. I know I’d be on board with getting in on this…when I get my 80

 

[IronYuppy]

if you've got the layout setup, with measurements bend radius etc etc all sorted out, im sure you could get bcc (bigcountrycustoms.com) to get em made up. bring in an 80 for test fitting, and im sure taran could mass (or mini mass) produce em at a reasonable cost. He’s a great local distributor of all the good parts…and does heaps for the bc (et all) Toyota community. may not be an islander, but hey at least its not cross border shopping..


im not a fabber so i dont know whats involved, but id bet that if he’s got measurements/material/design layout sorted and enough secure deposits to show people are interested…he can come up with something great. I know I’d be on board with getting in on this…when I get my 80

Here's my thing about BCC:

I approached them about the basic 72" slider version of the slider they sell. Just the "body" of the slider - not the legs. I knew that I could get the legs/install done locally. I was quoted a price and a completion schedule. I gave them my MC number and was told to wait a week, the sliders would ship BPX collect and I could pick them up at the Victoria bus station.

Two weeks passed, and no call from the bus station. I call BCC and since nobody at the sales desk (ever) answers, I called the shop. I spoke with someone who said the sliders were "almost ready" and would ship the next day.

Two more weeks go by, and my MC statement arrives. Nobody rang the purchase through.

I call BCC and leave a voice message saying, politely, "what's going on? Where are my sliders? Why take my CC number and not use it? Please someone call me just to let me know what's going on, one way or the other".

Nobody calls, so I call again and leave another message saying exactly the same thing.

That was over a week ago and still nobody has bothered to call me back.

He/they may be great guys but their customer service sucks. They're either confused or lying about making/not making, shipping/not shipping my order, and either way it's a disappointment and I'll be hard-pressed before I offer them my money again (which seems fine as they clearly don't want or need it).

It's another example of this frustrating phenomena that seems to happen everywhere: either shops have good fabrication skills but piss-poor customer service, or they're quick to "process your order" and you never get anything at all, or not what you wanted.

I tell you, if someone in this community could get his act together, he'd make money hand over fist. Why do companies like 4x4Labs manage to sell bumpers with a 4-6 month waiting list? It's not because they're building some impossibly complicated, patented, high-tech gadget, it's because they don't have any reliable competition.

Why can I shoot my mouth off and not actually do it myself? Because I suck at welding.

Why is Cristo Slee's business booming? Because he's delivering a good product, and when he says he will.

Believe me, I have bent over backwards to support local shops, not just now but over the past ten years. These guys seem to come and go. If they were really making as much money as they could, they wouldn't "go". There's one in Parksville that doesn't even respond to emails. I'd love to keep my money on the Island, or even in the Province, but some of these guys really need to pull their fingers out.

 

[d0ubledown]

ahh..yes understood. sorry to hear youve had bad experiences with em...others have too. it is unfortunate when you do try to help out the local guys and you get stung...hopefully they get things sorted. i've only had the one transaction with him for my sliders a couple years ago, but i always try to plug him when i can. alot of my wheeling buddies go strictly to him. i know its alot of work to go on your own and against nsor and national...seen the ups and downs with a local VW shop i frequented back in my car days.

those sliders pics you posted look awesome. looks very similar to All Pro's with different mounting brackets of course. the legwork around that cat does look tricky. i bet even buying ap's without the mounting legs, and getting that done at a shop can still get you under total landed cost of hanna or slee's..

definitely need more sliders available up here..id never imagine going anywhere without em!

 

[seapotato]

well, tarans sliders are just the trail gear ones, so if you're that po'd at him you could just order them from trail gear.

they have a canadian site now so it's no big whoop to deal with. http://www.trail-gear.ca/default.cfm?fa=products&prodcategoryid=16

I've emailed back and forth with him about them, and will probably get them from taran just for the sake of the local dude, but then, he answers my emails, and even phones me back.

I'll be in van on the 5th of dec, and I'm tempted to take a truck over to pick s*** up, but I fawwking HATE paying for a car on the ferry. I'd think I'd rather spend the money on shipping, but haven't decided yet.

 

[IronYuppy]

well, tarans sliders are just the trail gear ones, so if you're that po'd at him you could just order them from trail gear.

they have a canadian site now so it's no big whoop to deal with. http://www.trail-gear.ca/default.cfm?fa=products&prodcategoryid=16

I've emailed back and forth with him about them, and will probably get them from taran just for the sake of the local dude, but then, he answers my emails, and even phones me back.

I'll be in van on the 5th of dec, and I'm tempted to take a truck over to pick **** up, but I fawwking HATE paying for a car on the ferry. I'd think I'd rather spend the money on shipping, but haven't decided yet.

Sadly the 80 series needs a 72" slider, and nobody makes one. "All Pro" used to, but they don't any more and they didn't want to do a one-off.

Trail Gear doesn't do one, either. They make a 58" and a 78"

 

[hellbent40]

the trail gear ones are a good price...... 160 for a pair.... buy those and chop 6inches out of them and reweld them and your done....

thats way to easy....

 

[Stumpalama]

I'm gathering the bits and measuring for fabbing up my home-grown LX450/FJFZJHZJ80/81 (it is Canada!) sliders.
Since my FJ40 sliders and skid plate more than survived the Rubicon, I'm moving on to sliders for the big fella.
BTW 2" sched 80 for $6.75/ft? I can get 1.5 .120 for around $7/ft (without a bulk discount.)

 

[IronYuppy]

Stumpy if you're going to start on this I'm in for whatever it takes to help. I'm just about to give up and order a set from Jim at Solid Rock, because I have vowed to not wheel again without sliders.

I wonder if I should wait, if this is a real possibility...

 

[seapotato]

So, I'm heading over to van next wednesday night for the " 80's hairbag spandex extravaganza..."

and I'm toying with the idea of taking the old man's truck over there, as I'll be bumming around in van on thursday.

If I did it would be partly to get rid of some stuff to a guy in van, but I figgered I might allso head out to BCC and grab a couple sets of sliders.( I'll check in with him before hand tho, if he's sold out I won't bother.)

So, kinda thinking out loud here, but if'n I do decide drive over there, I'll have a bigass truck to drag s*** back and forth.

( a princess auto stop is also a must....)

 

[2badfjs]

FYI GUYS!

you don't need the main rail to be 72"
i cut my rails at 68" if you are not running mud flaps and 66" if you are.
add another 1/2" after capping the ends with 1/4" plate on each end.
so they are 68.5 and 66.5