Installing new radius arms from Delta VS. Deciding whether to grind off my Slee caster plates or drill them out to use the stock bolt holes. The plate would be left in place to make a beefy overkill axle mount. Here's a pic from the best angle I could get to show how much meat is left on the axle mount after grinding to install the plate a decade ago. Anyone remove their Slee plates without addressing the modification done to their axle mounts?
Remove caster plates or drill them out
- Thread starter karlslashwarren
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
If they are welded just on the front leading edge it should be fine to grind the weld off and remove the plates.
If you leave them and drill you’ll always need longer than stock bolts as replacements. Not a big deal but something to keep in mind.
Here’s a longer bolt if you need it.
absolute-wits-end.com
Here’s a longer bolt if you need it.
Replacement Bolts for LANDTANK Caster Plates
Replacement Bolts for LANDTANK Caster Plates (CCP-4)
put a cutoff wheel on a die grinder and just run it up middle of that weld to separate the two plates.
COYS
SILVER Star
If you leave them and drill you’ll always need longer than stock bolts as replacements. Not a big deal but something to keep in mind.
Here’s a longer bolt if you need it.
Replacement Bolts for LANDTANK Caster Plates
Replacement Bolts for LANDTANK Caster Plates (CCP-4)
So if I already have caster plates and decide go with these radius arms, I can simply remove the plates, buy these longer bolts from Joey and I'm good to go?
I did not have my caster plates welded as I only daily my FZJ. Thanks!
No need for longer bolts if you remove the plates. You can buy new stock length bolts from wits end or delta vs.
- Thread starter
- #7
Only the front is welded, I can grind them off with ease. Does the notch made for installing Slee plates reduce the strength of the axle mount to the point it should reinforced if the caster plate is removed?
COYS
SILVER Star
This is what's kept me from going with the radius arms.
Weld some plate back into it to build the material back. I did that when I changed caster plates from one venders to another’s.
- Thread starter
- #10
Removed the arm and have a better view of the mount now. This is the mount with the most material removed. I think there may be enough here to be safe.
@karlslashwarren what did you end up doing? Leaving the plates, or trusting that there was still enough metal?
I’m in this same boat, in wanting to switch from slee caster plates to DeltaVS arms due to low caster. Is the agreed approach to remove the slee plates, fix the notch and install the new arms? I’m not against drilling the slee plates, but not sure how that can be accurately done.... maybe it’s easy to measure a start hole, with the radius arms off the car.
That’s what I would do. It would also allow you to sell the plates. I suppose one could opt for welding a large washer in lieu of fixing the notch.
The Landtank plates require a deeper cut than the Slee plates.
I’ll refurbish the OEM arms and sell with the slee plates. Should be a nice kit for someone doing a 3” lift.
