rock sliders -bolt on or weld??? (1 Viewer)

[bhsdriller]

grabbing some pics, just a sec

Driver



Pass

 

[izzyandsue]

I have the OPOR sliders from Metaltech4x4. They came pre-drilled with hardware. The front bracket is farther forward, the rear ones are closer together, see photo below, thats driver side just below bumper. So the mounting points I used will not help you, I am afraid. The passenger side (the lower one in the pic) has a big plate that bolts right up to frame bolt holes, and then 2 u-bolts on the rest.

In your position (I am with you there, not a metal worker at all), I would find a metal shop willing to mount them, I am not familiar with the brand you bought.

If using u-bolts on the frame, make sure you don't pinch the brake lines that are hard to see, they hug the frame and are held with plastic clips. move them away from frame to sneak the bolt in.

The rear mount is behind the bushing, again driver side.

This gives you and idea of the support bracket spacing, less cantilevered:

 

[Funner]

On the drivers side frame rail, watch out for the brake lines. You will need to unbolt them to slip in a plate or u-bolt and then make sure they don't rub on the newly installed brackets.
I am admittedly not that familiar with the kit you bought, but it sounds like there is a good bit of fabricating to be done especially around the cat mounting. Given your stated limitations with welding and your time line you may be biting off more than you can chew. Any chance there are some fabricators that can help you with this in your area?

 

[Zimbwanabe]

I welded the sliders on my Jeep Scrambler (or rather paid the fabricator to build and weld) and about 5 years later, I started seeing small cracks in the frame near the fore and aft mounts. I drilled small check holes to stop the cracks and had one plated and the others stitched. That thing was really slinky, so I don't know if it was frame flex, poor quality steel in the frame, poor welding or metal preparation or what, but based on the experience, I'm going to bolt mine on.

 

[Schmutz]

@Izzyandsue @bhsdriller
thanks for the pics!!! I feel totally confident to move ahead with peace of mind now. Plus the good folks at Slee set me up with a U Bolt kit which will be here at the end of the week.

 

[izzyandsue]

Good deal. It helps to use a jack or two during install, so you can find the best position. They seem to get heavier when is time to hang them.

 

[Camino]

Just ordered a set of the Trail Gear 67" sliders for my '95 80. They will be here next week. In the meantime, just thought i'd pick your collective brains about attachment methods. Some of you have welded on your sliders. Others use bolts. I have a couple of questions I'm pondering, as usual...
1 -pros/cons of either method?
2 -if bolt on, I imagine the bolts go through the entire chassis rail. Will that weaken the chassis? The gusset mounts have an L profile, and each of the mounts has 4 holes on the face(into the side of the chassis rail), and one hole on the bottom tab. That seems like an awful lot of holes to be drilling through the chassis. But what do I know about this topic...That's why I'm asking all of you.
Look forward to your input if it's helpful or educational. Thanks

 

[Camino]

There is no easy way to mount Trail Gear generic sliders. I did it by welding, but the cat guard fabrication is very chalenging either way. It takes an enormous amount of time and effort. Better off buying prefab fj80 sliders! L.B.

 

[Camino]

I don't mean to be a downer but, if you are mounting TG sliders, you are not going to get them done before your Mohab trip. The non-cat side Maybe. Each mounting pipe has to be cut at a diffeent angle to fit the frame or flat bolt-on plate Have fun in Mohab either way! Larry

 

[Schmutz]

FWIW to anyone looking for just U Bolts: METALTECH finally called ,me back today. I had left a phone message on Tuesday 10/13. Their U-bolt mounting kit with all the hardware is half the price of the same kit from SLEE. So Slee gets points for prompt service, but Metaltech wins for lower price hardware. Naturally I ordered mine Tuesday from Slee...Hope this helps someone else out.

 

[Whileemptyheadsdream]

sorry but your response did not teach me anything. I'm not conducting a survey. I'm trying to educate myself

Then you need to think about It more. The man Is telling you Its your decission. ''Adventure Is the respectful pursuit of knowledge.'' Take the adventure, bolt on your sliders and wheel your rig, that respectful pursuit of knowledge will give you the education you need to choose between bolts or sparks. Either way It does not matter except for what YOU want. There are very experinced men on this site, some get right to the point. Sorry to change your quote. Good Luck. !