Does it really take that long if you have a lift and a couple of guys working it? Just wondering...
Shop quoting 6 hours of labor at 150 per hour install bud built rock armor stage for and rock sliders..
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Sounds about right. It took me about six hours for the sliders, and six hours for the Stage 4. There’s little things that eat up a lot of time like lining up and threading lollipop nuts, and bolting the fuel tank skid to the transfer case skid. There’s not a lot of room in there. Also, trimming the KDSS splash shield for the transfer case plate support.
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You might try doing the Stage 4 yourself. You can break it up in stages no pun intended. Rob at Bud built would be the guru to ask. I'd have them do the sliders though unless you're a masochist.
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You can do it all yourself if you can park the truck until it is done and work on it a few hours at a time. If your spare time is important, it is worth $1,000 to have it done in a day. You may find someone to do it for less even, but make sure you can trust them to do it right.
RET2
SILVER Star
Try hiring competent legal representation if a buck and a half scares you. Probably 2 guys?Clearly I'm in the wrong business, $150/hr?!?
Rob and Chip at Budbuilt installed my sliders when I was there a couple weeks ago, and they shot video of the process for instructions, hopefully it will be posted on the website soon.
One thing I learned is that they do not use a lift when installing them, they drive the front tires up on ramps, then put stands under the rear axle. The arms of a 2 post lift get in the way.
One thing I learned is that they do not use a lift when installing them, they drive the front tires up on ramps, then put stands under the rear axle. The arms of a 2 post lift get in the way.
It took my mechanic the better part of a day just to install the sliders. So 6 hours seems completely reasonable, if even a bit low.
Do it your self. It feels great to work on your own truck.
My mechanic had my 200 for two days because he’s the shop manager and was interrupted often. In the end he estimated he’d spent four hours on it and charged me that, but I‘ve got several vehicles and have brought him a lot of business. The bigger issue was not having any sort of instructions. It’s a puzzle that is t difficult to figure out but if you bolt a plate in before you should have set another plate, you’re probably going to need spare hardware. I’d be concerned about your shop charging you more if they run into trouble, unless you’re a regular.
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Not a regular but they just did the same install on another 17 200. Seems like they know what they are doing. Just shocked it takes that long. Then again I’ve never done it
Take a look under your cruiser. The BudBuilt skids may be bolt on, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. Not a lot of room in there and the lollipops are a pain.
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Agree these are a puzzle when you don't have instructions...
Pro-tip for the lollipops: use a small vise grip to hold the end of the lollipop. And if you're doing this on your own, using a floor jack to raise the sliders is invaluable. That's what makes it possible to this without extra hands.
Pro-tip for the lollipops: use a small vise grip to hold the end of the lollipop. And if you're doing this on your own, using a floor jack to raise the sliders is invaluable. That's what makes it possible to this without extra hands.
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I think it’s beneficial to do this work your self. When you break down on the trail, you need to know how to work on your truck.
Taco2Cruiser
Crazy American Off Road
As @KLF mentioned, I put a friends GoPro on my head for an install video. I'm not super happy with how it came out, but it was a learning lesson for me on what I need to do differently next time. I can build you a 1,500 hp motor, win a war, live off the land, but video editing is pretty rough for me...
So don't use a lift, it's just terrible and the lift arms are in the way, use a floor jack and it is much, much faster. The lollipops are easy if you guide the lollipop in with one hand and find it with your finger instead of the bolt.
Trying to find two objects that your brain has no feeling in, while inside a frame rail is tough. Use your finger to guide the lollipop into the hole, then once the lollipop in seated, remove your guide finger and grab a bolt, it will go right in. If you have any mechanic who understands engine work, he will understand this trick. Which does full circle to the cost of the install.
It sounds pretty reasonable to me. At BB I charge about 2/3s of that prices, but that is because I know exactly how to do the install as efficiently as possible, and it was also an incentive to get as many 200s in the shop for refinement. As Bud says, "if we build armor off of five trucks, it will never fit. 60, 60 of the same truck is the minimum to ensure fitment."
I would never fault another company for charging more for a 3d party's products, and you will naturally slow down. Plus if the truck has rust, mud, or that terrible fluid film all over the bottom, it's going to slow down. I don't charge extra for that, I just clean the rust up, and re-enamel while i'm under there. I also do my little KDSS protection thing I do so the valves never rust, because... why not? It's a cruiser, let's do it right and take care of it.
I'm hoping that the video, helps I just have to get another body-of-frame build out the door, then I can edit this video. Ugh... I need more time, I haven't even been able to make a simple little banner to finally because a vendor on here.
It's not any harder than another slider I've installed on my personal 200, just different. I installed @Sac Cerevisiae sliders in the gravel packing lot across from LCDC 2019 with no jack 3 hours prior to the opening BBQ event. Took 45 minutes for the driver side, 30 minutes for the passenger slide, then I ran back to my camp, took a shower, and showed up to say hey.
Plan for 4 hours driver side, and 2 hours, passenger side if you have never done it. All the fasteners a put together from Chip and are numbered so it takes the guess work out of where they go.
So don't use a lift, it's just terrible and the lift arms are in the way, use a floor jack and it is much, much faster. The lollipops are easy if you guide the lollipop in with one hand and find it with your finger instead of the bolt.
Trying to find two objects that your brain has no feeling in, while inside a frame rail is tough. Use your finger to guide the lollipop into the hole, then once the lollipop in seated, remove your guide finger and grab a bolt, it will go right in. If you have any mechanic who understands engine work, he will understand this trick. Which does full circle to the cost of the install.
It sounds pretty reasonable to me. At BB I charge about 2/3s of that prices, but that is because I know exactly how to do the install as efficiently as possible, and it was also an incentive to get as many 200s in the shop for refinement. As Bud says, "if we build armor off of five trucks, it will never fit. 60, 60 of the same truck is the minimum to ensure fitment."
I would never fault another company for charging more for a 3d party's products, and you will naturally slow down. Plus if the truck has rust, mud, or that terrible fluid film all over the bottom, it's going to slow down. I don't charge extra for that, I just clean the rust up, and re-enamel while i'm under there. I also do my little KDSS protection thing I do so the valves never rust, because... why not? It's a cruiser, let's do it right and take care of it.
I'm hoping that the video, helps I just have to get another body-of-frame build out the door, then I can edit this video. Ugh... I need more time, I haven't even been able to make a simple little banner to finally because a vendor on here.
It's not any harder than another slider I've installed on my personal 200, just different. I installed @Sac Cerevisiae sliders in the gravel packing lot across from LCDC 2019 with no jack 3 hours prior to the opening BBQ event. Took 45 minutes for the driver side, 30 minutes for the passenger slide, then I ran back to my camp, took a shower, and showed up to say hey.
Plan for 4 hours driver side, and 2 hours, passenger side if you have never done it. All the fasteners a put together from Chip and are numbered so it takes the guess work out of where they go.
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