Slider build- looking for advice (1 Viewer)

[thebeedeegee]

I'm putting some sliders together with some steel i had left over from previous projects. The main tube will be 2"x2" and 1/8" thick. The outriggers are schedule 40 2" pipe. My truck has AHC and I do plan to leave it in so these mounts have to fit around that, I couldn't find any good photos showing how the other sliders mount around AHC ,but I figured out i could get 2 compression mounts in there on each side. Here is the photo of the mount. It's 1/4" and I will secure with 2 grade 8 1/2" bolts.

This is the mount toward the rear end, the ones up front are more open, but the connection to the main bar will have to sweep back at a slight angle because the frame angles in toward the engine.

Are 2 mounts enough? I won't be slamming this thing on rocks constantly but I do want protection. This is sort of a "quick and dirty " slider build before I head up to Windrock next weekend. I will eventually build some exactly like I want and just weld them in more than likely.

I want to angle my pipe out riggers up about 15 degrees but I can't for the life of me figure out the cut so I may just go straight in.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I think 2” schedule 40 has 0.15” wall thickness, and considering the weight of a 100, I would probably do 3 legs/side to minimize the chance of the slider flexing and banging up against your rocker if you hit hard.

 

[thebeedeegee]

I think 2” schedule 40 has 0.15” wall thickness, and considering the weight of a 100, I would probably do 3 legs/side to minimize the chance of the slider flexing and banging up against your rocker if you hit hard.

I'd like to do 3 but I can't figure where to get a mount in. My accumulator or pump or whatever it is called is right there in the middle.

I wonder about adding a brace from the legs near where they mount back to the middle would help deflect some load?

This build is really just temporary so I can do some of the more challenging trails without absolutely killing my rockers. Better than nothing

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I don’t have AHC so can’t help you there, but you might get some ideas here: Slee Slidersteps - AHC vs non AHC? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/slee-slidersteps-ahc-vs-non-ahc.1191386/

 

[ramangain]

I don’t have AHC so can’t help you there

Oh, that's a shame, we can't be MUD BUDS anymore then

 

[Ramathorn15]

I would avoid schedule pipe. Also, 2x2-1/8 is pretty flimsy too. I'd bet they will flex into the rocker before you come close to lifting a tire via a jack. I know you say this is temp, but with a setup that flimsy I'd be worried about them smashing into the rocker.

For reference, the sliders I'm working on producing use 1/4 plate with 3 1/2 bolts on each mounting location (2 per side). 2x2-3/16" for the outriggers, and 2x6-3/16" for the main tube. Add in 1/4 gussets that extend about half the length of the outriggers.

When jacking up on those, they flex about 3/8-1/2 towards the body as one wheel leaves the ground.

 

[thebeedeegee]

I would avoid schedule pipe. Also, 2x2-1/8 is pretty flimsy too. I'd bet they will flex into the rocker before you come close to lifting a tire via a jack. I know you say this is temp, but with a setup that flimsy I'd be worried about them smashing into the rocker.

For reference, the sliders I'm working on producing use 1/4 plate with 3 1/2 bolts on each mounting location (2 per side). 2x2-3/16" for the outriggers, and 2x6-3/16" for the main tube. Add in 1/4 gussets that extend about half the length of the outriggers.

When jacking up on those, they flex about 3/8-1/2 towards the body as one wheel leaves the ground.

I dont have any other option for materials at this point. My metal guy is getting me some DOM tubing for the eventual build but this is what I have right now. If I slam down on a rock and it flexes and dents my rocker I figure that's definitely less damage than if nothing was there. I asked here knowing this isn't the best materials , but more for advice on mount points and design ideas.

I do plan to add gussets with 1/4" on the connection posts out the the main rail.

I'll definitely avoid jacking on these, but how much gap would you leave between the body and mounts/tubes? I've seen some say 3/16" but that seems close to me

 

[thebeedeegee]

Made some progress tonight.

 

[thebeedeegee]

First test fit. Now I need to build some supports in the middle

 

[thebeedeegee]

Got the passenger side almost finished. Going to try and finish the weld out tonight once I tack the passenger side legs in place and test fit one more time.

I was able to fit 3 legs on the passenger side, the rear one the top bolt is tight, I had to bend the heat shield for the muffler slightly to get it on but it'll work. I messed up the bend on one side so I had to cut that end of the pipe off and weld on a section with the correct bend, this has been a learning experience.

Hopefully primer and paint tomorrow.....and ready to wheel Saturday

 

[thebeedeegee]

So both rear clamps have to be installed underneath what I think is either brake line or AHC line. Would you remove these lines from the clips and bend them well clear of the mount, or just leave them as they are? It doesn't appear to be touching, but it's close.

 

[Jcreme]

Looks like I'm late to the party, but I'd recommend adding the biggest gussets you can fit horizontally between the mounts and the base tube and the base tube and the outriggers to get add as much stiffness as you can.

When I consider steel design, I imagine the parts to be made out of thin rubber to envision how they are going to flex. With this in mind it's easier to imagine when that ground impact flex happens, those gussets will pull on the other components a lot more than without gussets and this will stiffen the whole thing.

You could even put a bead down the length of the square tube if you have the patience. Or weld some 3/8" round stock down the length like a super long gusset.

Lol if you let me keep going it will be twice as expensive and twice as heavy as the permanent solution!

 

[thebeedeegee]

Looks like I'm late to the party, but I'd recommend adding the biggest gussets you can fit horizontally between the mounts and the base tube and the base tube and the outriggers to get add as much stiffness as you can.

When I consider steel design, I imagine the parts to be made out of thin rubber to envision how they are going to flex. With this in mind it's easier to imagine when that ground impact flex happens, those gussets will pull on the other components a lot more than without gussets and this will stiffen the whole thing.

You could even put a bead down the length of the square tube if you have the patience. Or weld some 3/8" round stock down the length like a super long gusset.

Lol if you let me keep going it will be twice as expensive and twice as heavy as the permanent solution!

Thanks for the advice, I actually did cut some gussets last night, should have probably carried them out to the end, but they should help. I'm using flux core so welds are still dirty here...and I had to fill some gaps on the round tube sections from my grinder made tube notches so don't look too close haha.

 

[Jcreme]

Yes! Bigger is stronger. I was suggesting something like this - causing a flex on the square tube to pull on the round tube, reinforcing it.

or this

 

[atnolan94]

Thanks for the advice, I actually did cut some gussets last night, should have probably carried them out to the end, but they should help. I'm using flux core so welds are still dirty here...and I had to fill some gaps on the round tube sections from my grinder made tube notches so don't look too close haha.

View attachment 2552945

No judgment here.

You know what, people like to poke at peoples weld quality. As a new-ish MIG/flux welder, I really don't think most people understand how hard it is. Additionally a weld can be structural and not pretty, as much as a weld can be pretty and not structural.

Keep doing you!

 

[thebeedeegee]

Yes! Bigger is stronger. I was suggesting something like this - causing a flex on the square tube to pull on the round tube, reinforcing it.
View attachment 2552970
or this
View attachment 2552971

ahhh I see gotcha. I had actually thought about doing the braces on the back side from the frame mounts, because with AHC you can only get 2 mounts in ( on the driver side) I will eventually build these up a little more, this was a quick build I threw together just to get me on the trails at Windrock this weekend. Hopefully they don't come apart.

 

[thebeedeegee]

No judgment here.

You know what, people like to poke at peoples weld quality. As a new-ish MIG/flux welder, I really don't think most people understand how hard it is. Additionally a weld can be structural and not pretty, as much as a weld can be pretty and not structural.

Keep doing you!

Thanks, yeah funny enough all my welds that no one will see all look really good LOL

 

[thebeedeegee]

Well, as always I'm fighting warpage. Strangely enough the thickest pieces (1/4") warped when I burned in the gussets. It still fits but damn it pisses me off.

 

[Jcreme]

They look great BTW!

 

[MongooseGA]

Very cool that you're doing this yourself. I wish I had some fab skills to do something similar.

As a regular user of my sliders though, I'm seeing something in the design that makes me wonder. Being in FL it may not matter for you ( ) but why didn't you run the slider longer to protect the full rocker? See red circles below.

I can say from experience that especially that front section is very vulnerable to damage. Even with my WKOR sliders I've still crunched the lower cladding a few times.