Slider Opinions?

[Dan Higgins]

First, I'm chuckling because while reading the thread about the possible rally in Breck this summer I thought I'd better start looking into sliders. So I headed over to this forum to create a thread asking about sliders. And what do you know, it is already here and answering all my questions! Living in the Denver area and having visited Slee once just to see what they have, I am sure I'll go with the Slee sliders. I'll have them do the install as I am DIY-challenged.

One question (though I think the answer is obvious), can I comfortably use a Hi Lift on the Slee sliders? (I foolishly put tubes on my LR4 which of course folded the first time I tried to use a Hi Lift on them so I switched to Voyager sliders - which were awesome on my LR4.)

And, finally, do any of you have a 2016/17 model with Slee sliders? Anything different or challenging on the mounting?

 

[TonyP]

One question (though I think the answer is obvious), can I comfortably use a Hi Lift on the Slee sliders? (I foolishly put tubes on my LR4 which of course folded the first time I tried to use a Hi Lift on them so I switched to Voyager sliders - which were awesome on my LR4.

Yup, that's the (second) best thing about sliders; jack points.

 

[kevinfoutch]

This will help Slee - Recovery Gear

 

[Canyonero]

Up close on my right slider. If I had to guess, most of the weight of my truck caused that. I'm probably an "above average slider user" and Slee's sliders are pretty hard to break!

 

[Romer]

That will buff right out

That really shows the durability of Slee Sliders

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Has anyone had a car accident with the sliders taking the impact? Basically being in a T-bone situation.

I have... The picture is on my build thread, the sliders kicked my Tacoma up, then the rear tire was the next to hit the oncoming CRV, which tore the engine/transaxle out, but rolled me a few times.

So sliders are great for what they were designed for, 1-2 mph hits on rocks and that could help a possible car backing up or coming into a parking spot next to you, but as far as an actual collision, they won't do much.

 

[Markuson]

I don't think anyone would argue they will prevent damage in a T-Bone. But the prospect that they may reduce the deadly door smash Is certainly possible. Doors are flimsy. It's reasonable to expect having a far stronger slider in front of the door could help reduce cabin intrusion. I recently opened my door panels...and there really isn't much structure there.

Sorta like roll bars. You vehicle is probably still totaled in a bad rollover...but it might keep you from being crushed inside.

 

[wardharris]

Has anyone had a car accident with the sliders taking the impact? Basically being in a T-bone situation.

Car accident? NO.
Shopping carts and vehicle door impacts? YES.

All three of these vehicles avoided minor (and not so minor) parking lot intrusions from cars and carts.

I will add sliders for other reasons. For a nominal expense, these sliders provide returns in several forms:

1. Happy Wife - On a frequent basis.My wife (5' 2") appreciates sliders with board tape for ingress/egress.

2 . Cosmetics - Parking lots are great places to collect dings and with a lifted vehicle, the sliders are "just right" for taking the occasional door swing from a neighboring stall.

3. Trail Damage - I have slid past obstacles for side protection, but (so far) never had an uplift event.

4. Lift Point - I have not needed the slider for jacking, yet.....


And, yes, I like gray steelies.....

 

[Reckless]

I have... The picture is on my build thread, the sliders kicked my Tacoma up, then the rear tire was the next to hit the oncoming CRV, which tore the engine/transaxle out, but rolled me a few times.

So sliders are great for what they were designed for, 1-2 mph hits on rocks and that could help a possible car backing up or coming into a parking spot next to you, but as far as an actual collision, they won't do much.

I was just releasing order to Slee tonight but having second thoughts now. My number one reason for ordering them is to feel more protected. My best friend was t-boned in college in front of me and that image haunts me. Everyday from my office I watch near misses, someone was t-boned last week in front of me. I have seen enough car accidents from my desk that I am paranoid. My second reason was ingress/regress but its not worth $1500 to me. Third reason is door ding protector but least of my worries.

If it won't add any protection in a t-bone situation I may let this go. I have seen hondas fold up like paper origami on impact. I do realize thats why side airbags exist and after having one blow up on me they really are very nice cushion.

 

[Markuson]

I think Taco means it won't keep damage from happening.

But if I'm going to get T-Boned...given a choice of with or without Slee sliders? No contest!

You want the hardware to absorb and distribute impact *before* it gets to you behind the door. I don't think anyone can reasonably argue that having heavy, frame-mounted bars between the oncoming car and your door is insignificant.

 

[wardharris]

I have destroyed / totaled several vehicles - including a 30 mph, 90 degree side impact into my door. Sliders wouldn't have made a difference in any of them. The only "armor" that could have made a difference was missing rollbar in a Jeep rollover. That said, in my next event, some Slee, WKOR or Jason sliders could make a difference.

A bull bar / bumper can come in handy if you have a relatively low speed impact (like the FJC below), but high speed, not so much. Also, a downside to ARB style bumpers in wildlife/cattle strike is the potential, secondary impact from a deer coming through your windscreen.

There are no "perfect" solutions, except for a big-ass LC 200 with a bunch of air bags, under the command a skilled/sober/aware operator

 

[Markuson]

OK. New way of asking:

If you **knew** you would be T-boned tomorrow.... Would you pay $975 for sliders today?

I know that's not what they are designed for...but for me, that's a no-brainer.

 

[wardharris]

OK. New way of asking:

If you **knew** you would be T-boned tomorrow.... Would you pay $975 for sliders today?

I know that's not what they are designed for...but for me, that's a no-brainer.

Hell, yes!

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

I don't know man, I think the strength of A,B,C,D pillars and doors are pretty amazing and how they transfer the impact load around the passengers to the other side of the truck is the real safety comes into play. The slider is only a couple inches at best wide, an oncoming vehicle and the massive amount of surface area isn't going to be diverted enough by a thin bar along the frame rail, the rest of the car is still going to keep coming into you. I don't think any sliders is going to change much past a parking lot bump, but i'm no crash engineer.

Either way, took the 200 to visit family in Orlando, went to Universal and while the family next to us was getting out, a kid through their car door into my slider and curved their door seam in, my sliders have stopped more door dings than rock smashes, and a wheel in rock a lot.

 

[Markuson]

Hell, yes!

There ya go.

 

[wardharris]

There ya go.

Consider the source.....the poster is of questionable character and sketchy technical skills......

 

[Markuson]

Seems like most of the outside of the vehicle is built for looks. Not strength. With a heavy, frame-mounted slider, you introduce the only piece of hardware on the outermost portion of the vehicle that is specifically built for strength. I just can't imagine how anyone can argue that this won't help even just in terms of basic physics.

I just hobbled outside to measure the bumper height of four nearby neighbor cars. All of their front bumpers would hit either below...or barely up to the slider in a t-bone. That means major force is being absorbed as that slider bends before it even gets to the door. Will it get to the door? Sure. But it will have less energy when it gets there.

But meh... Sad thing is, there is a good chance someone will find out eventually. Hope it's none of us, and that this stays pure speculation.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

@Markuson, you're my boy and all, and i'm not saying that a slider will hinder anything, but I just don't think a slider will help a thing in an impact past 5-8 mph.

The front of a car is how many inches tall? 18-24", a slider will just cut stop a small portion of the car impacting. the rest of the car will deform around the slider and still head into the side of the truck. Safety tests have shown that stopping an impact like a brick doesn't save lives, but disputing the load around the passengers is where lives are saved.

I wouldn't buy sliders for safety, I would buy them for rocks, and as a bonus, they stop parking lot accidents.

But i think we are getting off topic, and I don't think we are going to agree on this one, and you're to cool for me to try to argue with you. I think slee sliders are the best off the shelf right now. I'm bummed @Canyonero dented one, they are obviously not bullet proof like my sliders on my FJ, but their mounting design is the strongest, and like ARB front bumpers, things can look strong from the outside, but its how they mount that makes the difference (unlike ARB rear bumper)

 

[Markuson]

@Markuson, you're my boy and all, and i'm not saying that a slider will hinder anything, but I just don't think a slider will help a thing in an impact past 5-8 mph.

The front of a car is how many inches tall? 18-24", a slider will just cut stop a small portion of the car impacting. the rest of the car will deform around the slider and still head into the side of the truck. Safety tests have shown that stopping an impact like a brick doesn't save lives, but disputing the load around the passengers is where lives are saved.

I wouldn't buy sliders for safety, I would buy them for rocks, and as a bonus, they stop parking lot accidents.

But i think we are getting off topic, and I don't think we are going to agree on this one, and you're to cool for me to try to argue with you. I think slee sliders are the best off the shelf right now. I'm bummed @Canyonero dented one, they are obviously not bullet proof like my sliders on my FJ, but their mounting design is the strongest, and like ARB front bumpers, things can look strong from the outside, but its how they mount that makes the difference (unlike ARB rear bumper)

Ha. Ya. It's all speculation on my part anyway. Just figure that deformation it has to do around the slider is energy it won't use to deform around me. Luckily, I didn't buy sliders for this purpose...and even better...the LC is already one of the best vehicles to be in if you get whacked.

 

[Canyonero]

@Markuson, you're my boy and all, and i'm not saying that a slider will hinder anything, but I just don't think a slider will help a thing in an impact past 5-8 mph.

The front of a car is how many inches tall? 18-24", a slider will just cut stop a small portion of the car impacting. the rest of the car will deform around the slider and still head into the side of the truck. Safety tests have shown that stopping an impact like a brick doesn't save lives, but disputing the load around the passengers is where lives are saved.

I wouldn't buy sliders for safety, I would buy them for rocks, and as a bonus, they stop parking lot accidents.

But i think we are getting off topic, and I don't think we are going to agree on this one, and you're to cool for me to try to argue with you. I think slee sliders are the best off the shelf right now. I'm bummed @Canyonero dented one, they are obviously not bullet proof like my sliders on my FJ, but their mounting design is the strongest, and like ARB front bumpers, things can look strong from the outside, but its how they mount that makes the difference (unlike ARB rear bumper)

I would have to stress that your FJ probably doesn't weigh 6200lbs.