Sliders, frame welded vs bolt on?

[odinskind]

I have iron pig off-road sliders on my rig. Welded to the frame. They are amazing quality, stout, and I wouldn’t change a thing. However, I recently dropped my rig off to the local Ironman shop here in Quito, Ecuador and they were very surprised that I have sliders welded to the frame. They are of the option that welding to the frame should be avoided because it weakens the vehicle’s steel frame. Honestly they were shocked that I had frame welded sliders. Anyways what do you think, are bolt on sliders or welded better?

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Welding doesn't weaken metal, bad welding does. So don't worry. I actually remember your truck, the BB sliders were not quite ready so Lance (being besties with Bud) asked for the lay out of slider and your's were made.

Separate of welding of bolting, sliders just need to distribute the weight properly. I know how you're are and you are good, so no worries.

The only issue with welding is that when you weld, the inside of the frame looses its protective coating. So for any weld on (of anything really), if a shop welds something to your frame, and doesn't paint the inside of the frame rail, it will rust. It will rust quickly and badly, and it will eventually fail from the inside out. As long as you can protect all side of a weld (and the whole, needs to be a good design and a good welder thing still applies) a weld on slider is no better or worse than a bolt on.

 

[odinskind]

Thanks really appreciate the incite. I didn't have any doubts regarding the quality of my sliders. IPOR is a great shop. It was just interesting to me that the shop manager here was so surprised.

 

[TomEf]

Lots and lots of voodoo, bad information, half-truths, and speculation out there about heat treatment and welding. Not in this thread, just in general. There are a handful of variables that can change everything, and we rarely know all of em while we're armchair engineering on the internet. One of these days I may need to borrow an XRF gun and roll underneath to find out a little more.

The corrosion point is important though:

The only issue with welding is that when you weld, the inside of the frame looses its protective coating.

 

[KLF]

I believe that can be welded on, as long as thought goes in to HOW they get attached. It would not work to just stick the standoff tubes against the rail and weld around them. Too much stress concentrated on a thin layer of metal. One good slam and they would just tear off and rip a hole in the frame.

I agonized about this back in 2006 when I was building the sliders for my '87 mini-truck. I was gonna try to make them bolt-on but it was a LOT more fabrication, and would involve drilling holes in the frame, or some complicated clamps. I ended up welding them to some 1/4" plates, which were welded to the frame in a diamond fashion, and a gusset plate above to additional strength. Then I heavily coated the inside of the frame with paint and eventually 90W and cosmoline.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I prefer bolt-on simply for maintenance purposes. Sliders get beat up, and it's a lot easier to re-sandblast & re-paint them when they are off the truck.

Bolt-on sliders can also be removed (and sold) when selling the vehicle in the future.

One downside to bolt-on is that the area between the slider and the frame will trap water and rust. Anyone with bolt-on sliders should spray some fluid film into those gaps every few months. This won't be an issue with weld-on sliders like in the above photo.

 

[studawg]

Anything welded to a frame would classify as "frame/unibody damage" or "frame alteration" in an auction and would reduce the value of the vehicle, so keep that in mind if you ever plan on trading it in.