Sliders or Lift?

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Wow thank you for all the responses.

I believe the general consensus is to get the sliders first! I really like the price of the white knuckle sliders and everything I have read about them hints towards the product being just as durable as the bigger names.

Thanks for the pictures and it's great to know I will not have issues with the sliders without a lift. That will probably be my setup for a while as money is tight and I've gotten everywhere I ever needed to go before putting the bigger AT tires on, I can't even imagine the capabilities when I don't have to worry about caving in my rocker panel.

Also appreciate the info on the medium vs. heavy lift, heavy would probably be a little unnecessary for what I use my truck for (which is everything including DD)

Has anyone plasti-dipped their sliders?
 
2000 LC said:
I am planning for the first upgrade of my LC this summer and am deciding whether to do the 2.5 inch lift or get the sliders first.
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Prior to any mods, some might consider adding a 1" body lift. That way, your custom sliders (and bumpers) can accommodate and take full advantage of the body lift. Sure, body lift doesn't increase your minimum ground clearance but it does increase ground clearance under your rockers and allows you to get your spare tire up higher. IMO, rocker clearance on the 100 is one of the biggest limiting factors.

Going with a 2.5" lift has it's pitfalls too (i.e. increased suspension bushing wear, steering rack wear, inability to get caster into spec w/o aftermarket UCA's, leaky CV boots). In the long run, you might be happier with the lower, 1.5" suspension lift and a 1" body lift.

Just something to think about.
 
hoser said:
Prior to any mods, some might consider adding a 1" body lift. That way, your custom sliders (and bumpers) can accommodate and take full advantage of the body lift. Sure, body lift doesn't increase your minimum ground clearance but it does increase ground clearance under your rockers and allows you to get your spare tire up higher. IMO, rocker clearance on the 100 is one of the biggest limiting factors.

Going with a 2.5" lift has it's pitfalls too (i.e. increased suspension bushing wear, steering rack wear, inability to get caster into spec w/o aftermarket UCA's, leaky CV boots). In the long run, you might be happier with the lower, 1.5" suspension lift and a 1" body lift.

Just something to think about.
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Interesting thought about the body lift I'll have to look into that. Are there any adverse side-effects to installing only a body lift as opposed to only a suspension lift?
 
2000 LC-- Well, normally it's not one or the other but rather a combination of both... and suspension lift first. Folks start with 33's which tuck into the body fine. And then they might move up to 35's and do a body-lift for more clearance. But now there is a 1" gap between all the body panels and armor.

IMO, for longevity of front end components, try to keep the suspension lift to 2" or less.
 
A lift is going to create more maintenance, forcing more upgrades. A "lift" isn't just a lift, it's a entirely new part of your build.

Sliders are sliders, they protect the body and do not increase maintenance cost. If you can only afford one, I would not purchase something that will require more money immediately down the road (leaky CV's, alignments, worn ball joints, steering racks, diff drops, etc)
 
I pulled the trigger on Phil's low cost sliders. They are en route. I'm gonna combine them with some 265's, torsion bar crank and a new set of 275/70/18's. I think I'm about to be stylin'! ... Finally...


...via IH8MUD app
 
I'm actually with hoser on a mild body lift.

Sliders don't come without compromises. The weight alone will do the opposite of a lift and put your ride height down 1/2" or more right off the bat.

The body lift will put the body out of reach that much more, negating the likelyhood of body damage, with practically no cascading compromises.
 
If you don't need steps, Phil's low profile sliders sound like they'd be a great option for you. And they are a lot cheaper than the other options on the market, so maybe you'd be able to do both sliders and lift!
 
TeCKis300 said:
I'm actually with hoser on a mild body lift.

Sliders don't come without compromises. The weight alone will do the opposite of a lift and put your ride height down 1/2" or more right off the bat.

The body lift will put the body out of reach that much more, negating the likelyhood of body damage, with practically no cascading compromises.
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My sliders are under 200# for the pair, so the equivalent of one passenger. Not a big deal. Coming off an obstacle its really easy to roll the body into a rock. Sliders first.
 
TwiceWithHair said:
I pulled the trigger on Phil's low cost sliders. They are en route. I'm gonna combine them with some 265's, torsion bar crank and a new set of 275/70/18's. I think I'm about to be stylin'! ... Finally...


...via IH8MUD app
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Do you mean 865's? I'm planning to do the same after sliders (with OME shocks).
 
What are these "Phil's sliders" you guys are talking about? Maybe I've missed a product?
 
You won't lose half an inch with sliders. A pair weighs around 120lbs.

I can't see Phil's working well in the long term. You'd have to hit them just right to not hit the rocker panel. And usually when you're hitting your sliders, you're not perfectly lined up and ready for it.


...via IH8MUD app
 
I would call Phil's rub rails and not rock sliders. Great product but you have to know how to use them. For anyone new to wheeling who plans on using their rig, this would be the wrong product.
 
KlausVanWinkle said:
You won't lose half an inch with sliders. A pair weighs around 120lbs.
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I'm not exaggerating here. Copied from another thread where a member removed his:
cshill said:
Yeah, surprised me too. That was the reason for selling my OPOR and going with these. The 1" was in the front, I gained about a 1/2" at the rear.

My brother-in-law has OPOR on his 100. He didn't believe me either until we temporarily removed his. He gained about 3/4". BTW, he is waiting for Phil's run to ditch his OPORs.
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Not saying that sliders are not worth it. Depending on the OP's usage, it can be more than worth the weight and money. Just that adding weight itself is a compromise to so many other factors.
 
Adding 120lbs to a 5500lb truck is not really noticable. I think we all doubt the other members 1/2" claim, unless he was using OEM springs.

At some point when building a 100, you have to accept the crazy weight gains. My and many others trucks are about 1000lbs heavier than stock when loaded up. There are always stiffer springs.
 
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