Trail gear DIY slider - Anyone give it a go on the GX460?

[TheNomad]

Anyone try these $300 kits where the weld and fit is DIY?
I have a welder, questionable judgement, and the youtubz so I'm practically a pro!
The GX crowd seems to lean towards buying parts but I like the DIY challenge. This kit is basically what the cost of steel is right now and its already bent up and partly done

Weld-On Rock Sliders

Weld-On Rock Sliders

trail-gear.com

 

[Tanaman]

I have never done it but I think you should and document it for the rest of us to see and follow along

 

[WTITW]

I too have access to a welder and questionable judgement. Following.

 

[r2m]

I designed and built a very extensive rack for my first overlander, including hoops for the round off-road lights, etc. Designed it all in CAD, scratched it out on the garage floor, bent all tubing myself with my JD Squared tube bender (JD2. Tube and Pipe Benders - https://www.jd2.com/benders ) and then just tacked it all together with my MIG welder.
After I had it all tacked together, I took it to a local off-road fabrication shop to do all the round tubing welds really nice.
Welding a nice bead of dimes around tubing is not easy.

So the short story is, get the kit, tack it all together so it fits and all, then find a local fabrication shop to do all the finish welding. That should still be cheaper than purchasing bolt-on ready sliders.

 

[TheNomad]

I have a 110 welder so I figured I'd hit up a local guy I know after tacking it up.
Grind and paint cause a welder I aint!

 

[TheNomad]

That's awesome that you have a bender like that. Looks "fun"

 

[Bang Bang]

I too have access to a welder and questionable judgement. Following.

Doesn't that describe the majority of us here?.........well, at least the questionable judgement part.........

 

[Rednexus]

A few thoughts on weld-on sliders:

1. Those sliders don't appear to include a frame plate. You generally want some kind of a large bearing surface to spread the load out across the side of the frame. The frame is only ~1/8" thick on these trucks so you can pretty easily bend it without the plate. You'll need to add (and cut) some 3/16-1/4" steel plate to get these sliders finished.
2. Actual welding of the slider is not that bad. I'd have no qualms knocking out a set of siders with a 110V MIG or even flux core welder if you don't mind a bit more cleanup. If you are going to tack them up you might as well finish them and hone your welding skills.
3. Weld-on sliders are just about permanent. Taking them of is not going to be easy without scarring your frame pretty bad. So if you mangle one on a rock....get T-boned....or just want to re-paint them....it's not going to be easy. I prefer bolt-on for all of these reasons, they are just as strong and it's possible to remove them when needed.
4. I got a pair of All-Pro siders for a 5th gen T4R and used them on my GX470 for $700 shipped last year from Summit Racing. They are $800 now. I really like them...and they are bolt-on and have massive 1/4" steel frame plates. By the time you buy a DIY kit, the 1/4" steel frame plates, and welding supplies (or pay to get it welded), you aren't THAT far off from a set of pre-built sliders that have things like a tree kicker, solid top plate, DOM external tubing, etc.

If you do want to go DIY this kit seems a lot more complete, probably won't require any cutting, and has pretty much everything that a prebuilt set of sliders has:

Kickout Rock Slider Weld-Together Kit - Coastal Offroad

This is a DIY weld-together rock slider kit that is available in 65", 68" and 71" lengths. The 65" length fits the 1st-3rd gen 4Runner, 1st gen single cab Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, 1st-2nd gen Nissan Xterra and R50 Nissan Pathfinder. The 68" length fits the 4th-5th gen 4Runner, 80-series Land Cruiser...

www.coastaloffroad.com

EDIT: Others can confirm, but I am pretty sure 5th gen T4R rock sliders should bolt right up to your GX460. If you do go bolt-on (or even weld-on) that really opens up a lot of options. The 150 series platform vehicles have a ton of threaded holes on the side of the frame that a perfect for adding sliders. I had to install a bunch of rivet nuts in my frame to get it the 150-series sliders to bolt up.

 

[r2m]

A few thoughts on weld-on sliders:

1. Those sliders don't appear to include a frame plate. You generally want some kind of a large bearing surface to spread the load out across the side of the frame. The frame is only ~1/8" thick on these trucks so you can pretty easily bend it without the plate. You'll need to add (and cut) some 3/16-1/4" steel plate to get these sliders finished.
2. Actual welding of the slider is not that bad. I'd have no qualms knocking out a set of siders with a 110V MIG or even flux core welder if you don't mind a bit more cleanup. If you are going to tack them up you might as well finish them and hone your welding skills.
3. Weld-on sliders are just about permanent. Taking them of is not going to be easy without scarring your frame pretty bad. So if you mangle one on a rock....get T-boned....or just want to re-paint them....it's not going to be easy. I prefer bolt-on for all of these reasons, they are just as strong and it's possible to remove them when needed.
4. I got a pair of All-Pro siders for a 5th gen T4R and used them on my GX470 for $700 shipped last year from Summit Racing. They are $800 now. I really like them...and they are bolt-on and have massive 1/4" steel frame plates. By the time you buy a DIY kit, the 1/4" steel frame plates, and welding supplies (or pay to get it welded), you aren't THAT far off from a set of pre-built sliders that have things like a tree kicker, solid top plate, DOM external tubing, etc.

If you do want to go DIY this kit seems a lot more complete, probably won't require any cutting, and has pretty much everything that a prebuilt set of sliders has:

Kickout Rock Slider Weld-Together Kit - Coastal Offroad

This is a DIY weld-together rock slider kit that is available in 65", 68" and 71" lengths. The 65" length fits the 1st-3rd gen 4Runner, 1st gen single cab Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, 1st-2nd gen Nissan Xterra and R50 Nissan Pathfinder. The 68" length fits the 4th-5th gen 4Runner, 80-series Land Cruiser...

www.coastaloffroad.com

One more point to add toy our post about weld-on sliders, if you do, make sure you disconnect you car battery!
Don't weld with your battery connected. There's always a possibility of shorting something out.
The above caution is only for any type of electrical welding. If you're just using gas, just be careful you don't catch anything on fire!

 

[r2m]

That's awesome that you have a bender like that. Looks "fun"

Haven't had to use it some years, but that bender is really handy. I have dies for 2" and 1" tubing. I'd like to get dies for 1.5", 1.75" tubing, but don't have a project to justify the cost right now.

And regarding Rednexus comment about just doing all the welding yourself to hone your skills, personally, that's fine and all, but myself, I'd rather have someone else do a really nice job of it if it's going on my Lexus and have it look good. Save the practice for scrap metal or projects no one else will see.

 

[Rednexus]

One more point to add toy our post about weld-on sliders, if you do, make sure you disconnect you car battery!
Don't weld with your battery connected. There's always a possibility of shorting something out.
The above caution is only for any type of electrical welding. If you're just using gas, just be careful you don't catch anything on fire!

I've forgotten that and welded on my Lexus at least half a dozen times and have gotten really, really lucky! Next time it's getting disconnected. I also have some nice new scars on my arms from molten metal beads burning right through my hoodie when welding underneath it! Since then I dropped $100 on a real welding jacket .

FYI - regarding how welding looks - it's not that hard to pick up with some practice. I took welding classes 20 years ago in HS and picked it right back up with a $200 HF flux core, after some practice welding. I would, however, not recommend, trying a set of sliders as a first DIY welding project. But with some base practice it would be very doable.

 

[r2m]

I've forgotten that and welded on my Lexus at least half a dozen times and have gotten really, really lucky! Next time it's getting disconnected. I also have some nice new scars on my arms from molten metal beads burning right through my hoodie when welding underneath it! Since then I dropped $100 on a real welding jacket .

FYI - regarding how welding looks - it's not that hard to pick up with some practice. I took welding classes 20 years ago in HS and picked it right back up with a $200 HF flux core, after some practice welding. I would, however, not recommend, trying a set of sliders as a first DIY welding project. But with some base practice it would be very doable.

Ha-ha-ha! I too get little dot burns and and sun burn from welding in short sleeve shirts and shorts!
I have good welding gauntlets that help.

Regarding how the finished weld looks, yeah, one can always grind to finish, but MIG welders, which I call "splatter welders" make such a mess, and I like the look of a nice row of dimes weld around a tube.
I too had welding in High School, about 45 years ago when they used to have real shop classes! We learned with acetylene/O2, arc and some brazing. There wasn't any MIG, TIG or anything like that back then.

 

[Rednexus]

We first learned how to weld with 6011's on the old red Lincoln Electric stick welders that looked like a tombstone, and cutting with oxy-acetylene. Plus brazing, and then onto MIG and plasma cutting. TIG of course looks great, although most pre-built sliders have just a pretty basic MIG bead everywhere (my All-Pros certainly do!).

 

[jiggletits]

I'd like to find a set of pre-fabbed weld on sliders that don't have the bumpout, let us know how they fit if you do. Bumpouts don't do anything and they always stick out too far / look like a dildo.

That being said, rattle-can painting your sliders is the way to go if you actually use them, and it's easy to touch them u.p. They WILL get scratched and dinged. That is what they are for. Not sure why anyone sells them powdercoated. Powdercoating just gets destroyed, then look like s*** after you rattle can paint them to cover it up.

 

[Rednexus]

Bumpouts make a really nice place to stand and access stuff on the roof of the GX. I used mine all the time when putting a bike on the roof, washing the roof, etc. My sliders have yet to actually hit anything while off-roading....years of wheeling in a low Subaru taught me to pick good lines .

FYI I rattle canned mine (VHT epoxy plus bedliner on the tops) and they started chipping within months from stuff the front tires kick up. I coated the bottoms in Woolwax to keep them from rusting. Perhaps next year I'll pull them off and touch them up again. They'll get pretty chewed up no matter what you do.

 

[TheNomad]

I may just take it on. But yes, the cost plus cost of bolt on plates, brings it pretty high. I'm not going to bash around on these things as that's just not my normal trail experience, or desire. I'll see what I can do

 

[re_guderian]

I've always touched up my powder coated sliders with rattle can bed liner. Looks good enough until next time!

 

[TheNomad]

So I have an opportunity... What'd you say to a 2" diameter .120 thickness slider bar?
Simple shape, no kickout needed. I've not seendiameter comparison it in person but think it'd be close enough to 1.75" that everyone uses so as not to matter.
Not talking the massive 3" nerf steps or predator aluminum bars...

Simple design, tucked up, horizontal, or 15deg minor angle, with grip tape on the top and bedliner/spray.

Think it'd look any different than most other simple 1.75" designs? Significantly weaker at that diameter? (I'm not rock crawling, just preventing worst case damage)
I may give it a shot. For the "science" of it.

 

[r2m]

So I have an opportunity... What'd you say to a 2" diameter .120 thickness slider bar?
Simple shape, no kickout needed. I've not seendiameter comparison it in person but think it'd be close enough to 1.75" that everyone uses so as not to matter.
Not talking the massive 3" nerf steps or predator aluminum bars...

Simple design, tucked up, horizontal, or 15deg minor angle, with grip tape on the top and bedliner/spray.

Think it'd look any different than most other simple 1.75" designs? Significantly weaker at that diameter? (I'm not rock crawling, just preventing worst case damage)
I may give it a shot. For the "science" of it.

Hummm... If you can, get a short length of that 2" tubing, hold it up to your rocker panels, stand back and take some pictures. Then compare them to some of the rigs on this forum.
Personally I think it would work fine.
Remember you can also use rectangle tubing if you want a lower profile but some width.
Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

3" wide x 1" high, 1/8" wall thickness.

 

[TheNomad]

Yes, I've thought that while the design using round tube that sticks out is ubiquitous and good for "using" to pivot on rocks or trees, the use I'd have would be from breakover issues and the occasional dropping off a rock and wobbling to the side into a rock. I've thought a rectangular "running board" style would probably be fine, with just a little extension past bodyline for mild "just in case" scenarios. (socal rocky deserts). Simpler design as well.
My idea is still cheaper than that... for now.
But that may be the next iteration.