Question For those who have had rock sliders installed on th

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USMCPathfinder
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Question For those who have had rock sliders installed on th

Postby USMCPathfinder » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:25 pm

For those who have had rock sliders installed on their rigs...did you guys opt for the bolt on or direct welding styles? I'm in the process of building my own sliders and was wondering what y'all have been putting on your pathfinders.


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NVSteve
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Postby NVSteve » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:01 pm

Mine's a bolt on, but it's still more than strong enough to be used for a high lift/jack.

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Postby Gray » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:22 pm

What size of bolts are those Steve and are they a grade 8 or similar high tensile strength?

I imagine it depends on the application and how strong you need the connection, but as another option I recall seeing some slider installations with clamps going right around the frame in about three or four places. Personally I wouldn't have any welding done or extra holes drilled on a frame.

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NVSteve
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Postby NVSteve » Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:03 pm

Greybrick wrote:What size of bolts are those Steve and are they a grade 8 or similar high tensile strength?
I'm not sure. I have yet to crawl underneath and have a look at them, but I'd imagine all the fasteners are pretty heavy duty. They don't say much about anything other than the sliders themselves at Rocky Road:

http://www.rocky-road.com/rockrail.html

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rragpaoa
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Postby rragpaoa » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:38 am

Mine are all bolt on.
Don't worry, the bolt-on are more than strong enough. I have a hi-lift jack and had tested my sliders with it. No problems.

At least with bolt-ons, you can replace them a lot easier. If you are installing sliders, chances are you will be off-roading some tougher terrain, chances are you will hit the sliders on some rocks, and chances are you will be praising yourself for getting the sliders, and have no problems replacing one if need be.

I'll post some pics tonight so you all can see.

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Postby socal4x » Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:20 pm

Bolted and Welded. (Shrockworks)

Super strong...Definitely a lifesaver since my Pathy isn't lifted that high. Will support high lift no problem.

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:24 pm

Back from the dead.

Has anyone verified how the sliders are mounted? Socal4x4 is excused because his are bolted and welded.

I ask because if they are using the stock mounting studs I'm not sure i would trust it much. But if they are bolted to the frame or somewhere else then...

I was under there today removing the stock side steps hence the question.

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Postby Fofiddy » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:52 am

What prompted their removal? A little crunch-crunch or trying to wife-proof the path? :wink:

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:46 am

Ehh, I was out yesterday finally putting on my rear mud guards/flaps/whatevers after having them sitting around for like a year. And I figured that was as good as a time as any to remove them. I had wanted to for a long time but laziness and the fact that both the wife and I use them (she when she gets in and I when messing with loads in the Yakima) deterred me.

That and I am really pushing hard to go to goneMOAB. Right now I'm only signed up for Green and Blue trails but I may try to toss in a Red run near the end if I had sliders on. Don't feel like crunching metal up on this just yet.

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Postby Fofiddy » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:21 am

Just get em. I Learned from my ZJ that side protection is cheaper than body damage. I got that thing beached weekly. Half the time we would have use some serious problem solving skills to break suction and come back looking like mud people.
If they made a slider that doubled as a step that didn't compromise ground clearance I'd be tempted.

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:59 am

Fofiddy wrote:Just get em.
What I'm worried about is getting the correct ones. Sliders that attach to the stock point I would hold no stock in. Those 6 little 1/4"-5/16" studs sticking through sheet metal per-side that I'm sure are not even Grade 5 much less 8 would bend/sheer under any significant load like falling down a few inches onto a rock.

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Postby NVSteve » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:06 am

For what it's worth, I'm attaching a few photos of my sliders. I raced to take these before the rain hit, and it was quite amusing sticking my camera underneath the car and screwing around with the live view (which shouldn't be on a dslr to begin with). Anyway, it was dark, so I had to use the flash & a couple of these are blown to hell because of it, but it will at least give you an idea.

Here's a pic of the oem plastic bars for reference:

Image

Here's one of the mounts on the new slider, which has 2 bolts instead of the 1 on the oem:

Image

This one shows (you might have to be imaginative considering the quality of the photo) the inner bar that runs behind the body, which is also bolted to the body:

Image

Another shot of the frame mount. You can see the thickness of the bar that is attached above the mount that is then attached to the body.

Image

Exterior shot showing the body bolts & nuts:

Image

Let me know if you have any other questions. It's easy enough for me to run outside and look at things if need be.

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:05 am

Nope, that should do it. Awesome pic's Steve and thank you much. Several connection points. Looks like it bolts to the frame at the front and rear using 4 total bolts, uses the stock runner studs as alignment guides/supports and then (I assume) you drill at-least 3 more holes through the pinch weld area for more mounting bolts that pull the back and front plates together and give additional support there.

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NVSteve
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Postby NVSteve » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:05 am

On a related note, does anyone know of some do-it-yourself type poly/rubber stuff one can mix up at home? My Thule bars have a fairly thick rubberish coating on them which is great for the elements. I'd like to have the same with the sliders. I know of many different types of modeling compounds, but am not familiar with much else. It would be great if I could just a container large enough for the slider, mix up something, then dump it in and let it set for a while. Even if I had to do it multiple times, it would be okay. I'd rather not have to brush something on. Or am I purely dreaming?

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:08 am

Hrmm, like the Tool-Dip stuff where you dip the handles in some sort of latex muck and it dries to a rubber finish? I haven't seen anything specifically that would leave any texture persay, but there's that tool dip stuff. You could use a spray can of the rubberized undercoating. Scuff the bars and that would yield a grippy surface also. Although I don't know for how long.


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