Mounting Rock sliders advice

[tbar]

i'm going to mount my rear bumper and rock sliders this weekend , that i had a friend build for me.
i need some advice on the sliders , is it better to weld them on or bolt them on? im putting them on a 2001 tacoma ext cab
or does it really matter?
thanks

 

[Outdoor Logic]

It is really a personal preference, I myself would weld them on as it will be rock-solid and can be cut off if need be.

 

[mkitchen]

I go for the welding

Sliders are an important part of an off road vehicle. You will use it to jack it up, slide off of rocks or around them and keep the trees and rocks off the body. Welding is much stronger. I also like mine to be out far enough that if the truck is leaning towards something, the slider will still protect you.
Mikey

 

[Newtac11]

I wrestled this a few weeks ago myself...
I decided to bolt on, but also added a few bolts for strength. I just liked the idea of it being a bit easier to remove if it was damaged, or I was going to have them re-powdercoated. I also used countersunk bolts on the bottom so something large would not hang while sliding along the mount/frame.

The rails I used were:
http://www.allprooffroad.com/05tacomatrailarmor/05tacomarocksliders
They have a rather large mounting plate attached, so I don't know if this is useful to ya...

 

[cruiseroutfit]

After a few years on Utah's salty winter roads and salty desert environs... I can promise you weld-on sliders can come of faster with a sawzall than fighting a bunch of bolts I had my sliders re-powdercoated after 3 years of abuse, took me literally 5 minutes to have them off, a clean flush cut right against my scab plates using a sawzall. Powder-coated them, prepped the end of each with the flapwheel, flapwheeled the frame mounts and they were back on in an hour, about the same time it takes to mount and align bolt-on. Pick your poison.

There is a vast variance with some of the bolt-on sliders, some are plenty robust (Slee's bolt on for example) and others are weak at best, relying on attachments at the body to keep the sliders from tweaking. You pay for what you get and the same goes for building your own, the extra time spent building a braced bracket versus a flat plate with a couple holes at the end of each kicker will be worth it in the end.

 

[keezer37]

I happen to have mine off right now for springtime maintenance. As a reference, if you go bolt on, here is what Demello uses: Grade 5 bolts, flat washers, nylock nuts and backing plates for the vertical mounts.

 

[zidaro]

Im a fan of weld-on, but if i had to have a set of bolt-on's, i would add a weldbead along the bottomside of the mounts down the framerail that could easily be ground off if removal was necessary.

 

[Tim A]

I don't know how to weld so I went with CBI's bolt on HREW sliders. It was a pain to drill the frame holes and get them mounted the first time, but after a couple removals/re-installations I have it down to a quick job. Also, they are very sturdy for jacking up one side of the truck.

 

[rsbmg]

I wouldn't consider strength in your decsion. bolt on or weld makes little if any difference in the grand scheme of what you are asking the sliders to do. The design of the slider itself will fail long before you see any difference between how you attached them to your frame.

 

[Cody1771]

bolt on can be just as strong as welded if done right, i baught my sliders from a guy that used them for agressive rock crawling, bolt on, no issues at all and he beat on them real good. the gas tank skid plate is a testemony to that

 

[keezer37]

Aside from using the proper hardware when bolting on, if welding, you should ensure good penetration. Both of these are safety considerations especially if you are using the sliders for lifting the vehicle. Something I no longer do unless I have no other option.

A good penetrating weld will hold under stress even when bent 180 degrees.

Like this:sombrero: