Full Size Truck Sliders, Weld or Bolt On and Flatten Pinch Weld or Not?

[Ducky's Dad]

wanted to get the consensus from other full size rigs that weigh 7,000+ lbs.

OK. My PW is a 3G and weighs close to 8500 when loaded. I don't have sliders but I do have a set of N-Fab dropped nerf steps, which were originally mounted to the pinch welds (and only to the pinch welds), per N-Fab instructions. A few years ago I buried the truck up to the axles in the Arizona desert, and the nerfs were resting in the sand. Result was that the nerfs bowed out a little because of the mounts. Solution was to pull them off the truck and remount them with rivnuts through the inner brackets into the inside face of the rocker box sections, in addition to the original pinch weld mounts. This is how they should have been mounted in the first place, and now I am confident that I could lift the truck from the nerfs if necessary. Might bend the N-Fab stuff, but won't hurt the pinch welds.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

The PW frame is different from the regular 2500/3500 frame? That's the first time I've heard that.

Ram doesn't want you to drill or weld onto the hydroformed frame I've read.

There was a fair amount of discussion about this on DodgeTalk's PW forums back around 2005-2007. My PW is a 2005, and I think they started the full hydroformed frame with the 2006 model year (could be wrong, but that's what I remember). The Dodge factory sliders were available from the parts department of your local Dodge dealer, but they were always in short supply and then they went away completely. There was a vigorous secondary market for factory sliders for a few years, and the factory installation instructions were posted on DodgeTalk at least a couple of times. The factory sliders used only holes that were already in the PW frame from the factory, and there was some goofy spring thingy that came with them that allowed you to fish bolts and crush sleeves into those holes. Apparently it was such a pain in the *** that a lot of guys and shops took to just welding the sliders on.

 

[ripperj]

My only input would be a question, which is easier to fix if you mangle the sliders? I keep saying I’m going to replace my body mount factory steps with something better, but it never rises to the top of the list. I don’t need full blown sliders (I hope) ‘12 2500 Hemi with Alaskan on back


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[Dalko43]

There was a fair amount of discussion about this on DodgeTalk's PW forums back around 2005-2007. My PW is a 2005, and I think they started the full hydroformed frame with the 2006 model year (could be wrong, but that's what I remember). The Dodge factory sliders were available from the parts department of your local Dodge dealer, but they were always in short supply and then they went away completely. There was a vigorous secondary market for factory sliders for a few years, and the factory installation instructions were posted on DodgeTalk at least a couple of times. The factory sliders used only holes that were already in the PW frame from the factory, and there was some goofy spring thingy that came with them that allowed you to fish bolts and crush sleeves into those holes. Apparently it was such a pain in the *** that a lot of guys and shops took to just welding the sliders on.

I'm not so familiar with the 2005-2007 era trucks, but the 4th gen's (2013 on) all seem to share the same frame with the PW (at least that's according to everything I've read and heard).

 

[ericvs]

That's one thing I've always wondered about White Knuckle's Ram 2500/3500 sliders. Everyone seems to think that their quality is great, but I've heard some people question if they will stay in place (when used as intended) due to how they are bolted to the frame. The Ram 2500 is a much heavier platform though. At the very least, the slider should be capable of supporting part of the vehicle's weight when lifted with a hi-lift. But I don't know who has actually done that with a Ram 2500/3500.

I have the white knuckle sliders and would say they are pretty nice quality. I have also lifted the rear corner of my truck (2500 cummins) with a high lift using the sliders only. They aren't going anywhere. That being said, I have not used them as a rock slider yet, but I still don't think they would move. I really didn't want to weld anything to my frame, and like you said they are pretty much the only commercial option, but I am 100% happy with them.

My only complaint is randomly they squeak and make a horrible noise, once I think I got it solved, it comes back.

The 2nd clamp from the front, drivers side on mine just contacts the underside of the cab enough to make this sound. All the other ones have lots of clearance. As a test, I removed just that one clamp and the noise went away, so I know it is that one only.

I vote bolt and leave the pinch weld.

 

[EasyDoesIt18]

Thanks for all the feedback, after all this research into bolting/welding I'm going to go with the Randy Ellis Sleekster Sliders that mount to the body at the pinchweld and door rocker panel. These seem to give the best clearance out of any manufactured or built slider.

I'd love to make similar sliders to the Sleeksters but I dont have that level of expertise and doubt the fit would be nearly as clean.

Link to the sliders... http://www.randyellisdesign.com/DodgeCrewCabRockSlidersBodyArmor Best of all they are located in Phoenix and I drive down there for work a couple times a month.

Few pics from there FB page of them on a PW.

 

[mikekey]

Have fun when those bend into your door or tear off your Power Wagon if you attempt any real wheeling. I don't know anyone who runs Randy Ellis sliders. Those are not real sliders. They are POSER sliders.

Congrats on being the first guy other than Randy.

 

[EasyDoesIt18]

Have fun when those bend into your door or tear off your Power Wagon if you attempt any real wheeling. I don't know anyone who runs Randy Ellis sliders. Those are not real sliders. They are POSER sliders.

Congrats on being the first guy other than Randy.

View attachment 433648

To be clear, the red PW is not mine.

Hey take it easy, why all the hostility?

I'm stopping by the shop to look at them next week. If they are thin, flimsy and wont support some rocks slams than I'll go another direction. You say yourself you've never seen anyone run them so how can you be certain they wont hold up?

Whats your concern, is it because they mount to the body and not the frame, the thickness of the material, or?

 

[Dalko43]

Whats your concern, is it because they mount to the body and not the frame, the thickness of the material, or?

Not that I condone the tone of the post you're responding to, but I do think he has a point. The Randy Ellis rocker panel protectors may look like sliders, but being as they are attached to the truck's body, and not the frame, I do not think they will afford the same level of protection as a true slider setup which bolts to the frame. Any serious hit to those rocker panel protectors could still dent or deform the body itself, at least in theory (I'm not sure if anyone has put Randy Ellis' stuff to the test). I do believe you also have to drill into the body in order to mount them. They probably would be adequate for occasion scrapes with rocks and tree branches. I don't know if I'd use them as a jack point though.

All that said, some protection is better than none. I'd certainly opt for Randy's stuff over some low-cost side-steps or nerf bars.

 

[Buliwyf]

Just take it easy and don't hit the sliders hard on anything. These things ain't Jeep YJ's where you can slam the belly pan on anything you want to. Even the cheap Westin HDX stuff is better than nothing. It goes "PING" when you bump it.. Back up and try again.

I've seen plenty of frames bent from quality sliders. Frames are soft, high strength, easy to form steel. It's not super rigid to hard wacks on big old, long, steel levers. Heck, I think all 3 manufacturers use hydroforming now. They basically put tube in a mandrel, and inflate it with hydraulic fluid to shape the tube.

You can't trust any slider to hard hits with 8000#'s resting on 2 feet of leverage. 16,000# will bend a frame like a twig. I'd love to see some youtube videos of the hardcore sliders. Maybe if a slider reached all the way across the frame and cradled it like a YJ pan, it could work and be able to hold or lift the truck without applying torque to the surface of the frame. I haven't seen anything like that on a truck ever.

 

[Dalko43]

There are some videos of 3/4 tons putting the white knuckle sliders to the test. I agree those trucks aren’t ideal for taking the same kind of hits that jeep and rock buggies can take, but I also think you’re underselling the engineering and robustness behind the 3/4 ton frame.

Unless you’re hammering on those things day in and day out, I doubt they’re going to deform with occasional slider use.


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[sid325]

I've been seriously considering a set of the White Knuckle sliders, but have a concern. Please tell me if it's a nonissue. Hypothetical, would getting hit, side impact, from another vehicle cause more or less damage with sliders. The frame talk above got me thinking. Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[O.R.T.]

White Knuckle Sliders hands down. I've seen them on 2500's in use and coming from having Marlin Crawler armor on my 4Runner I can say I would run them on my 1500 if I wanted to play in stuff with an IFS Ram. DOO EEET>

 

[Buliwyf]

I've been seriously considering a set of the White Knuckle sliders, but have a concern. Please tell me if it's a nonissue. Hypothetical, would getting hit, side impact, from another vehicle cause more or less damage with sliders. The frame talk above got me thinking. Thoughts?

Thanks

Likely both. You might be safer. Doors might survive better. You can kiss your frame goodbye.

 

[mikekey]

Anetedocale, but a regular to PWIM was sideswiped by a Dodge Intrepid this fall and got very little damage, but the other car got a jacked up fender.