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

[mikekey]

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.

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

Doesn't your signature say you have an F250 ??

Tell us more about what frame mounted sliders cannot handle...

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?

I abuse my truck, organize and event for Power Wagon owners, and hate when you see some dude spouting nonsense in a thread. But it looked like you might of been swayed by that nonsense.

If the tone was hostile, then I'm sorry. I'm hear to share experince/knowledge. I run my truck. I'm around people who run these trucks. I've done a lot of testing.

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As for those "rock rails"

The real problem with them is yes, they're thin, but they don't offer true protection the on that bottom edge. The design is a little misleading. It's been discussed a lot on the Registary and the FB group. These are suitable for side swipes and dings. But not for sliding down anything. If you put a hard enough hit into one, or drop on one, there is the possiblity of serious damage to the lower rocker panel.

Most of us have just avoided anything mounted to the pinch seam/rocker panel.

I'm not trying to "self promote" but I just posted a video to my build thread today, and I go over my white knuckle sliders, show some of my wheeling clips abusing them. I've dropped the whole weight of my truck onto my frame mounted sliders. They aren't bent, my truck isn't damaged and my frame is fine.

If you want to do obstacles or anything legit then, a real solid frame mounted slider is the way to go, IMO.

Take it or leave it, just here to share.

 

[mikekey]

If you want to ask other PW owners, and not random Ford dudes, you can find some of us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/offroadpowerwagon/

Good luck in your shopping.

 

[EasyDoesIt18]

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.

I hear the concerns on body mounted but there are plenty of other vehicles that run body & pinch weld mounted sliders. Granted they aren't 8,500lb trucks but I'm also not going to be beating the **** out of this truck like I might a jeep or tacoma.

I plan to put whichever rock sliders I get to the test but my tests and other peoples tests vary drastically. If after I see the Randy Ellis sliders in person and think they will survive my tests and an occasional hi-lift, then I'll get them. If not than I'll go back to building ones similar to the tried and true White Knuckles.

Either way I'm building my truck for the trails and my driving style, I try not to lose site of that fact that this is a 3/4 truck, not a rock buggy.

I really do appreciate all the input from everyone, this is why I asked the question. I'm not trying to get in a pissing match with anyone. Alll I'll say is different strokes for different folks.

I'm registered for PW in Moab, very much looking forward to it and will have some sort of rock sliders by the time the event starts.

Steve

BTW, I found a smoking deal on some 37" Nittos with full replacement warranty so I pulled the trigger a lot earlier than I planned...

 

[EasyDoesIt18]

If you want to ask other PW owners, and not random Ford dudes, you can find some of us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/offroadpowerwagon/

Good luck in your shopping.

Thanks in part to your help, I just got registered at PW Registry, I'll be posting a build and question over there as well.

Also curious what you voted for regarding weld, bolt, pinch weld flatten or?

 

[Buliwyf]

Got any vids of hitting them?

If you're confident jacking an 7000#, or wahtever, truck on with them, that's pretty impressive. We've bent frames doing less.

 

[mikekey]

Either way I'm building my truck for the trails and my driving style, I try not to lose site of that fact that this is a 3/4 truck, not a rock buggy.

I tell that to everyone. Your needs should dictate your build. A lot of guys run out and start throwing on tires and lifts without even knowing what their truck is capable of stock. Or what their mission/use will be.

I've done a lot of things in a stock wagon on 33's you might have thought only a "Jeep" was capable of.

Personally, I think the Wagon is the most capable full-size in stock trim you can buy and go wheel.

I

I'm registered for PW in Moab, very much looking forward to it and will have some sort of rock sliders by the time the event starts.

If you get them, we'll undoubtedly test them in Moab.

With those 37's you'll find your less likely to ********** things, however. I hit the sliders a lot more on the 35's than I do now.

 

[Wirebrush]

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

A couple years ago I saw pics posted somewhere that showed a Ram with frame mounted sliders that saved a lot of damage when he got T boned by a small sedan. It was what convinced me I really needed a set.
Here's a pic of mine supporting the weight of the truck. They paid for themselves a couple weeks after getting them on when I unknowingly dislodged a huge rock from the uphill side of a trail and had it roll down into the side of the truck. It would have caved in the back corner of the cab and the front corner of the bed. Instead I just had to get the Line-x touched up.



I give up. IDK why the pic is flipped.

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

I think you jacked it up too far and flipped your truck over!

A couple years ago I saw pics posted somewhere that showed a Ram with frame mounted sliders that saved a lot of damage when he got T boned by a small sedan. It was what convinced me I really needed a set.
Here's a pic of mine supporting the weight of the truck. They paid for themselves a couple weeks after getting them on when I unknowingly dislodged a huge rock from the uphill side of a trail and had it roll down into the side of the truck. It would have caved in the back corner of the cab and the front corner of the bed. Instead I just had to get the Line-x touched up.
View attachment 433749

 

[Ouiwee]

Here is what I did.
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The sliders have interior 2"x3" square tube bolted to the frame that aligns with the exterior. The exterior bolts to the frame as seen above and there are 2 angle iron braces at the bottom (just below the fuel tank strap) that form a triangular shape. The bottom of the slider has 1/4" 7075 aluminum plating.

 

[EasyDoesIt18]

I stopped by Randy Ellis to check out the sleekster rock sliders. The fit and finish is very nice, they are clean and look great. I suspect they would hold up well sliding over dirt and gravel but not convinced they would take a good boulder hit and walk away unscathed. More importantly I'm not sure Id trust them to protect the body, which is the whole point.

• The material is only 10awg steel (9/64"), I'd think you would need at least 3/16" to protect the truck.
• Its bolted through the pinchweld at the bottom and I'd prefer it to protect the pinchweld or atleast have a lip that goes under the pinchweld.

So it looks like i'm back to building some white knuckle knockoffs.

A couple shots of the Randy Ellis Sliders

 

[EasyDoesIt18]

Here is what I did.
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The sliders have interior 2"x3" square tube bolted to the frame that aligns with the exterior. The exterior bolts to the frame as seen above and there are 2 angle iron braces at the bottom (just below the fuel tank strap) that form a triangular shape. The bottom of the slider has 1/4" 7075 aluminum plating.

Those look nice. I'm not a big fan of the mesh but overall they look very well built.

 

[TommyG]

I don't think you will be disappointed. I looked really hard at the Randy Ellis setup when I got my Wagon too along with Aluminess. I have yet to regret having the beefier setup.