I'm finally getting around to installing my TG sliders. I was taking measurements last night and was planning on doing it this wknd. I did not order the gusset kit. Has anyone welded just the legs to the frame? Or should I order the gussets and wait another week and bolt on the sliders? Thanks

 

I bought both and welded them on to the frame.

 

gussets or you will be sorry. make your own. nothing to it, but time, plate steel, and a way to cut it.

 

I got gussets for my sliders, but mine are also welded.

 

You want to scab plate the frame IMO for strength and to spread out the loading.

 

NO NO, don't do that. Yes, order the gussets or make your own but for about $20 the TG gussets are well worth the price.

My TG slider install thread:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f31/...nstall-100157/

 

Hey Dale, thanks for the link. I came accross that thread while I was searching for info this morning. I just was curious if welding the legs would work too, but I think I'm going to order the gussets. My price is $27 shipped. I've been calling for prices locally, and the approx cost for the steel I need is around $25 total, plus the work.

I think I'll just order them. Do they come with the hardware shown in your pic?

 

No hardware comes with them, but if you're welding them on you won't need any right?

 

Well...true, but I wanted to bolt them on.. Hmmmm. Do you remember what size hardware you used?

 

mt_goat are you bolting on your sliders?

 

Yeah I bolted mine on.

This pile of grade 8 hardware on the right is what I used, IIRC the small ones were 3/8" and the long ones that go through the frame are 7/16".

 

sorry for the hijack but,
mt_goat did you have trouble drilling holes in the frame? Did the body get in the way?

 

Yes, the body was in the way, especally the upper holes . I have a 1" body lift and it was still hard. I used a 90 degree drive drill and a very short (cut down) drill bit.

 

Dale, I got my TG gussets on Thurs. I began drilling holes into my frame today (bottom holes of gussets, not underneath). The holes already pre-drilled into the gussets are 1/2". I ended up using grade 5. I figured with 24 bolts holding the sliders from the side, plus 6 underneath, that would be ok. I got 24, 1/2" x 3 1/2", and 6, 1/2" x 1 1/2".

I know it's been a while since you installed yours, but anything different you'd recommend? I noticed in your install, you cut your gussets at the top to an angle and drilled 2 holes in a lower spot? Also, I see you only drilled the bottom holes all the way through the frame. And, lastly how do you get bolts in underneath the frame? I couldn't find any 1/2" self tapping screws.

What's kinda screwy on my gen truck is the frame bends in towards the front of the truck so I'll have to cut down the middle and rear slider leg.

Here's some pics: (sorry they are so large, POS photobucket kept making my pc crash while trying to resize)

 

1/2" bolts are a little too big, you want a little slop in the holes of the scab plates so you can get the bolts in place easier. I guess you can drill out the holes in the scab plates a little bigger than 1/2" if you want to use 1/2" bolts. You'll see what I mean when you start to bolt on the sliders hehe. You may need to move a few holes sideways slightly, I hate moving holes LOL.

Is this what you're refering to?


I cut the top of that plate so it would fit into that spot on the frame, it wouldn't fit there without cutting the plate down at the top.

I drilled the top holes lower just because I couldn't get the drill to fit any higher, the clearance for drilling is very tight for those upper holes. That's one reason I didn't go all the way though the frame for the upper bolts. Another reason is those upper bolts really only see stress from downward forces, like when someone is standing on the sliders. Usually the main forces on sliders are upward forces like when you slam down on a rock with the weight of the truck. In those cases the lower bolts are the ones seeing most of the tensile stress. The upper bolts would only see a little shear stress with upward hits to the sliders. A degree in ME helps for understanding that point. Another reason is there are brake and fuel lines in the way for the upper bolts if you go all the way through.

I couldn't find any big self tapping bolts either, so I did it the old fashion way, I used a real tap. NOTE: When you drill a hole you want to tap you need to use the size drill bit printed on the side of the tap.

Mine did that too.

 

I see what you mean. Luckily for me, I won't have to do that. Phew!!

Right, that makes sense. I'll just have to see how I can bolt them up then. What I did was use a step drill from the outside of the frame, then used a small drill bit just long enough to go through the other side and adjust the hole from the inside of the frame with the step drill again. So far, they are all aligning pretty nicely. Just gotta figure out bolting underneath. Thanks for the help! I'll post some more pics as I progress.

 

Alright, all done. I didn't have a chance to work on them til Fri, but now they are done, painted and mounted. I used Rustoleum hammered finish in black.

Sizing them up.


I cut the pinchweld and bent them back so the legs would have room.


Homie tacking them up before we pull them to weld them.


Took a shot with them tacked on.


All done. Side shot.


Still gotta bolt the bottom bolts in. But everything's already drilled. You can't see the top, but I used 3/8".





I think the angle came out to be about 23-25 degrees.

 

Excellent! You're going to love the extra security. I just did my first paint touch up to mine as well as my rear bumper and WOW were they ever worth it. Really put it into perspective just how much crap I've dragged across on the trails the past few months.

 

How do you rust proof the holes in the frame?

Does the bottom bolt thread directly into the frame?

 

It's not rust proofed, I don't have much of a rust problem here in Oklahoma.

Yes the bottom bolt is just threaded into the frame (I drilled and tapped it) there are only a couple threads to grab so its important not to over torque the bolts. Those bottom bolts are primarly in sheer stress (side loading) so really those bolts act like a sheer pin (real sheer pins don't even have threads, think hitch pin for a receiver hitch).