Im going to start my Dakar project soon and the first thing on my list is (other than tires/wheels) is sliders. So what brand offers the best protection?
All-Pro
Trail-Gear
Rocky-Road
Any other names?

 

seems like it might be cheaper to have them made where you are instead of paying for shipping costs. There are plenty of different designs that have been posted for you to go by.
Just a thought...

 

I like making my own. Cheaper, and you can customize it to your preference. If you got a welder and one of those small floor jacks, you can make a tube bender.

 

This topic has been covered a lot but in my opinion - all sliders are basically the same.
The biggest thing to figure out is what type of tubing you are going to need/want.

HREW = cheaper/weaker
DOM = $$/stronger

I had the WabFab/Trail Gear sliders on my 3rd gen and they were plenty strong enough to use as an anchor for my Hi-Lift.
They didn't flex or give at all.

The only other differences I can think of are if you want to have no kickout, single kickout, or double kickout.

Having them custom made would probably be your best option - as long as you have a shop near you that could do it.

Search on here and see what you can find, this is has been discussed quite a bit IIRC. Good luck!

Fink

 

Another vote for making them yourself!

The cost of shipping alone, at least form teh States, will exceed the cost of materials, plus then you can get them exacty how you want.

Round tube is easy to bend and a slight bit cheaper... but square is stronger and much easier to weld pieces together.
IMO, go with sqaure, then you can cut/weld rather than having to bend anything. The tools are simple, just need a grinder, and but a cutoff wheel to fit in ot, use that for all the cuts, and a basic welder. Or find an "expert" to do it.

Really, teh most important part is to find a style you like, and go from there. Personally I like 4Crawler's double-rung/ladder style, with one rail just undert he pinch seam, and the other about 3" out from that, that's how I made mine.

The other thing to consider up front is attachment method - weld-on vs bolt-on...

 

I would absolutly love to make them myself but i dont have the equipment and neither does anyone in Belize. At least not "Proper" equipment. And i guess i will be using DOM sliders because i intend to do some hard wheeling when i complete my Dakar build.

 

[QUOTE=Belize Off Road Team;50942275] So what brand offers the best protection?
QUOTE]

What ever ones are mounted when you hit something I got trailgear's for a great price off E-bay w/ free shipping to boot.

 

4Crawler Ultimate

 

The best slider out there is the one that keeps the rocks out of the sheet metal. Period.

My advice is build your own, brace everywhere, gusset where you can and run with it.