I was looking at designs for rock sliders / rocker protection and the like, and I went to measuring my truck to make a set. I didnt realize how far down the body is compared to the frame. It looks like most of the kits are for a truck with a body lift. How did you guys mount rock sliders without a body lift? I am not a fan of body lifts and will try to make some without one. I have a stick of 3x3 square tubing laying around and was consdiering using that for sliders but it maybe too large. I had a scrap piece of 1 1/2 inch 1/4 thick square tubing and was interested in possibly useing that since it is small and durable. I could use round tubing, but would like to use square to match the rest of my armor i am making. Just trying to make a game plan on sliders, they are easy enoguh but getting it from the frame out is looking harder for non lifted trucks. If anyone has pics to share, that woudl be awesome.

 

i am in the process in putting some on my stock 4runner, i took me a day of fabing to get the angle and everything to line up, u just have to angle them right to make them work. ill put pics up fri? i think.

 

I built mine out of 2x2x.120 square. They are plenty strong. 3x3 is huge. 1/4" is way too thick. Here is my build thread. I also built a set out of 1.75"x1.75"x.120 sq for my son's Xterra. It sits lower and he has dropped on them many times without damage. In hindsight I like the 2x2 over the 1.75".

 

I am wondering if there is a differnce betwen 1gen and the later 4runners, with frame to body hieght. It looks like you have a bit more room to get to the frame, but i havnt measured for a 2x2 square piece. Looks Good!

 

Could be. The 2x2 is almost flush with the bottom of my frame. My 4runner is a 3rd gen w/o a body lift.

 

1.5" square off the frame and 2" square for the bars works well:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/RockSliderZ.shtml

 

I defiantely want to bolt mine on also. I remember pulling your site up doing some searchs. Is the outer tube used more for a step or for protection? I was pictureing just the single tube under the rocker pinch weld, but then i got to thinking bout maybe the sides of the truck getting bashed. I really do not need steps, i took the old aluminum running boards off because they were a PIA when i tried to get in th etruck , i never used them and always seemed to hit my ankle on the stupid things

 

The inner tube basically protects the bottom side of the rocker panels and the outer tube helps protect the side of the truck. Also makes a nice step and a good place to put a HiLift jack on:

 

Thanks. I will have to go back and see what i ahve for supplies. I am not near the truck is the Toyota frame boxed or C Channel?

 

Boxed:

 

A lot of people (myself included) will notch sections of the pinch weld for a bit more clearance.

Keep in mind that almost every slider out there will have a bit of flex upon impact, and your body will move on it's bushings as well... so leave yourself some room for movement.

 

I did not notch my pinch weld but I did leave 3/8" between the weld and the sliders.

 

4Crawler, did you sleeve the frame? I may now just weld the sliders, i hate drilling through square tubing, i never seem to get it to go throguh straight, it is always off Since i am using a stick welder I will have to bend an electrode to get to the top of the monut to weld it up. How large of a fishplate is standard to keep the stress over a larger area of the frame?

 

Several choices, one is to use a threaded pipe into the bracket, trim the length to just span the inside of the frame:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...wTo.shtml#Tech

Note, I just sleeve the lower bolt boles:


Or I used a through sleeve, cut tube to match the thickness of the frame and welded it in place.

 

HHMMM interesting idea. So you could drill the outer hole larger than the inside one, so the pipe will fit in when the bracket is pushed to the frame, and tighten it down so the outer frame willstop on that inner pipe without further collapsing when tightened. My main thing is still getting the drill to go straight across and line up properly to both sides

 

Most sliders I've seen and installed are 0.120 wall HREW or DOM. 3x3x1/4 is overkill and too heavy.

I use a slat from a privacy fence (1/2 thick or so) to keep the sliders off the pinch weld when tacking them up to keep the spacing even.

Scab plates on the frame should be diamond shaped relative to the frame about 3x3 and welded on.

Lot less up front work to weld sliders on that bolt on...but different strokes for different folks.

Cheaper to buy a set than build them yourself these days with all the options available but nothing like building your own either.

 

with round tubing the notched tubes that come with the kits can be welded on at an angle and then the other end can be cut at the same angle to weld or bolt to the frame.

 

Yep, outer hole is a little over 1/2" dia. to fit the pipe. Then you trim the pipe to the inside width of the frame. And then you can drill through the pipe and out the back side of the frame (~3/8" dia hole) and run the bolt through. But it is not that bad to drill clear through the frame for a full sleeve. I just eyeballed mine, holding the drill level. Doesn't really need to be perfect, since once the tube is welded in place, that defines the hole.

Here is a cutaway shot of the welded-in sleeve (taken when I was frenching in the new rear spring hangers):



Another option that works very nice is to use a threaded insert in the outer wall of the frame: