HardRooster

It's no secret that the stock Rubicon rock sliders have serious limitations. The tube that makes up the slider itself is beefy enough, but it's the bracket that's welded to it, the placement of the welds and the mounting in general that make it inadequate.

In my case, my sliders got a workout on the Rubicon trail. They were worked out to the point that they bent themselves enough to dent and crack the paint on my quarter panel, the rocker and the fenders.

In the pic below you can see how the welds are not placed at the point of most stress, allowing the steel plate to bend.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11783781873/
So the first step was to beat them back down with a BFH.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11783534555/
Next I cleaned them up. I'll be adding some tube sliders that will look a little like the poison spider rocker knockers, just without the decorative plate. But more importantly I cleaned up the plate so I could weld them up where the factory didn't.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11898172125/
Nice welds

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11898178455/
Flipped them over and added some welds to the other side as well

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11898622304/
While I was at it, I went ahead and trimmed them for larger tires. Miter saw with a 10" metal cutting blade works pretty well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11898159095/
If you wanted to keep the plastic ends it would be pretty easy. Once the end is cut it's very easy to pry the stubborn plastic clip out. Then it's just a matter of drilling a new hole in the slider and reinstalling.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11899032296/
But who wants plastic end caps?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11899060286/
Ready to mock back up, bend and cut some tube and do some more welding.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/11898873923/

karls

I've considered flipping mine over and adding a couple extra beads but haven't got together the gumption.

Any plans to add extra gussets or run a gusset from your tube to the frame??

HardRooster

Yes, I forgot to add that detail to the write up, but I intend to use the body mount bolts and add a couple more brackets. Nothing to the frame though. I don't like the idea of bolting things to the body AND the frame because there are rubber mounts that allow the body to move slightly (for the purpose of NVH reduction) in relation to the frame. Besides introducing the NVH to the cab, you would also add a lot of stress to the cab, especially at flex when the frame wants to twist, it'll also try to twist the body.

HardRooster

Got a couple hours of work in today on the sliders. Bent the tubes, drilled the stand-offs and tack welded in place. If I wake up motivated tomorrow, I'll make my reinforcement brackets and do a final weld-up.

I figured out a decent way to make my notches without a notcher and with a hole saw that isn't deep enough. I used a drill press vise and pre-drilled a 1/4" hole all the way through the tube. Then used the hole saw which gets me almost half way through the tube. Then flip it over and drill the other side. Finished the cut with the cut off tool and grinded it clean.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12021927156/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12021098095/
Tube bent and cut, stand off made, ready for tack up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12021106415/
Tacked up and how it'll look

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12021465244/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12021409433/
I only photographed one side, but I got both sides mocked and tacked up. Football tomorrow so I'm not sure I'll want to get out there in the morning.

HardRooster

They'd still just the stock rock rails, and I was still worried about continuous body damage even with my mods, so I asked for and got these for Christmas. I'm hoping these two things together will prevent any further body damage

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12021649214/
You're going to see these installed like you've never seen before. But that's another thread for another time.

HardRooster

Got this done this morning before the games. Took a few pieces of 3/16" angle and welded them together to make kind of a half boxed bracket. Notched, drilled as needed, it's a beefy piece.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12037335433/
Tacked in place with the body mount bolt in place.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12037069325/
I bullt two of them for the rear. Don't think the front is necessary. I removed the sliders to weld them up and they're much heavier than they used to be. Got one of them welded up before I ran out of time. I hope they work as intended.

HardRooster

These are done. Got them Raptor Lined today the same time as my Rocker Armor. I just need to install them when they dry.

Not sure why I didn't get a pic of them Raptor Lined. Guess I'll just post a pic when I install them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/72867051@N00/12110676936/

Maertz

honestly id add another frame tie in or 2. I did mine pretty similarly with 3 extra frame tie ins out of steel channel and its held up damn good, but I should have done 4. It ever so slighlty bent up. Not enough for damage, but its now a little closer. Also just a thought, but wont the body mount rubber flex a little allowing it to move? Either way i like the fab work.

HardRooster

Yeah it likely will. The way I have it welded on it's going to be applying some downward torque, kind of like twisting it towards the ground. I know that's not really explaining it well. I would prefer to just do a frame mounted slider, which will happen if this set up fails. I'm still learning to fab and weld, so screw it if it doesn't work. It's R&D.

Maertz

im still learning as well, wasnt trying to rip on you. I usually have a respect for anyone trying to do/make stuff on there own. I was just trying to give some insight from my experience. Either way it looks like you did a damn nice job.