Slider Step Idea

[Bandit Runner]

So I plan on getting the SS 7.2 lift on this summer. I should gain 3 to 3.5" of lift. My wife/kids already complain that it is difficult to get in the truck after I removed the running boards, and the lift will make it worse. I want to get a set of the 4xInnovations sliders, but want to make them more step friendly.

My idea is this: take some 3/4 No. 9 flattened expanded metal sheet, and cut it into pieces to fit between the slider rails. Weld it into place about a 1/4" below the top surface of the sliders. This would "fill" in the openings to provide more step surface, but not look too bulky by filling it in with a solid plate.

For those not familiar with flattened expanded metal sheet:
http://www.mcnichols.com/products/expanded/images/flattened/pics/big_flattened.jpg

I mocked it up in CAD to see what it would look like:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii93/woltejt/slider_full.jpg?t=1203602992
Close-up of front end:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii93/woltejt/slider_front.jpg?t=1203605485
Close-up of back end:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii93/woltejt/slider_back.jpg?t=1203605570

I would mount the slider/steps low on the frame and with little or no tilt angle, just straight outward. This would also give more protection to body panels from kicked up stones from the tires (similar to the running boards I took off). I would probably Herculiner the whole thing.

So, what I am asking is: Has anyone done anything like this, or seen it done? Will it work?

My concerns are: How difficult would this be to weld? Would the openings make any whistling noises on the highway?

What do you think?

[slosurfer]

Check out what paddlenbike did to his stubbs sliders.
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=3887.0

[04 Rocko Taco]

I, too, was going to point out paddle's thread...

Also Jake, "Nobody" here on the boards, welded diamong plate on his, i know the solid plate is more than you're going for, but he is going to drill holes back in his to 'lighten' the look, and for drainage I belive....

just for thoughts.

[Bob98SR5]

i would think the hardest part would be welding metals of different thickness and how time consuming it would be, but i think a little trial and error would solve that. ask paddle in his thread

[paddlenbike]

I considered using expanded metal for my rockslider inserts, however there are a couple of issues that made me choose a different material. Primarily, the expanded metal insert will not be able to spread the load applied to them (people stepping on them, in your example) unless you spotweld everywhere the expanded metal touches the main part of the slider. That's a lot of spot welds and they will be difficult to hide. The large openings in the expanded metal will allow debris from the tires to hit the side of the truck, but will offer slightly better protection than nothing at all.

I like the idea and I think it looks great, it just may require a bit of work to get the results you want. Compared to my execution, the expanded metal will be easier to cut and shape to fit inside the rails.

Good luck, looking forward to seeing the results!

[Bandit Runner]

Thanks for the comments so far.

I would definitely want every outside edge of the expanded metal welded to the slider. I also wanted a smaller hole pattern, but the 1/2" size doesn't come as thick as the 3/4".

Paddlenbike: Was that standard perforated metal you used, or did you have it custom made? I thought about having a smaller diamond pattern laser cut into solid sheets. That way I could keep the openings away from the outside perimeter too, and I would have a solid edge all the way around to weld. This might be expensive though.

Thanks,

[paddlenbike]

I used standard 16-gauge perforated steel that I found at the local hardware store. I paid somewhere between $25-30 for a sheet that probably measured 3' x 5', certainly more material than I needed.

[paddlenbike]

I came really close to asking my girlfriend to hold a sheet of it out the window to test-out the noise factor, but that probably would have ended badly. :shake: (Maybe that's the physic in me. :P )

I know these are good up to 95 mph with no sound. I have to say I'm surprised the expanded metal whistles--the perforated stuff I bought looks like it would much more likely to make noise. Sorry!

[corax]

since you're going to keep the "kick outs" flat and low, why not get something that can do double duty? buy a pair of perforated sand ladders & bolt them on the top of the sliders (but slid in toward teh frame rail, so they don't stick out too far) and trim them to shape If you need them for recovery, they're just a wrench away.

[Bandit Runner]

*Wife caught one of her heels in it, tore the leather, $25 to Mr. Shoe Repair man.
*PITA to weld all those sections, man, what a waste of time.
*Bloddy thing whistles, worse than the roof rack, at anything over 50mph,
fine for the trails, but annoying on the freeway.
*Even aside from that stuff, it flexed worse than my hitch tray sections and got all bent out of wack easily.

NorCalBorn:

Thanks for the input. Sorry you had so much trouble. Do you have any pictures of how it turned out? Did you use the "flattened" stuff? What thickness was it?

I am starting to lean toward using a solid sheet and cutting holes/slots in it for the openings. 16 gauge is only 1/16" thick, that's pretty thin. That would dent/bend/crease fairly easily. I would want something more like 1/8" thick.

I will model up my latest idea and post in the next couple of days.

[Bandit Runner]

OK, so here is my latest design:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii93/woltejt/slider_solid.jpg?t=1204226124

It would be 1/8" thick steel, and I could easily cut out the diagonal slots myself. I will probably try to mock it up with some PVC pipe and cardboard to see how it would look.

Should be easier to weld, stronger, provide more protection, and whistle less. What do you think?

[corax]

looks good, but you may want to look into a slightly thinner bit of sheet metal - that 1/8" will add a fair amount of weight. What you may want to think about is using thinner sheet with a few 1/8" x 1/2" flat stock pieces underneath the step areas for reinforcement. Just my $.02

[paddlenbike]

So do they work?

2 coats of primer, 5 coats of paint, 1 weekend on dirt roads:
http://home.off-road.com/~kemanuel/4Runner/mods/sliders-work.jpg

Hundreds of rock chips and not one of them hit the body of the truck this time. Note that there is zero paint left on the legs of the sliders and the horizontal peices between slider rails.

[Robinhood4x4]

You know, I used duplicolor spray can bed liner on my sliders and, except for where I've slid across rocks, my paint is still pretty good. My sliders were one of the first mods I did years ago and I haven't repainted them since. I've done death valley and countless other dirt roads.

[paddlenbike]

Steve,
I may have to try that next time. Even the best spraypaint does not hold up.

[Robinhood4x4]

Correction, I used Duplicolor, not duracoat.