How To Build Rock Sliders - A full DIY Tutorial - Part 1
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- Join me for an in-depth look at rock slider fabrication. We'll go over the components and terminology of rock sliders, we'll cover tube bending and tube notching as well as the fundamentals of rock slider construction. In the next episode, we'll go over the weld-up, coating and installation. These particular sliders were built for a Jeep JKU but the principles are the same for any body-on-frame vehicle.
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The difference between a hobbyist and a professional is thinking ahead..you are truly a professional !!!
Great job 👍
Thanks for the kind words!
Awesome!! The explanation is very thorough and understandable. I love the step by step and explanation you give for what ur doing.
Good work man, I wish I had all the tools to make my own sliders. Very nice!
I'm glad you like them! Thanks for your views!
Very informative on the build. Thank you for taking the time to film it. I know it isnt easy to work and film i try to do that and it slows you down a lot. Take care
Thanks very much, I'm glad you're getting some useful info!
In the minute 2:30 I notice some pieces of angle hanged on the wall and ask myself the probably use for, but in the minute 18:00 Mi doubts was cleared. Very smart !!
Very helpful, thanks!
Great video and nice looking sliders. Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
This is great, awesome info!
Thank you, I'm glad it was helpful!
What CLR dies do you recommend when fabbing sliders? I'm debating between 5.5 CLR or 6.5 CLR from JD Squared. Just cant make up my mind but also want a CLR that is versatile for other offroad projects.
Thanks very much for your question. For my sliders, I use 1.75" dia. tube and the die has a radius of 5.5". I like keeping the bends as tight as possible while avoiding compromising the integrity of the tube. For me 5.5" CLR is the best solution. I also think you'd find the 5.5" to be more versatile than the 6.5".
@@BalmersWorkshop thank you so much for taking the time to answer this question. I went with the 5.5CLR like you said since JDquared is having a 10% off sale. Definitely help make my purchasing decision. Can’t wait to build some sliders and this video was super helpful. Probably the best one on YT that actually explains the logic behind everything. Keep up the great work!
Man i just found your channel and ive gotta say its awesome, im looking to get into fabrication as a possible career or a hobby and watching how its done is really cool. Love the vids keep it up!
Thanks for the kind words! All the best with your future projects :)
Really great job on the explanation. Especially all of the measuring and layout. Stuff amateurs like myself would need to learn the hard way. Material isn't free so if I can avoid messing something up, it's worth it. Also the tip about using ERW instead of DOM tube is great.
Lot of the sliders I see have a 2 inch 3/16 wall square main tube because square tube is stronger in bending that round tube. It's apparent in the video that you think 1.75" 0.120 wall ERW round tube is fine. I guess experience lead you to that conclusion. Have you seen round tube kink on the bottom from an impact? Anything will bend if you hit it hard enough, but do you think 0.120 is generally good enough?
I have a 2011 Frontier that I am building. I am going to do a solid front axle swap and plan to run 37" tires. I see you have an old Pathfinder. Did you just happen to have the Pathfinder, or did you choose to build that specific vehicle? Personally I just didn't want a Jeep and I had 1986.5 and 1990 Hardbodys when I was younger so I figured I'd stick with Nissan. I was looking at an Xterra, but I wanted a bed. The truck is multipurpose.
Thanks very much for your comment! I do offer a heavy-duty version of my sliders which features, just as you've noted, a 2"x2"x.188" wall square tube as the main rail and frame stand-offs but I only recommend this version to people who are going to genuinely abuse their vehicle on rocks - proper rock bouncing stuff. Round ERW tube will stand up very well to common trail abuse on all but the heaviest vehicles.
In terms of wall thickness for the round tube - I'd stick with .120". It's very strong and resists dings/dents in all but the most demanding situations. Personally, I've never seen a round tube slider kink. I've seen drop tests on a mid-size vehicle with round ERW sliders (not the heavy duty variant) from 18" on to a rock with almost no distortion to the tube.
I'll be happy to answer your other questions as soon as I've got time - I just need to get back to work at the moment.
@@BalmersWorkshop Thanks for your reply. I would describe my style as mostly cautious, while making good use of the skinny pedal as needed. The truck will definitely not be a rock bouncer. Any opportunity to removed weight is worth it. I think people generally tend to over build things, and they also don't appreciate how the weight of a vehicle impacts performance even off road. In mud, sand or when trying to climb over rocks, weight is a huge factor.
Sounds to me like round tube, ERW sliders will be the right choice for you. As far as your question about the Pathfinder goes, I did happen to have the vehicle before considering a major build. Initially I considered selling it and getting a 4Runner to build since the aftermarket support is so great for them. Instead, I decided to try my hand at a whole new set of skills with fabrication and I used the money I would have spent on "Toyota tax" on my first welder and a few other needed tools. It was the project that started my company and I haven't looked back!
Hello the video is awesome it help a lot to make my mind how to build them and question how thick is the wall 95 or 120 just like to know because here in California we have to do phone orders so I don't want to get the wrong one and does it make a difference im going to make them for my avalanche Z71
Thanks very much for your kind words! I always use .120" wall tubing for rock sliders and I would recommend the same for your truck. .090" wall is just a bit too thin in my opinion.
Hello question the tube is it 1 1/2 or 1 3/16 just want to make sure thanks
It's 1.75" O.D. x .120" wall.
What is the distance from the main tube to the outside of the rub rail?
The supports are 4" to the valleys (4" from the inside of the main rail to the inside of the rub rail). So, from the outside of the main rail to the outside of the rub rail would be 4" (support length) + 1.75" (tube diameter) = 5.75"
Sorry, I should have said from the INSIDE of the main rail to the outside of the rub rail. The outside to outside dimension would be 7.5"
@@BalmersWorkshop awesome, thanks for the quick reply. im looking to Fab up some sliders for a 5th gen 4 runner this weekend and your video helped alot!
Nice. So when is the metric version being uploaded?
lol.
:P
As of the date you built these sliders, what is the cost for custom built sliders?
Thanks for your inquiry. Please contact me via my website and I'll give you the details! www.balmerfab.com
@@BalmersWorkshop I sent you an email via your website.