Slider specs

[yo! adrian]

Anybody have specifications for fabricating their own D1 sliders? Thanks.

[antichrist]

Ummm....made from steel?

That's about all that can really be said IMO. There are many different designs, and two main schools of thought, frame mounted and body mounted. I'd say just look at a bunch, talk to people, then decide which school of thought you like and then what you want them to look like.

[fergy]

A few months back I thought I saw a post from someone who had fabricated their own sliders. It even included pics. You might want to search the archieves.

fergy

[curtis]

Here is a solution for the D2 that should be the same process for a D1:

http://www.discoweb.org/hiddensliders/index.htm

This is a good and quick solution if you already have the tools.

[Steve]

Please confirm this for yourself but I think the only difference between sliders for a D1 and a D2 are that the front is an inch shorter on a D1.

[DiscoveryXD]

http://www.expeditionexchange.com/di...ndexmain.shtml

This may help a little with your design. I have a set from Steve (RTE), and I have to say they are pretty damn nice....

[yo! adrian]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the D1's have a slight curve to them, not found on the DII's. I wanted the specs in order to provide them to a machine shop to make. I don't have the machinary or tools to make them myself.
Those hidden sliders are sweet indeed. I did a search and couldn't find any specs. I'll check the archives and post if I find anything.

Thanks

[curtis]

D1's & D2's both have bends bowing simultaneously downwards and outwards toward the middle of the slider. Some sliders do not follow these bends, but the better ones do. If you are planning on having a machine shop making you sliders, plan on spending more than if you just bought them from someone who already has a production environment for thier own design.

[smenzel]

Those 'hidden' sliders are indeed sweet.

[marc olivares]

do a search for making rock sliders and my name in the archives, maybe 2003-ish.
a while back i gave a guy from canada some specs for a sets i sliders that i was making.

curtis is right, you'll spend twice as much making them yourself than to buy them from a retailer......that's experience talking, i've made tons of em'.

[yo! adrian]

Thanks Marc...i'll take your advice on the search.

[yo! adrian]

Is 2003 available in the archives? I only saw early 04. (?)

[yo! adrian]

Neeeeevermind. I found 'em.

[Andrew Homan]

Made my own, but I had access to a hi-tech shop with laser and plasma cutters. I think they turned out as good or better that the ones you can buy. In my opinion the shop should have a press brake to make the 95 degree bend if you are making body mounted ones. doing a weld is weaker than the bend. If you want i can shoot some photos of them and e-mail to you. They are very strong as I learned the first time I landed on them. I think I spent about 40 bucks in material counting the grade 8 bolts. But like I said I had access to the shop and a good friend owns it so labor was nothing. He may still have the CAD design for them saved in his computer if you want a copy. There sliders so its not to high tech rocket science.

Cheers, Andy

95 D1

[curtis]

"I think they turned out as good or better that the ones you can buy."

Andy, could you post some pics of your sliders? I am curious as to how far 40 bucks can go. I am pretty sure I could sell mine as scrap to a yard for more than 40 bucks, but mine (made by Marc Olivares) are heavy and as solid as they come. Further, I know that a top-notch powdercoat is gonna set you back $80+ (maybe a lot more). I am also curious as to if you used a beam, how that beam was rolled both down and out and how well the match came on a fabricators first try.

I guess when you make comments like you did it really makes me wonder. IMO, there are only three good brands of sliders made: Marc Olivares', Dave Lucas, & EE's Dreadnaughts. You don't see too many of these sliders because they are expensive for the builders and from what I understand, they don't make enough money to justify selling them even for the high prices they cost. I would love to see how someone can do as good as those three for only $40 even with the labor provided.

[FIVESPDDISCO]

I just bought some from http://www.northwestparts.com/ and am very happy. the price was great and they got them to in under 3 week so i would have them for MAR.

[Gumarcel]

Originally Posted by FIVESPDDISCO

I just bought some from http://www.northwestparts.com/ and am very happy. the price was great and they got them to in under 3 week so i would have them for MAR.

how much were they?

[FIVESPDDISCO]

$400. i was going to make some but by the time i did..... and then did it again to fix my mistakes It would be almost to the cost of theres. THW they are very heavy duty. not just for looks.

[FIVESPDDISCO]

the wavy part is just tape. i taped the inside so lineX would get into it.

[Gumarcel]

I am only into looks though....

[Andrew Homan]

Curtis you need to understand these were built for me by good friends. They didn't make any money on it, it was a favor. what I was trying to say is that the amount of metal used is not much money. I had shown the shop manager other examples people were paying top dollar for and he laughed and said materials were about $40. Labor would be more if they were actually producing them he said that were the cost is. this is a large shop that makes precision parts for high dollar coaches and also many different parts for rock crawling jeeps. Sorry didn't mean to mention Jeeps on a LR forum. The parts they cut are on one of two $700k laser cutters. As far as looks go thats in the eye of the beholder. I think they look pretty good when I'm sitting on a large rock and there is no damage. I didn't powder coat I used spray on bed liner because it's easier to touch up after scratching. not disrespecting anyone elses sliders They probably are better than mine. However I am on a total budget with this disco and am doing as much myself as possible. The same people did a great job on a winch bumper for me and it I would put up against anything out there if you would like to see pictures of it as well. I've rambled enough and hope I have not offended anyone.

Cheers Andy

95 D1

[Andrew Homan]

Curtis read your post again, If you still want pictures e-mail me. I'm not real handy with a computer but can down load them off a disk. same with the winch bumper pictures (I'm very proud of it) My have a photo of the rover suspended of the ground by the front bumper with an industrial crane right after we finished it.

Cheers Andy

95 D1

[dave_lucas]

"IMO, there are only three good brands of sliders made: Marc Olivares', Dave Lucas, & EE's Dreadnaughts."

Thanks for the words of confidence in my stuff Curtis. Sorry I did not get to talk with you longer @ the rally

You are correct Curtis it is expensive and time consuming. Other than my time in Moab last week I have been working 12 - 14 hours a day 7 days a week for the last year and I can not even keep up

As a consumer it is easy to sit back and look at a product and say that they cannot cost more than xyz to make and that the manufacturer is ripping everyone off. However now that I have walked a few miles in their shoes I can truly appreciate and respect Kyle, Marc, Greg D and all of the other true enthusiasts that build their products for the love of it and make very little money doing so.

Do not get me wrong I love what I am doing and I enjoy being part of the Land Rover community otherwise I would not do it.

Andrew

It is great that your friends gave you the proverbial monster garage freebee hookup but I can guarantee you that it is not possible for the average person or business to purchase the same materials that are used in the quality sliders mentioned above for the amount your friends state.

Here are some of the materials I use for a set of sliders.

Materials:
12 ft 3/16 2x3 tube
Misc steel for shims and caps ½ ¼ 3/8 3/16 flat stock
Several square feet of 3/16 flat laser plate for u shaped mounts (required for the laser cutter)
16 Grade 8 bolts
16 Grade 8 locknuts
32 Grade 8 washers

Other consumables that are used for every pair of sliders
Welding wire, gas and supplies
blades for saw
grinding disks, flapper disks, scotch brite disks and dust mask

Additional time/ costs:
$$$ having the u shaped mounts cut on a laser cutter
$$$ on a press brake so I can bend the u shaped mounts
Having someone Powder coat the sliders
Stickers
Time cutting and welding
Grinding/ finish work
Time spent picking up materials, dropping off and picking up the sliders from the powder coater.

This does not even include my time shipping, wood for crates, website, accountant fees, business fees, taxes, time answering emails and other things that I am sure I am forgetting. as you can see a lot of time and effort go into a quality set of sliders.

Basically what I am trying to say Andrew is that your friends hooked you up with one heck of a deal and you should make sure you thank them with their favorite case of ale. I am guessing that they did not even charge you full price for the materials or used some drop that they had laying around. (Nice having friends in the business huh)

Kyle, Axel and Ho

Please let me know if this post is inappropriate and I will remove it. I am not trying to advertise or pimp my products here, I just wanted to give some insight into what it takes to makes a set of sliders.

[curtis]

Dave - likewise, and I wish I could have spent more time with you at the rally. That being said your work is obviously top-notch and it is frankly amusing that someone (anyone) thinks they can get the good stuff for free without serious quid-pro-quo. I designed and built a D2 rear bumper. Yeah - it was OK, but it sucked ass even compaed to the Greg Davis design. I am thinking I had about 20+ hours in that POS before I got lucky and rolled the rig.

Anyhow, I doubt the big 3 will think you are out of line. If anything they are of the very few who can appreciate what you are trying to do. Keep up the good work and the comission contact is in the mail

5spdsc- those NWP sliders look on track as far as design, but make me think of bad Chinese replicas when it comes to looks. Words alone cannot describe how bad they look.

[Axel]

Originally Posted by dave_lucas

Kyle, Axel and Ho

Please let me know if this post is inappropriate and I will remove it. I am not trying to advertise or pimp my products here, I just wanted to give some insight into what it takes to makes a set of sliders.

I don't see a problem with your post, it's very relevant to the discussion in this thread. Also, send us the link to your website, so we can add it to the vendor page.