Extra ground clearance and sliders too

[ThatGuy]

While preparing the 'Sploder for it's madien voyage I took a little time to make some sliders for it. I took a plasma cutter and sawzall and cut even with the bottom of the doors. I was going to go all the way to the body line in the doors but didn't feel like that much stitching. Plus if I did that I'd have to rework the body mounts. Even so, I still gained over an inch of ground clearance on the sides.

Before pic.

I welded in 2x4 3/16 wall square tubing. 2x6 would have been better but oh well. I stitch welded it to the body to make it solid and then run a couple of 2x2 square tube stringers to the frame to keep it from twisting. It is solid the whole way down. I put a hi-lift on it and jacked the 2 1/2 ton beast up using only the sliders. Being a fabricator, I'm used to welding all the time but sheet metal is prolly the hardest thing I've welded. I give respect to the body men out there.

After pic. before paint.

Still working on my bumpers, pix to come.

 

[martin]

That's how I did mine, they've saved the side of the truck many times. I especially like how they work in parking lots when people just throw their car doors open.

 

[4x4junkie]

Did you mount them on bushings at the frame to allow the body some independent from the frame?

 

[ThatGuy]

Yeah. I forgot to mention that part. I used Suzuki samurai transfer case mounts to tie into the frame. Otherwise it would rip the body apart.

 

[4x4junkie]

I was thinking it possibly causing the frame to crack where they are welded.

Cool deal then. Looks like a good setup

Agreed on welding sheetmetal, it takes some real talent lol. I did some mods to the inner part of the rear wheelwells on my BII and found how easy it was to make big holes with a bunch of boogers around them even using .023 wire. However it was nothing a little grinding, bondo and paint can't cover up though

 

[jims89broncoII]

looks good man!