rock slider questions

[treel98]

Ok almost done worth my final project in shop then I get to move on to my rock sliders ok and I have a few questions. Will 2x2 square tubing be strong enough for the main part where rocks willbe sliding on? And number two how talk and wide is the frame I would check my self but we have 2 foot of snow and its happens the muddy back yard

 

[cammeddrz]

"would 2x2 square tubing be strong enough"...?

2 x 2 x what?

the outside dimensions in this case are so much less important than the thickness.

I've see 2x2 in as thin as .040" wall, and as thick as .250"

most sliders are 3/16" as a minimum

the frame under the drivers seat is roughly 6" tall.

 

[treel98]

i think my shop teacher said that he has 2x2x3/16ths but ill make sure to ask on monday next time i have shop class and in terms of mounting them i thought about a steel "C" that wraps around the frame and is held on by 8 bolts at each of the 2 or 3 points with gussets connecting the actual sliders to the "C" that connects to the frame would that work

 

[cammeddrz]

Weld your sliders. there is a lot of leverage out there. and a lot of force. it'll tweak the bolts, and you'll never get them out anyway. just weld it

 

[treel98]

ok but is there anything i need to know SPECIFICLY about what to do to make them right

 

[4x4junkie]

I bolted my sliders to the body mount brackets (also widening the rear bracket to span the full width of the frame). Haven't had any issues with it.

The slider deflects maybe half-inch or so jacking the side of the truck up by the slider with a Hi-Lift.

I used 2x3 .120 wall material, with a 1/8" strip along the lower edge to ward off denting (making it 1/4" thick at the edge). Each slider weighs about 35lbs IIRC. 2x2 .180 wall should be fine as well.

Big thing is to have your mounts span the full width of the frame (applies whether you weld them or bolt them), and to gusset your sliders at the mounts. This will help keep deflection to a minimum when you come crashing down off that rock onto them.

 

[treel98]

can someone who has some technology skills draw me up some blueprints my shop teacher said that we HAVE to have blueprints for what ever we decide to make I would like to have nice computer made blueprints

 

[treel98]

if my shop only has 2x2 with a thin wall would taking a piece of 1/4 inch sheet metal and welding it to the bottom work so it was thicker

 

[4x4junkie]

Guess it would depend how thin it is...

If all you got is too-thin 2x2 and some 1/4 inch "sheetmetal" (?!??), I'd look into procuring some better materials from a steel supplier to build your sliders with.

Edit
Or did you mean to say a 1/4" wide strip of sheetmetal? (which no, that wouldn't do much of anything for it)

 

[treel98]

ok well ill have to see what materials my shop has and if he dosent have anything worth while ill build a basket out of conduit or something