Sliders- Pros and cons of bolt on verses weld on

Rebel JK

Rebel JK

New member
Guys, I tried a few searches but was unable to find this specific item among all the info out there.
1. Bolt on to existing body mounts can be removed if needed -Pro
2. Can I use jack under this style if it's stout heavy gauge? Possible con
3.Weld to frame should be bullet proof-Pro
4. Will there be a possible con to weld on other than having to cut off? Is there any affect on future maintenance/ access?
Would like to hear some more thoughs on this.
 
If you want to play really hard, slider that weld on to the frame are the way to go. The only con would be if you for some reason had to remove it at which time, you would need to cut it off. Otherwise, sliders that bolt on to the frame like what LoD makes is pretty good too. Sliders that bolt up to existing body mounts alone can and will still bend enough to do damage to your rockers.
 
i have LoD's and they bolt to the frame in about 10 places on each side and none to the body mount or body.. i can def jack up my jeep with them and they are a great step... i have commitment issues so i didnt want to weld plus if i ever buy a new jeep i will just unbolt them and mount them on the new one just my 2cents...

good luck :beer:

i did see a guy last year land on his sliders that bolt on like a factory rubi rail and it ripped it right out of the body and made about 2in holes in the body every where it was bolted... it made my mind up quick that it was welding EVO's or LoD's
 
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Rebel JK said:
Guys, I tried a few searches but was unable to find this specific item among all the info out there. Would like to hear some more thoughs on this.
Click to expand...

Your questions below in bold text:

1. Bolt on to existing body mounts can be removed if needed -Pro
- weld on sliders can also be removed by cutting and then a little grinding on the frame and your back to stock

2. Can I use jack under this style if it's stout heavy gauge? Possible con
- there are very few body mounted sliders that you do this with
- I would almost bet that the manufacturer of body mounted slides would not recommend it

3.Weld to frame should be bullet proof-Pro
- yes, in theory they should be bullet proof. Overall design, gussets built in, material thickness determine
bulletproof

4. Will there be a possible con to weld on other than having to cut off? Is there any affect on future maintenance/ access?
- in the case of EVO sliders, you are simply welding two flat surfaces together. It's in an easy to access location
so cutting them off is pretty simple. You can always re-weld the sliders back if you need. It's just electrically
glueing metal :thumb:

If you really plan on seeing even the slightest bit of hard use with your jeep, it's really cheap insurance to invest in a great slider. Not saying there aren't quality bolt-on sliders, because there are some nice choices. I really put my old Teraflex boatside sliders through hell, actually i really loved them, but it got to the point that they were starting to have me question when they would not do their job. So instead of waiting for failure, I replaced with EVO weld on sliders, which are designed to be a jacking/lift point, a recovery point, and to help steer your vehicle on rocks in really tight spots. If you don't think you will play this hard, the LoD, Shrockworks, and a few other bolt-ons are pretty nice.

In the photo below (the most extreme case), my rig was easily recovered by using my EVO slider as the recovery point. I would not have trusted to do this safely with any bolt-on sliders
 

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I love my LoD sliders. I initially bolted them to the frame and they did great on my first trip to Moab. I eventually had them welded to the frame.
 
GCM 2 said:
I replaced with EVO weld on sliders, which are designed to be a jacking/lift point, a recovery point, and to help steer your vehicle on rocks in really tight spots. If you don't think you will play this hard, the LoD, Shrockworks, and a few other bolt-ons are pretty nice.

In the photo below (the most extreme case), my rig was easily recovered by using my EVO slider as the recovery point. I would not have trusted to do this with safely any bolt-on sliders
Click to expand...

These are the top 3 I'm considering. I like that the Evo weld on. Only disadvantage I can see if the cost of installation. I got an estimate from Evo to install them, they want $330. Should be less for non weld on.

Because of this, I am also considering the Srockworks and LOD. LOD would probably end up being the same cost as the Evo because they cost more to start out, they're $700 shipped.

So far I'm really interested in the Shrockworks because they are $492 shipped.

All 3 can be used as a step which is a requirement for my wife and kids. Evo can bend them out for no extra charge.

As mentioned, don't get rails that mount to the body. You want ones that mount to the frame.

So for me: LOD look best, Evo protect best, Shrockworks are least expensive and probably protect as well as the LOD.
 
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I have the LoDs and can say they are pretty beefy. There are 3 mounting plates for each slider, with 9-10 holes total per side. Some of the bolts utilize existing holes, so you only need to drill and thread 7 holes. The mounting plates are plate steel, same as with the EVO design, so they could be easily welded if you needed the extra strength. They also provide a great step for the wife, and also for me when messing with the soft top of washing the roof.
 
suicideking said:
These are the top 3 I'm considering. I like that the Evo weld on. Only disadvantage I can see if the cost of installation. I got an estimate from Evo to install them, they want $330. Should be less for non weld on.

Because of this, I am also considering the Srockworks and LOD. LOD would probably end up being the same cost as the Evo because they cost more to start out, they're $700 shipped.

So far I'm really interested in the Shrockworks because they are $492 shipped.

All 3 can be used as a step which is a requirement for my wife and kids. Evo can bend them out for no extra charge.

As mentioned, don't get rails that mount to the body. You want ones that mount to the frame.

So for me: LOD look best, Evo protect best, Shrockworks are least expensive and probably protect as well as the LOD.
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You can find a local shop to weld them on for you. The place that attached mine only charged me $40!!
 
Great info guys. With some of the areas we have access to I want to be prepared for worst case and do it right. Mine will be welded.
Thanks again.
 
I just installed the LOD sliders on mine and can say that they are just as strong as anything I have ever seen thats weld on. They are super well built with a VERY similar design as the EVO. The only way I can say that they(and no one else) are not "as strong" in the connection since it is a weld where the metal is fused together and it is bolted to the frame. That being said...I can safely say that the LOD's can perform the task just as well as EVO in the pic Greg posted. I used the sliders to jack my jeep up and they didnt even slightly flex!

I dont see it being possible for anyone in the rock crawling world to be able to break these. Really only something like desert racing kind of wreck would I imagine a break.....and then your sliders would be the last of your worries. The instal was easy, but time consuming. Drilling all those holes in the frame, then tapping them can wear your hand out. Overall I would go with LOD any day of the week. I would go with the EVO sliders as well.....except I refuse to pay people labor costs, and I cant weld. Either option is a great and nearly equal choice! :thumb:

EDIT: Oh the only con I can say about the LOD's is that there are a couple bolt heads that protrude belot the frame, and if they are hit bad enough they could be damaged. Ill post pics tomorrow if i remember
 
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StrizzyChris said:
I just installed the LOD sliders on mine and can say that they are just as strong as anything I have ever seen thats weld on. They are super well built with a VERY similar design as the EVO. The only way I can say that they(and no one else) are not "as strong" in the connection since it is a weld where the metal is fused together and it is bolted to the frame. That being said...I can safely say that the LOD's can perform the task just as well as EVO in the pic Greg posted. I used the sliders to jack my jeep up and they didnt even slightly flex!

I dont see it being possible for anyone in the rock crawling world to be able to break these. Really only something like desert racing kind of wreck would I imagine a break.....and then your sliders would be the last of your worries. The instal was easy, but time consuming. Drilling all those holes in the frame, then tapping them can wear your hand out. Overall I would go with LOD any day of the week. I would go with the EVO sliders as well.....except I refuse to pay people labor costs, and I cant weld. Either option is a great and nearly equal choice! :thumb:
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I like both the LOD and the Evo. When it comes time to get them (probably early summer) I will compare the overall installed prices.

The LOD are around $700 shipped, probably be $200 for install. The Evo are $550, but would cost $330 to have welded on, so would be about the same. I don't have to pay shipping on the Evo because they're about an hour away. That definitely factors in for me.

I still have to check into the shrockworks. Looks like $660 shipped, but might be less to have installed than the LOD.

So the prices are really close. I just need one of the 3 to have a good sale and that might push me into making a decision. :D
 
suicideking said:
I like both the LOD and the Evo. When it comes time to get them (probably early summer) I will compare the overall installed prices.

The LOD are around $700 shipped, probably be $200 for install. The Evo are $550, but would cost $330 to have welded on, so would be about the same. I don't have to pay shipping on the Evo because they're about an hour away. That definitely factors in for me.

I still have to check into the shrockworks. Looks like $660 shipped, but might be less to have installed than the LOD.

So the prices are really close. I just need one of the 3 to have a good sale and that might push me into making a decision. :D
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If you order through the right supplier, you won't pay shipping. I didn't pay any shipping for my LoDs...
 
Here are a few pics of what the LOD sliders look like and how they mount to the frame at 3 spots on each side.

P3090140.jpg


P3090142.jpg


Once they are installed. You can see what I was saying as the ONLY con I can think of being that the bolt heads are sticking down and in a couple places they could become damaged. BUT they are large bolts, so I think they are pretty stout!

P3090157.jpg
 
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