Avid Bolt On Sliders Installed/Review

Well, I got my bolt on sliders from Avid yesterday. The customer service was fantastic, and it took between 3-4 weeks from order to delivery. The overall quality of the product is great, and all the welds are clean. As far as install goes, these use the six bolt holes on the body for step bars or running bars. They are not real sliders since they do not connect to the frame, but they are made out of the same material the weld-on sliders are built out of. All you have to do is take out the little plastic plugs, line up the sliders, and bolt them in with the included stainless bolts and washers. Took about 10-15 minutes to do them both. Everything lined up well, and there were not fit/alignment issues.

For coating, I used duplicolor spray on bedliner, after priming. As you can see, my paint job is far from perfect, but I had to paint indoors, and don't have a large space like a garage. All in all, it still turned out fairly well, and gave me the textured look with a non-skid finish.

 

Might want to change your thread so it says that they are not sliders. Some people might get the wrong impression that these are sliders.

 

Looks good man. Thanks for posting. I'm looking forward to getting this exact product for my truck. And since Avid sells them as "bolt on sliders" I don't see why you would change the title of your post.

 

That is what Avid markets the name of the product as. I understand your point completely, but Avid has a separate product marketed with the name "steps."

Matt

 

I see your point, but I put the name that way since that is how the product is listed on Avid's site. In case there is any misconception, they are not real sliders, since they do not attach to the frame. They look like sliders, and are more robust than most normal step bars, but do not hang down as low. Good alternative to the regular step bars for someone that wants a little more protection and better clearance, but does not need real sliders that can support the weight of the vehicle or act as a high lift point.

 

That's a bit shady on Avid's part. Well hopefully anybody doing research on these stumbles upon this post so they are not trying to buy these with the intent of using them as real sliders.

 

What did you use for primer? They look great.

 

In the product description, they state something along the lines of "...they mount to the factory running board locations and are meant to look like sliders for those who want the offroad look without the true function of sliders."

I actually ordered my sliders as the bolt-on (I thought some bolts into the frame, like other vendor's bolt on versions, would be strong enough for what I wanted) until I re-read the "factory running board mount location" and just changed to weld-on. Much happier knowing I can use my sliders without worry.

Matt

 

On the Avid web site it states the bolt on "sliders" are not meant for hard core offroading and that they are really just step bars. Bellow is a copy from Avids website.

The bolt-on slider/steps are an alternative to the step bars. They are designed more for the people that like the looks of sliders but don’t need the super strength of weld ons. There is no drilling or welding required to install them. They simply bolt into the factory running board mounts. Because of the mounting location, these sliders are not intended to support the weight of the truck but can be used as steps, dent protection, and light off-roading. Think of them as step bars that look like sliders.

I have their weld on sliders and they paid for themselves in 2 weeks after having them. Great Company to deal with.

 

"These sliders are not intended to support the weight of the truck but can be used as steps, dent protection, and light off-roading.". That is exactly what I was looking for. Most of my off road use is access roads for hunting, fishing and camping, and the occasional easier trail for recreational off roading. I wanted a little bit of added protection to the door sill area for stumps and small trees on tighter trails, but I won't be doing anything that justifies real sliders for at least a few years. I did not buy them under the impression that they were actual sliders that attached to the frame.

 

i am not as familiar with this type of stuff but i do not off road and want to purchase something that assists getting in and out the vehicle and prevents people from door dinging me. would i be looking for sliders or something like this?
be nice everyone thanks

 

I understand what you guys are saying but your average person won't read the fine print. Look how many threads a week come up about the 4wd indicator light beeping. People just won't take the time to read the manual.

 

Haha well put. I think you have summed up the majority of the human race. As to the other questions:

Goose8651: I used a basic primer I picked up at autozone. It was actually right beside the bed liner stuff. It's called "prep-all", and made by Klean-strip. One good coat, let it sight for a couple of minutes, a good wipe down with a detailing cloth, and I was all set.

Toosense: This product sounds like it would fit what you are looking for, but it does not drop down very low. Avid (among others) also make step bars that serve the same function with regards to protecting the door from dings. I am not sure if they come out as far away from the body, but they do hang down lower, and all of them have designated drops for footholds. They are also usually made of lighter materials. The portion of mine that is visible is made of the same tubing as that portion Avid's weld on sliders, and is heavier steel than many of the step bars that are available.

 

Thanks. I bought a set from Streetacos and been.looking into either linex'ing them, or go your route.

 

No problem. A lot of the other threads on here discussed issues with any slider coating chipping. Mud flaps should help this a lot, but if you are actually putting your sliders to good use, I don't know how line-x will hold up. By doing it this way, I can easily touch up, and pick up a can in most auto parts stores for about $10, but I still get the bed liner look and texture. I cannot speak from experience how line-x or rhino (or any other professional liner) would hold up if you put the weight of the ruck on them on a rock, log, etc. Good luck!

 

How many cans of the Bedliner paint did you use?

 

alright thanks im glad you posted this because i see others and dont have the eye to tell the difference.

 

It can be done with 2, but I used about 2.5. Once I moved the sliders outside and got them mounted, I saw some spots that I missed, rough spots where drips hardened, etc. So I basically used the last 1/2 of a can to touch up, and do an extra heavy layer on the areas where people will be stepping.

 

Silly question alert.....

...If one bought Avid bolt on sliders, and then a few years later realized they needed real sliders, could they just have the sliders welded on OR are they completely different?

Thanks

 

Avid sells their legs unattached for the weld-on so that the customer can choose their desired angle, so yes, I believe the mounting process is very different. I had to have the shop weld the legs on to the slider at the angle I wanted, then the slider onto the truck.

Matt