Avid Sliders ... weld on vs bolt on ... point of no return ...

I ordered the bolt ons because the most i'll see is an occasional dirt road. I wanted mainly the looks, and some decent protection. I also like how I can install them myself because i live in central florida, where there are no professionals and everyone is retarded. I would get my truck back with them welded on upside-down or something.

Did i make the right choice? I just placed the order so I could most likely change. No biggie if I can't. Bolt ons just seems more appropriate for me. Thoughts?

 

I think you'd be surprised about finding someone competent to weld them on. Most offroad shops are small but plenty good at what they do.

Bolt on will work fine

 

pre-runner,

Not sure where you are in Floriduh' but one of TW's new sponsors is hiding in Ft.Myers ( looking at their work,I'd say there competent ) and Central Florida has many " Mom & Pop" weld shops that DO KNOW their stuff....

That being said,I will be "Bolting" on my Sliders also.....My NEW frame will not be welded so ALL "Mods" need to FIT exact or they will not be purchased...

Just my 2 cents....enjoy your Sunday...

S

 

so is welding bad for a new frame? (mine is new also).

so far it seems i chose wisely, for me anyway

 

Some folks will say that welding to a new frame can cause warping and weak points in the frame. I counter that if welding was bad for the frame- They would have a hard time putting it together. If it's done correctly- You would be fine with welding.

 

Drilling 20 something holes in the frame for bolt on sure as hell doesn't strengthen it either.

 

After talking to Demello and watching them weld my new sliders on I have no doubts that welded sliders are better.

And I do see that you mention that your not actually going to use your bolt on Avids like sliders and thats a good thing because they are not actually made to support the weight of the truck either on the trails or for a Hi-lift jack. Avid's bolt on's are just Nerf bars.

 

Yeah there are some bolt ons that will Shrockworks and Beef's but most won't. But Avid tells you themselves they won't support the weight.

 

Exactly, from their site:

"The 2005+ Tacoma Sliders can be ordered to bolt on or weld on. The bolt-on sliders attach to the factory running board mounts. The bolt-on sliders can be used as steps, dent protection, and light off-roading, but are not designed to support the weight of the truck. The weld on sliders are designed for the more extreme off-roading."

Attached to the running board mounts.......nerf bars

 

imo, all the advantages point to bolt on.

#1. frame sees no heat, only 4 new holes on each lower rail, which is 2 frames in one anyway.

#2. option to remove for painting, selling, or replacement if one or both were to get trashed somehow.

#3. DIY install in your driveway.

#4. very strong if mounting locations are well thought out and hardware is grade 8 or higher.

I'm not against weld on's at all either, and wouldn't worry about the frame strength if welded on by a competent welder.

 

i thought i wouldn't have to be drilling any holes? was i wrong?

 

Some require additional holes to be drilled. Stock up on drill bits and cutting oil

 

I have Shrockworks bolted to the frame and these things are solid. I see nothing wrong with bolting them to the frame. I had to drill 6 holes in my frame and it wasn't that hard and its a job I did myself in the snow.

I'm not sure how the Avid's are by attaching to the factory running board holes. Personaly I'd rather them be attached to the frame.

 

Just make sure the mounting holes on your sliders match up correctly to the ones on your truck before you paint them. My passenger side mounting holes were way off and I was only able to install bolts to three of the six holes.

 

My sliders use the factory holes in the side of the frame with nut plates on the inside, but there are 4 holes per side that need to be drilled on the lower rail, there's just really no other way...if they're to be strong. Toyota has a million holes in their frames, just nothing below to bolt to.

I used a old drill bit set (that most of us have in the garage) a Black & Decker 1/2" drill plugged in, and started with a small pilot hole, and basically worked up every other bit until I got to 1/2". It was easy, and I recommend this method rather than starting with a large bit because it'll heat up and heat treat the metal in that area and make it even worse than it already is. Start small and work up especially since you're drilling through 2 layers of frame.

 

What about allpro's? Are they any good? I can't tell if they are bold on or weld on.

 

Just to clarify ... I spoke with brandon at avid offroad by email and he said they will just bolt on, and they send all the hardware. No drilling for me! I have a single cab.

 

So I was looking into these possibly instead of my nfabs. I don't off road and just want them for step bars/looks. Now when they say bolt on do they bolt onto the frame with drilled holes? Or do they also sell them that just bolt into the factory step bar locals?

 

they are supposed to bolt to the factory steprail location on the cab