Rust from bolt on sliders?

I'm wondering if a vinyl "tape" sort of layer between the slider and frame would be useful in this application?

 

Getting ready to do my @Mobtown Offroad bolt-on slider install soon.

Normally for aviation installations I would call for a fay surface sealant between the surfaces, using B2 or B4 2-part polysulfide sealant, (AMS-S-8802) such as (PR-1440 http://www.ppgaerospace.com/getmedia/35543e8c-c588-4878-afc0-bacdee414245/pr_1440_class_b.pdf)

But that stuff is like impossible to remove...

Perhaps use 1-part marine polyurethane sealant, such as 3M 5200 http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/576967O/3mtm-marine-adhesive-sealant-fast-cure-5200.pdf or half strength 4200 https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media...e-general-purpose-adhesive-sealant-4200fc.pdf

With some kind of sealant it will be harder to remove , but with the polysulfide I know there will be no motion and no corrosion between parts. The added shear strength does add up too.

Anybody try anything similar yet?

 

I've used the 4200 stuff repairing campers as an adhesive seal for windows, hadn't ever thought about using it to seal on sliders. Interesting, it might work. I'd do that before trying to use a rubber gasket. It's strong stuff but I don't think it's going to be adding any significant strength (now the 5200, that cures to 1,000 psi). But it probably wouldn't tear either with the movement. That would be my only concern. Trusting that it's a sealed interface but instead trapping moisture.

 

I am very familiar with 5200. We use it on our boats all the time. If you want to eventually get your slider off and not hate yourself doing it and then clean up without hating yourself more...I wouldn’t recommend the 5200. Just my .2cents.

 

I’d just fluid film all around the attachment of the sliders to the frame once they were mounted. Then, no way for debris or water to make its way between the sliders and frame.

 

Agree. This stuff creeps, displaces moisture. Anywhere water is going to get, FF will get to it. I don't think any coating is tough enough to not wear away, sealing completely is unlikely, and annual removal is a PITA. 10 minutes to spray, twice a year, done.

 

Did I miss your description on how you kept both those frames clean? Or would you share how you kept that 08 frame looking like it is new?

 

"OVERLAND COMMUNITY" Had me LOLing

 

Lots of time at the car wash and annual Fluid Film. My old frame never developed any serious cancer, but there were chronic rusty areas, like the cross member tube over the rear axle. The inside of that was a rust scale haven that I could never stop. Those old trucks had fully boxed frames, so it was always tough to keep the section in front of the forward spring hangers clean, mud and debris liked to collect there.

The 2008 had a few spots of rust when I bought it, so I cleaned the heck out of it, knocked off the scale, primed and painted the whole thing. Inside with Eastwood's internal frame coat, the outside with a rust converter and top coat. I covered it with Fluid Film inside and out.

It still rusts under the Fluid Film, it's not a shield of invincibility. But part of that is I didn't buy it new so it had 7 years of time to rust before I got it. I don't try and take the Fluid Film off the whole frame but if there's rust I'll clean it to bare metal and fix it right. Fluid Film is just an oily wax, so it comes off fine with any degreaser or mineral spirits and seems to wash off eventually even with just water and road salts.

So I've been biannual coats of it on this truck. One with the sliders off in the fall, one with the sliders on in the spring. One thing I notice is Fluid Film never dries so it continues to collect dirt and sand, which mix into a sludge that is a pretty good abrasive on sliding surfaces. I notice the most issue along the edges, most rust develops around the brackets and holes.

I kind of go overboard, but my history is to buy a truck at about 5 to 10 years old and keep it on average about 15 years. I'm only on my third truck, which I bought in 2015, and I'm coming up on 47 years old now. I doubt this Tacoma will make it as long as my previous trucks, so far it's been a ton more maintenance to keep it from rusting underneath, that's for sure.

 

I think I like the idea of welding them now. I don’t have to remove anything to clean the rust.

 

Oh I'd imagine that your still going to get water, sand etc. Between the frame and a welded on slider.

 

I ordered bolt on from Mobtown. No experience with them yet because I’m still waiting. But my reasoning with going the bolt on route is the ease of maintenance and painting when removed. I expect that either style would rust, but bolt on can be removed easier for painting and repair.

 

Fluid film....

 

Im no expert but I’d have to agree with @Jamesboy2233

I would hope the welds would be evenly sealed all around or I’ll have bigger issues when I drop the weight of the truck on them.

 

His sliders are not installed correctly from what I'm seeing. All of the plastic caps need to be removed off the frame to make sliders sit flush to the frame. That could be what causing his gap but they look like @RelentlessFab sliders so he could chime in and give a better idea if they need to be removed I know they do on our sliders.

 

Weld them on. Done.

 

Sealant can get old, unstick and hold dirt/salt/moisture under it- not saying it’s bad, just another maintenance point.

 

Yeah a few members had mentioned improper installation. I’ve never owned sliders so I was curious as to what was going on.

 

If you are in a snowbelt or another state that salts their roads, I’d do annual or even semi-annual cleaning under the slider mounts, in So Cal I wouldnt worry as much - maybe just an annual cleaning and repaint.

If you decide on not using bolt-ons, depending on the quality of weld, weld on sliders can catch moisture under them too, and the owner could be SOL for maintenance with those - be sure there are no welding gaps for sure and seal up any suspected gaps or holes.

 

You're correct Jerry. Those are some 5th gen bolt on's that were installed incorrectly, those caps all need to be removed and he did not remove them for the slider to fit tight to the frame leading to dirt and sand to get behind the plate and frame. Also they were spray painted- rather thinly spray painted at that. Between the 2 I would say those are the causes to the issue. Never seen rust like that on any other bolt on's before.