Aluminum Rock Slider

Is anyone suppling aluminum rock sliders? I could see a market for it potentially. Those that want the slider for a step, light weight and still have some function for light trails and protection.

 

There was a thread about it a while ago, one of the fabricators put it out there to make some, but the price was kind of high, I don't think it ever went anywhere. I do think there would be a market for some sliders that didn't add 40 or 50 or whatever lbs per side to the truck.

 

@Mobtown Offroad offered some but I think they cancelled making them.

Aluminum sliders seem kind of pointless. If you are wheeling in a situation that you need sliders, aluminum wont do you any good.

 

I'd do aluminum bumpers and even maybe a front skid, but sliders are supposed to take a big hit from rocks and in my area, trees/roots. I'd skip aluminum sliders but get weight savings in aluminum elsewhere.

 

I'd be interested in these. I looked at buying them a while back. I don't do any crazy rock crawling. Protection for occasional hits off-road, that was all I was looking for. Liked that they were half the weight of steel. Yet, demand just isn't there. Every manuf I called, they either stopped or won't make them. Everyone think's they're running the Rubicon 100% of the time. So I just ended up with a steel unit.

 

Well see that's the thing. Aluminum will hold up on the occasional scrap/rub. Now yes, it won't hold up to a 3 foot drop onto a rock, but I think there's a market that are just running light trails where the weight savings would be nice.

 

Aluminum good for Beer cans not so much for sliders.

 

Not this again..

Wasn't the main concern the functionality of what an actual slider does? Meaning that it slides over obstacles and rocks. Steel glides over obstacles, but aluminum, being soft, would dig in?

While weight can be a concern in applications like a racecar, these aren't aerodynamic racecars. THEY ARE TRUCKS. If you want good MPGs, buy a prius and leave us more liquid dinosaurs.

 

No. Just... no.

 

It's not for MPG's. For me, it's payload. Paltry 1,000lbs for me. 150lbs for sliders....ouch. That's a lot.

By the way, there are aluminum skid plates as well. Aluminum isn't soft. Just brittle. But it can handle hits. Not big drops, but enough to keep me protected on trails I want to run.

 

Perfectly aware there are aluminum skids. I personally run a front aluminum Pelfreybilt bumper; rest is steel. Full skids, sliders and rear high clearance bumper with swingout; all steel. Designed to take whatever hits come to protect my rig and have the piece of mind to get me the rest of the way through the trail, out and back home. IMHO, if you want to do any type of off pavement activities, overbuilt is better than underbuilt to save weight.

 

For sure and you have a sick rig. Just that not everyone is running a full overland style rig like yours. There is a slight middle ground, and that's what I was curious about

 

Stick with steel and save weight on bumpers. I dragged my sliders on rocks and even though they werent being dropped on the rocks, aluminium could have easily torn and I would have had bigger issues.

 

I see your truck and can find things more extremists wouldn't be caught dead with. Everyone has their tolerance for risk, which depends on a lot of factors, including terrain, location, etc. These are the trails I mostly frequent. Aluminum sliders would do me just fine.

 

130lb for sliders, not much. As said above save the weight on other things. You could go aluminum front and rear bumper and skids(front for sure, not so much for the rest)

 

Other than looks, I don’t see the point of aluminum rock sliders. Might as well get nerf bars, even gives you a step along with weight savings.

 

They are not even remotely in the same realm as far as protection.

 

Still better then side steps though.

I’ve been considering aluminum skid plates for the anti rust factor. I may consider some aluminum sliders as well.

 

That's what phsycle is referring too. Is that the sliders serve more function than steps as an aluminum option.

 

Its a moot point though. Because they can never be put in a situation to really be tested.

Yes aluminum sliders offer slightly more protection than some steps but at the end of the day will both be wrecked in the same situation.