3rd Gen DIY Sliders Mock-up: Questions/Critique

Used Simpleton's files as a starting point. DCSB. Assuming 1.75" .120 DOM, can anyone critique the following design? Taking inspiration from a design R4T used to carry, I've changed the notch to more of a traditional kickout, though I recognize that this inner corner may still snag rocks (but I'm not super concerned--I don't intend to put myself in that situation any time in the near future).

I mocked this up in CAD without going out to measure on my truck, so there may need to be some sliding towards the front or back to fit between the wheel wells. If I got this fabbed, I'd put a plate over the kickout area. It's all flat right now, do I need to angle the support arms up a bit to raise the slider? Do I have the slider too far out on one side, not far enough on the other? Only really plan to use it as a step for the rear doors & bed.

Ignore any loose ends--I'd square it up before getting it made so that ends are flush and capped.

Appreciate any advice y'all can offer!

 

You’re right, that squared off kickout will definitely snag rocks and trees. The whole purpose of the kickout is to push you out away from the object without catching a snag.

Are you looking to build this yourself or are you paying someone to build it for you?

 

Not sure on the fab work yet, I've got a few work buds with their own equipment who might be able to help me out, and when possible, I do prefer to do my own work

 

If you have to even remotely question it and plan on using them, I'd suggest buying. Sliders are probably the piece of armor you are going to hit the most and frequently with much of the truck's weight - that's not something you want to be unsure of.

Other than the kickout needing to be rounded the design looks sound - you just need to make sure the welds are on point.

 

I got ya, just wondering why you didn't just save some time and aggravation and buy from a TW vendor lol... but I get it though, I get a better sense of pride when I do something myself as opposed to just buying it.

 

^^^ Definitely this

 

No doubt, not going to go at this half-assed. We've got some really maintenance folks on site who do excellent structural welding that supports more weight than a taco. If it comes down to it, I'll pay a shop to make them rather than rely solely on my own abilities.

As for TW vendors, I just haven't seen the shape/style that I'm looking for (counterproductive kickout included)

 

Did some really fancy photo editing to adjust the kickout. Lose a bit of form over function appeal, but something like this should make it more, well, functional, right?

 

Yes sir! dont see any problems with that

 

Alright, time to ask another dumb question: Are either of these options too problematic? They both incorporate a squared notch, but the tail end has a more forgiving flare-out than the original. So in my head, let's say youre riding along and you start actually using that edge, you ride it, the object drops into the notch, but catches and has a more shallow angle to kick back out on. Do I still end up defeating the purpose of the kick-out too much to make it worth it? I'm really attached to the notch, from an aesthetic perspective, though I understand its negative aspects.



The R4T slider I'm getting inspiration from:

 

I haven't actually matched this up against a model of a taco (working on converting a solidworks model to something I can play with in CAD), but that's a good point about where the kickout ends. Appreciate the thoughts!

 

subbed- I think I can contribute. But Gonna be a few days till I'm back in civilization if this is still a rolling thread.

 

I wouldn't call it active but I'm definitely open to discussion! I don't have the funds right now to make a move on any building but I like to plan ahead

 

Looks really cool. I just built some myself in my garage. I have a JD Squared bender, TIG welder, and some basic metal fab tools like a chop saw and a grinder and clamps and stuff. The hardest part for me was all the math to get the bends right. I don't know how much tube bending you've done but it's not easy when you have multiple bends in one piece and you need to get the start and finish in the exact right spot. Also all that notching is going to be really time consuming. Especially if you're going to kick it up and not have it all lay flat. I kicked mine up at 20 degrees and it made everything way more complicated. Maybe you already knew all of that, but it's just something to be aware of since that DOM tube isn't cheap. Make sure you have a quality bender and notcher if you're going to do it yourself. Just some stuff to think about. There's youtube videos that explain it all really well if you need some guidance. Good luck, they'll look really cool when you're done.