Choosing sliders

It seems everyone is making sliders. It's like an endless list. I'm wondering what your decision criteria was for choosing a slider?

I've been looking at ones that also allow them to have plates to use them as a step on a double cab short bed. I'm sure I will get 100 different reviews or people telling that they love the ones they got. My question is what makes one set better then another beyond say DOM tubing? They all seem to be near the same price.

 

a shop close to you to avoid shipping charges

 

I have heard of different types of tubing
other factors seem to be
-kick out at back or not
-fill plates on top or not (extra cost)
-install strength of weld-on vs bolt-on. Bolt-on means you can "remove later if you sell the truck". Weld on means pick right the first time so you don't weld on something ugly
-some seem to tilt up 15 degrees, others don't
-looks vary
-not sure if weight varies

probably at least 7 companies to pick from
many of the fabrication companies you know to make things like bumpers, probably also make sliders

local company can mean pickup w/o shipping
unless COVID means "no pickup"

might be hard for you to find an honest answer
sometimes people slap cheap garbage on their truck and will lie telling you it's the best there is

 

They're all pretty much the same thing and do pretty much the same job, it comes down to which fit and finish you most prefer. I wouldn't even worry too much about getting DOM tubing versus HREW.

I technically have weld on, they started out as sliders from a 4Runner I had previously, but I hacked the stands off extended them out put new legs on them decided on my own angles and welded them to the frame saved a huge chunk of change by doing it that way instead of buying brand new, but if I had to buy new I would get bolt on style as armor ultimately to a certain degree should be expendable, you want to be able to tear it up and then replace it easily when needed.

I recommend ones with a fair amount of protrusion, at least as far out as your tires poke, good up angle, fill plates, and the rear kick out based on my off-roading experience.

 

That is one thing I'm unsure of
the angle

the other parts make sense
rear kick out to protect back fender, fill plates for a step surface, and so on

I feel like a 0 deg angle can get caught up/hung up on things more and unnecessarily
instead of it being used more as an emergency backup if a rock is unavoidable
is that the point of 15deg angle, so it does not jut out so far and grab/catch onto things?

 

Yeah that's more or less correct, the angle up is also because when off-roading your truck is typically not on a level surface, so you want it angled up out of the way to give yourself as much clearance as you can when you're off camber, if your sliders stuck straight out you would be losing potential angle especially when hard up against rocks and things, and again they angle out which brings protection up higher and further protects your rocker panels.

Sliders when done correctly do not work very well as steps, they can be used as such but typically they are more in the way than steps would be, and if you've got them situated correctly they don't stick out really far enough to put more than your toes on the step, maybe your whole foot if it was turned sideways.

But I like my fill plates because they keep a lot of dirt and dust and rock chips off the side of the truck as I don't have mud flaps.

 

I welded mine on cause I can. Kicked up to help protect my sides/doors.
Also saves from door dings in parking lots.

 

That's for sure, there's been at least three times I've come out to my truck and noticed a chip in the sliders and a suspiciously slider sized dent in the edge of the door of the car parked next to me.