RCI Slider install on a 2018

Thought I would add a few pic's an my experience on installing the RCI Sliders on my 2018 Tacoma.

First off I had seen that @robbievo had installed his today on the "What have you done..." thread and I was planning mine today as well.

First thing I did prior to calling Rob and starting was to purchase a 3 ton floor jack from Harbor Freight.

PM'd Rob and got some tips and he answered some questions I had concerning the instruction and then set out.

With the jack and a couple jack stands I thought I had all I would need to do it myself...

 

Crazy idea

 

The instruction state (step 2) to remove both Carrier Bearing cross member support mount HW (one on Driver side and one on Passenger). Just do one at a time. I skipped step 1 as mine came powder coated.




Step 3: Next I removed all of the brake line clips and a control box in the inside side of the frame. Be careful to secure the control box and bracket so it doesn't fall at the least op-tune time, or you could look like this...please use a zip tie or something to prevent injury lol.



After securing that bracket and control box, finish removing clips and harness wiring bundle from outside and inside.

You will need to undo the brake lines attachments and unclip the lines from their clips as much as possible to give your arm space to get in the upper inner frame to install the mounting hardware.

There are also a plug and stickers that cover the hole you will use to mount the front mount brackets that are provided (see step 7) on both sides (Driver and Passenger).

You will do this on both sides.....

I didn't get a picture of the back of the front frame where the brake lines route at the front cross members. There is a dust cover that requires to be removed ...again on both sides.

Step 4: After all of the clips, brackets, brake lines, dust cover, wiring harness, are clear of the outer and inner frame time to position the driver side slider to the frame.

I chose to do the driver side first as this would be the most difficult side and after learning the process i felt the passenger side would flow smoothly (and it did).

No pictures of the slider in position on the frame, but this is where my install took a wrong turn..

 

Once I felt the frame was cleared and ready for the slider to be positioned on two jack stands I lifted the slider and positioned on the jack stands using the First and Last slider short support tube as the balancing point to lay it on. No picture here but lay it where the jack stand pad is running side to side in orientation so it supports the weight at the short support tubes and the legs running out to the mount plate... I hope this make sense, but in this position it balance well and prevented it from tipping over and off the stands.

Well after doing this I raised the jack pads alternating side until I had the slider within an inch of the bottom mount plate contacting the frame.

Here I was able to shift N and S (front to back) till the slider mount plate cutouts were aligned with the truck frame mount points and clip openings.

Be sure the wiring harness and brake line support brake on the outside of the frame is clear and position the slider into contact with frame...

Once aligned and in place use the floor jack (or a helping hand if available) to lift up and make firm contact with the bottom of the trucks frame.

Now use the longer bolt provided (step 4) to install through the bottom slider mount plate rear hole and into the driver side carrier bearing support cross member nut plate..

Once tightened you can remove the floor jack.

Now you can install the bolts, washers, and backing plates and lock nuts through the slider mount plate cutout opening to the truck frames "Rectangle" and round openings NOT "holes" that look like they should be filled...

 

As I did this and the 7/16 bolts would not fit??? I "ASSUMED" the round holes were the correct position for these bolts but they would not fit as the holes "appeared" to be undersized??

Well I got in a hurry and frustrated and made the decision that my frame holes were undersize and I would need to bore out a hair to continue...Well of course my drill bits were one size too big or to small

I undid all of my progress and temp installed all components that needed it and drove back into town to buy a $18 drill bit (small town hardware store) and drove back and started over

Well after boring out these holes I realized they were the ones for the brake clips and the control box

Don't be "this Guy"...

 

So after realizing the mistake I made I located the "rectangle and round openings" and installed one more fwd of the bottom bolt that you will install in the carrier bearing mount nut-plate.

The instruction say 6 locations but there are only 4 bolts on the driver side unless you drill out the fwd bottom mount hole in the frame making 5.

I did as I had this handy new drill bit (see above paragraph on $18 drill bit, don't be "this guy").

 

On to Step 6 and 7.

Move your attention now to the small front support brackets (one for each side) in step 6 you will slide the front "cross member backer plate" into the matching rectangle opening at the bottom of the cross member (see step 6 illustration above).

Once inserted into position sandwich the support bracket between the crossmember and the insert and thread your bolt in and while applying downward pressure until hand tight.

In step 7 insert bolts and washers throughout frame and support brackets in two opening you made when removing plugs and sticker in step 2 where I filled in more of what's required.

Here is where having small arms or a buddy is essential, as you will need to thread your arm into the opening on the inside side of the front portion of the frame to install these two bolts.

About this time my son arrived to assist otherwise I would have still been fighting it as it is a tight fit and to do it alone is a bit difficult.

 

Your face looks pretty decent. I pulled an amateur move and torqued towards myself doing my install. The end of a torque wrench pulling 100ft/lbs will split your eyebrow right open when the socket slips off the nut.

 

But it can be done as @robbievo did it alone.

Once you get these 3 bolts installed you are done with hardware for the driver side unless you choose to drill your frame for the second bottom bolt location which I did as I had this handy $18 dollar bit

Reinstall all of the clips, brake lines, control box and wiring harness. The wiring harness on my truck required me to use an alternate method of zip tying it as the front support bracket covered its previous mount location.

You can now repeat on the passenger side and shave off about an hour from your time, lol.

 

Nice!

 

Lol! I installed these myself as well and that bolt on the front driver's side is a bitch to get in. Otherwise, a motorcycle jack is a huge help.

 

I have a photos to contribute! I did upgrade all of the hardware that came with the sliders. Thicker washers, more/better bolts, all grade 8. Good sliders!

 

You had me nervous for a minute! I was like oh man, mine didn't come with bolts like that and I certainly didn't have them so close! Lol

 

Yeah, I went to the hardware store and filled every hole on the sliders that I could! Sorry the text was below the pics in my post, I moved it to the top!

 

@j-utah you showed me a few more of my mistakes or there’s two ways to skin a cat lol.

I put the bolt heads on the outside and backer washers and lock nuts inside frame

 

Works the same either way IMO!!! No worries! For me I wanted them on the outside.

 

Hope you painted your frame where you drilled.

 

I did but not sure how good, will keep a watch on those areas, ahem...

 

@JAL good post.
So besides the drill bit run and first aid care. About how long did the install take you?
Why did you decide on this brand of sliders? Not giving you a hard time trying to figure out what sliders I am going to install.