Sliders too close to pinch weld

Hello TW peeps. I have an issue with my @RCI-Offroad sliders for my 3rd gen long bed. After taking a dinger towards the front of the right slider, the slider now touches the pinch weld and clacks BAD when I go over bumps. I've loosened the slider and tried to pull it down, but when I tighten it, it just goes back to touching the pinch weld.

I called RCI and they said they've never seen one of their sliders DOM tubes bend from taking a ding. All other cross members from the sliders, on mine and others trucks, are about 1/8" away from the pinch weld. Slee up in Golden did point it out to me a long time ago, saying those cross members were sitting too close to the pinch weld of the body. But it only became an issue after taking a bad ding while in Moab. Looking down the tube length, it doesn't *appear* bent.

I've spent $700 on trying to run this down at 2 different shops. Wild goose chases. I ended up finding the rattle myself. I emailed RCI after trying to loosen and retighten and they haven't replied in over a week.

Any pointers of what to try next, short of buying a brand new set of sliders from a different vendor, would be helpful. I'm not sure new sliders from RCI will mount any differently?

 

That’s happened before. Poor QC. Your options are:
1. leave them alone and let them self-clearance,
2. grind or bend away the pinch weld where the support tubes are located,
3. modify the sliders to fit,
4. get new sliders.

it’s a crappy deal but hopefully RCI comes up with a solution that doesn’t end up costing you anything.

 

They just replied and offered washers to put between the slider and the frame. Not the best solution, but its cheap and easy I suppose. But it will remove all the surface contact of the slider plate to the frame to have a washer in between. Poor QC on which end? The sliders? or the truck's pinch weld?

This was their reply:
"The rocksliders will usually have anywhere from about 1/8 " - 1/4" of clearance between the slider support tubes and the pinch seam. There are a couple variables determining that distance. One being the rubber cab mounts of the vehicle. Over time as the rubber mounts deteriorate the cab can start to sag down on the frame slightly. Another being where the support tubes are welded on the frame plate.

If it was a big hit and an 1/8" was what you were working with then possibly it could have bent slightly and now you have contact.

My suggestion is virtually the same as what you have tried while adding a small spacer or thick washer to the bottom mount of the rock slider. I have some very thick washers that I have supplied to customers before to help them shim down their rock slider slightly to help provide a bit of clearance for the pinch weld. They are about 3/16" thick and you can place them in between the bottom flange of the frame plate and the frame of the vehicle. This will keep your slider from sliding back up toward the pinch seam when you tighten down the slider."

 

Maybe buy some thick steel plate and cut up a full length shim to go there instead of a washer?

 

You're expected to notch the pinch weld as needed to clear sliders. This is true with a few vendors. Similar report with Demello sliders. All-Pro . RCI sliders can scrape the door on Access Cabs. Just compromises to tuck the slider as high as possible to maximize ground clearance.

 

This pinch weld is "self notching" due to the (now) repeated impact. I'm not sure how a spacer in the middle bolt, will pull down the front end, which has 3 lateral bolts with plates that hold the front of the slider in place. A fulcrum in the middle won't keep the front cross member off the pinch weld?

 

^You'll need to take an angle grinder to the pinch weld and achieve 1/8" clearance. Touch up exposed metal edges with a paint pen. "Self-notching" will not solve this problem.

 

Fair and easy enough to do. This wasn't an issue until taking the strike in Moab years after the original install... but doesn't appear to have "bent" anything. Thats the mystery. Its likely that something is bent by 1/8th inch causing the 1/8" clearance to now be 0" of clearance. The 0" clearance is only on the front cross member of the right slider. All the rest are still spaced 1/8" or a little more and don't need the pinch weld notched, etc.

 

Stick a 1/4" thk washer between the slider mounting flange and the diagonal face of the transmission crossmember to bring that particular slider leg down.

The front slider leg bends more easily. The rear three legs are on a common large mounting plate.

 

Perhaps the body mount situation is happening which they mentioned?

 

I did have a cab mount chop done more recently as I went with larger tires. That could be in play then with the rubber grommet that sits between the cab and the frame. Thanks!