Sport Trac Slider build has begun..

[chad551]

Went and picked up some steel yesterday. I bought 22' of 2x4x3/16" rectangular tube. Got it for $5.00/foot could not believe it.

So I cut 2 pieces at 6.5' for the sliders and the rest will be for the mounting arms. Will take some pics today.

 

[91ROKKRAWLER]

wow i think i got my 2x3 1/4" wall for like .60/lbs. came out to like 50 or 60 bucks...

 

[chad551]

Here are some pics from yesterdays work. Basically just did some measuring and placement. Abd cut all my support arms and mounting plates. I still need to get my round tube and will do that this week. Going to use 1.5"x .120 tube.

 

[turboexplorer]

Looks good!

 

[91ROKKRAWLER]

you bolting them on or welding them on?

 

[gmanpaint]

Very good news Chad. These will come in handy come time for Moab.

Are you going to have the tubes go up at an angle? Are you planning on removing the body lift at all?

 

[Turdle]

Sweet.
Bring that plasma cutter over here would ya?

 

[chad551]

I will have the support arms going straight, that way there is more protection, plus they are at the same height as the frame. I am still not sure if I will bolt them on or just weld them. Since i will likely never remove the body lift I am leaning towards welding them on.

 

[chad551]

Sweet.
Bring that plasma cutter over here would ya?

It works well, I do not have a cut off saw so I had to cut all my square tubing with my plasma cutter, that was fun making 4 cuts and making them all line up.

 

[chad551]

Did some more work last night. Today will be installation day hopefully. What about paint?? I was thinking the Dupli-Color aerosol can spray bed liner or even the undercoating spray paint from Autozone?

The first two pics are of the 90 I bent and the sleeved inserts I made for added support when welded together.

 

[gmanpaint]

Looks very nice Chad. The inserts are pretty cool Idea as well. Those are by far the longest sliders I have seen yet. How much of a gap is there from the ends of the 2x4 to the sheet metal on the the rig?

If your not powder coating them, I suggest a 2 or 3 part epoxy paint system. 1st coat is a epoxy primer, than a intermediate coat, followed by a top coat. All coats at least 3 mils thick wet. Sherwin Williams sells it in their industrial dept line. The primer is the important coat. Aerosol paint will not last at all on that steel. After sanding/grinding, clean with lacquer thinner and rags.

 

[IZwack]

Looking clean there - excellent workmanship.

 

[chad551]

The sliders are 6.5' long. I am planning on using 3 support arms so hopefully that will be enough. :scratch: I like the idea about the 3 part paint, however I also like the idea when they get all scratched up I can grab my can of bed liner paint and touch them up, plus it will add some traction, cuz these are needed to get into my truck.

 

[chad551]

Got one side done last night, but then I ran out of gas for the welder:thumbdwn:

Here are some pics:

 

[XLTmodifire]

Wow, that looks great!
Nice job on all the welds!

 

[chad551]

Thank you..

 

[turboexplorer]

Looks great!!!

 

[Turdle]

Ahw how sweet of you to do "her" side first.

 

[chad551]

Ahw how sweet of you to do "her" side first.

That is the type of guy I am... Help others first then me.

 

[KPSquared]

The rattle can bed liner will come off so fast you'll be re-spraying every time you leave the driveway. And when you scrape a big chunk off, it'll never look right if you just spray back over it. The undercoating stuff is asphalt based and will come off even easier...

Those sliders look great though!