Sliders




	I was shopping around for the best-bang-for-the-buck sliders, and ran upon a thread in the forums on the Trail-Gear Sliders. Price was $299 w/ Free Shipping. Decision made. I was greatly surprised when I received the sliders via UPS just a week after ordering. They are heavy-duty and the quality is outstanding.

	20 January 2007 - Unpack and prep for paint.

	As mine were ordered unpainted, there were a few steps that had to be taken before I could bolt them up the the FJ. Anyone who has ever dealt with steel and fabrication know that there is a lot of oil after cutting and welding. These were no exception. I spent a few hours on day one degreasing the sliders. I used a concentrated Simple Green cleanser and did some scrubbing. If you want paint to hold, the steel MUST be clean.



	I really like the design of these sliders. The added gussets really look to add strength to the whole assembly. The welds are strong and look much better than mine.



	I got the sliders fairly clean, but as there’s a little welding splatter, I figured I’d run them thru the sandblaster as the next step. This will remove any trace of the splatter along with removing any of the trace oils I might have missed. The better it looks before painting, the better it’ll look after painting. (That’s the sandblaster to the right of the sliders in the photo below.)



	22 January 2007


	This is what I chose for the paint. The Hammered Black creates a finish much like the stock roof rack. Ended up using one can of primer each, and one can of black per rail on the first coat. I’ll use another can a piece for the final coat.


	Sandblasted the rails with steel shot this morning. Finished up with a wipe down with solvent to get rid of the last traces of oil and debris. Into the paint booth. Felt kind of odd using spray cans in the booth, but it was warm, well lit and ventilated so I didn’t care.


	Primered, dried and ready for the top coat.


	First top coat applied. It looks gray in the photo, but it is black.


	<<<--- Another angle.

		I’ll let them hang another 48 hours to dry and apply the last coat. I’ll bolt them on Friday after work. I debated on sending them out to get powder coated, but I figured paint would be easier to touch up after getting beat up on the rocks. I’m happy with the finished look. I’ll have to wait and see how well this paint holds up to the weather. Lots of salt and gravel on the roads now and it won’t be gone ‘till Spring.


	Well, today was the coldest day this Winter so far. I awoke to 6 F. Got the rails on and took it for a spin. It doesn’t take long for a good layer of snow and ice to accumulate on the sliders, but it was well worth it. These will offer true protection.




	If the weather gets any better this weekend, I’ll hose ‘er off and get some better pictures.


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	Bill Smith - webmaster@swronline.com Somerset, PA USA