Next Venture Motorsports and rock rails/sliders

[PEGB]

You will want to install the NVM skids over the sliders for serviceability.

I would avoid aluminum with uhmw if you plan for hardcore wheeling. NVM is okay but not heavy duty enough for the money. You will find that these systems slowly tweak and become extremely hard to service when needed. I will say Next Venture has last twice as long as my Metalcloak did. The kicker is the stock skids are in better shape than either. I would stick to flat skids, modular and steel(slides pretty good!).

For sliders frame mounted is the only way to go. So far RCI and Lod are my primary choice but I have a option to try ARB for a steal. Yet again factory sliders have been better than most of the aftermarket options.

RCI Transmission and Engine skids are a hard no for me. Ground clearance is the biggest battle to wheeling a bronco and they have massive spacers. I do run RCI transfer case skid and it is nice and tight(also has a rear brace)

I keep pushing Talon Skids for the transmission, good coverage and it will get you 2-3 years of service. This is the consumable skid as you will hit here before any place else. At some point something better will come out but for now Talon offers the best protection with the simplest design (very easy to service).

This sounds like words of wisdom. But the NVM’s are ordered. For me avoiding the New England corrosion pushed me in the aluminum skid direction. Time will tell how foolish that decision was. I was also giving thought to the arb or metal-tech as possible solutions to my NVM dilemma. Both are primarily body mount with Ubolts over the frame. That might be easier to modify for the NVM, if necessary at all.

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[Tor148]

@PEGB
Got a respomse from RCI. It encouraging.

Thanks for your interest in our products!
Most of the mounting holes for the slider are slotted, so you might have enough adjustment in the holes as is to accommodate your skids. If not and you need to drill new holes, there is plenty of edge clearance with the holes, so that shouldn't be a problem. You also might be able to get away with the sliders sitting between the frame and your skids as long as the hardware is long enough to go through both the skid plates and sliders.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks,


Evan Beisner
RCI OFFROAD
P: 970.797.3089
[email protected]

 

[PEGB]

Well that is fantastic customer service. Quick and thorough. It looks like you’ll have to be the one to carry the experiment with the RCI’s. I too found a the ARB’s for under $300 new. The vendor doesn’t have a very good track record so it will be interesting to see if they ever show, but for now, I’m going to try them with the NVM skids. Most of the ARB mounting is to the outer side of the frame and the body mount. There’s a couple of bolts designed to bolt to the bottom of the frame and a u-bolt to figure out how it will work with the NVM’s, but I couldn’t not try them at that price lol. If I can’t get them to work or I don’t like them I’m sure I’ll be able to sell them locally, recoup my money, and get the RCI’s anyway. I’ll be sure to update here as I get the parts and get them installed.

 

[Snacktime]

Pretty sure everything will fit with a grinder.

 

[userdude]

Pretty sure everything will fit with a grinder.

What does a sandwich got to do with it? lol

 

[Snacktime]

What does a sandwich got to do with it? lol

Everything, left over cheddar biscuit sandwich with Tri-Tip watching the snow fall.

 

[userdude]

Everything, left over cheddar biscuit sandwich with Tri-Tip watching the snow fall.

Dang! Well, going over to Buc-ees to see if they got chicken sandwich or sausage on a stick. Not quite the same, I know. lol

 

[Tor148]

Well that is fantastic customer service. Quick and thorough. It looks like you’ll have to be the one to carry the experiment with the RCI’s. I too found a the ARB’s for under $300 new. The vendor doesn’t have a very good track record so it will be interesting to see if they ever show, but for now, I’m going to try them with the NVM skids. Most of the ARB mounting is to the outer side of the frame and the body mount. There’s a couple of bolts designed to bolt to the bottom of the frame and a u-bolt to figure out how it will work with the NVM’s, but I couldn’t not try them at that price lol. If I can’t get them to work or I don’t like them I’m sure I’ll be able to sell them locally, recoup my money, and get the RCI’s anyway. I’ll be sure to update here as I get the parts and get them installed.

Welp, I guess I will be the guinea pig. Ordered.
Watch, they will come in before my skids!!! NVM said they are still waiting on some uhmw, so will see when that comes in.

 

[chtucker]

I have NVM sliders with UHMW and their belly skids with UHMW...

1) Yes the top of the slider collect rocks/debris, there are drain holes, but not enough. I added some. I keep Gatorback mud flaps on until I know I will be rock crawling and then I take them off. I did change out the UHMW hardware to 316 stainless. I had my sliders LineXed as one of my employee's brothers owns a shop. I appreciate the need for graded hardware, but its wet here, thankfully not salty too.

2) I saw one post of someone claiming NVM sliders bending/body bending... Frankly I don't see this as plausible. I really believe if that was the case, frame mounted sliders would have tweaked up as well. NVM sliders have much more substantial brackets and they have far more surface area underneath the body than the stock sliders. I would really like to see pictures of the bent NVM sliders. I am sure there are plenty of decent options for sliders... but I trust the mounting on the NVM sliders as I have dragged them through 7-8 trails in Sand Hollow, been to Moab and I have messed around a bit here in Washington.

3) I disagree with Snacktime on the strength of the aluminum vs steel. Its 1/4" marine grade aluminum. Its backed up by steel brackets/braces. Marine grade aluminum has great attributes for skids (return to shape, give to absorb some impacts, lighter weight) The UHMW both adds slickness and strength as you are essentially putting 1/4" aluminum doubled up with 1/4 to 3/8 UHMW. My UHMW has obviously contacted numerous rocks. Steel would be rusting/gouging and it would be noisy on the trail being dragged over things. I think people are assuming that the NVM skids are like the ASFIR/ARB other brand aluminum skids. I think its a great solution, especially for me in the wet northwest.

NVM has improved delivery times, and I like the family/folks there. I am not some famous Youtuber and I have paid for everything that I have bought from them. My first set of sliders had a defect and I drove over 1000 miles to their shop before I went to Trail Hero in Sand Hollow to meet the owner/designer. I got great customer service.... I say all of this because I like the design and the product. I also have the front bash plate with a stockish Ford Mod bumper... I just ordered their rear bumper with the BF sale. I asked for raw aluminum bumper and powder coated bracketry.

 

[chtucker]

Here are some photos of the NVM skids without my sliders on. I had the pinch weld LineXed

 

[chtucker]

Prior to LineX
I will say the UHMW on the sliders isn't very useful. The UHMW on the belly skids is awesome. At lower than stock height (I had my winch, slider, belly skids, and all my crap in my Bronco) I was able to triple 7s, double sammy, milts mile at Sand Hollow without any incident. I would have trashed my stock steel skids and likely bent my stock fuel tank skid. I do want to add UHMW skids/sliders to my rear upper control arm mounts. I never got hung up, but they are definitely riding up on things. I do have the NVM rear diff skid and their lower shock skids as well....

 

[Snacktime]

I have NVM sliders with UHMW and their belly skids with UHMW...

1) Yes the top of the slider collect rocks/debris, there are drain holes, but not enough. I added some. I keep Gatorback mud flaps on until I know I will be rock crawling and then I take them off. I did change out the UHMW hardware to 316 stainless. I had my sliders LineXed as one of my employee's brothers owns a shop. I appreciate the need for graded hardware, but its wet here, thankfully not salty too.

2) I saw one post of someone claiming NVM sliders bending/body bending... Frankly I don't see this as plausible. I really believe if that was the case, frame mounted sliders would have tweaked up as well. NVM sliders have much more substantial brackets and they have far more surface area underneath the body than the stock sliders. I would really like to see pictures of the bent NVM sliders. I am sure there are plenty of decent options for sliders... but I trust the mounting on the NVM sliders as I have dragged them through 7-8 trails in Sand Hollow, been to Moab and I have messed around a bit here in Washington.

3) I disagree with Snacktime on the strength of the aluminum vs steel. Its 1/4" marine grade aluminum. Its backed up by steel brackets/braces. Marine grade aluminum has great attributes for skids (return to shape, give to absorb some impacts, lighter weight) The UHMW both adds slickness and strength as you are essentially putting 1/4" aluminum doubled up with 1/4 to 3/8 UHMW. My UHMW has obviously contacted numerous rocks. Steel would be rusting/gouging and it would be noisy on the trail being dragged over things. I think people are assuming that the NVM skids are like the ASFIR/ARB other brand aluminum skids. I think its a great solution, especially for me in the wet northwest.

NVM has improved delivery times, and I like the family/folks there. I am not some famous Youtuber and I have paid for everything that I have bought from them. My first set of sliders had a defect and I drove over 1000 miles to their shop before I went to Trail Hero in Sand Hollow to meet the owner/designer. I got great customer service.... I say all of this because I like the design and the product. I also have the front bash plate with a stockish Ford Mod bumper... I just ordered their rear bumper with the BF sale. I asked for raw aluminum bumper and powder coated bracketry.

2) Joe that wheels with us has bent NVM sliders. He was hammering on them to open his driver door.

3) I agree aluminum is stronger per weight but it comes down to yield strength and design. If your going to be using your skids steel is more structural and welded seams are stronger. It's more of the yield strength and deformation that make me say steel only for hard use.

If you want light weight full coverage NVM are good skids. Rubicon crushes aluminum skids like a redneck crush light beer cans. Depends how hard you are going to be on them. A year ago NVM was the pinnacle of skids, now they are in the middle ground. I just think you can get the same coverage for 1/3 the price. Weight wise NVM had an advantage.

Joe doing his thing

 

[chtucker]

2) Joe that wheels with us has bent NVM sliders. He was hammering on them to open his driver door.

3) I agree aluminum is stronger per weight but it comes down to yield strength and design. If your going to be using your skids steel is more structural and welded seams are stronger. It's more of the yield strength and deformation that make me say steel only for hard use.

If you want light weight full coverage NVM are good skids. Rubicon crushes aluminum skids like a redneck crush light beer cans. Depends how hard you are going to be on them. A year ago NVM was the pinnacle of skids, now they are in the middle ground. I just think you can get the same coverage for 1/3 the price. Weight wise NVM had an advantage.

Joe doing his thing

different strokes for different folks for sure… and I respect that. I hope to do the Rubicon in the Bronco someday…

I did it in my TJ, 33s Detroit in the rear, ARB locked Currie Hi Pinion 9” and an Atlas T-case. Only skids I had was the gas tank skid from Tomken machine and I was running a basic short arm lift kit. That was after a week in Montrose, a week in Moab and THEN we went to California.

 

[Snacktime]

@chtucker I think a lot of it comes down to how fast you travel, trail pace today can be grueling. Also trails are getting harder with everyone going to 40s.

 

[DoubleK]

2) I saw one post of someone claiming NVM sliders bending/body bending... Frankly I don't see this as plausible. I really believe if that was the case, frame mounted sliders would have tweaked up as well. NVM sliders have much more substantial brackets and they have far more surface area underneath the body than the stock sliders. I would really like to see pictures of the bent NVM sliders. I am sure there are plenty of decent options for sliders... but I trust the mounting on the NVM sliders as I have dragged them through 7-8 trails in Sand Hollow, been to Moab and I have messed around a bit here in Washington.

9:50 mark on shows it tweaked enough the door wont open.

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