RTR Sliders Post-Rubicon Damage Report + Video of Bronco in Soup Bowl (did not make it up)

[Love Shop Auto Lo]

i see bead lock wheels in your future!

Exactly! My biz partner recommended we mess our wheels up first before we send them out to get the bead lock treatment. Here's one of our customer's truck rocking a black version of what I'm getting done to mine

Sponsored

 

[Love Shop Auto Lo]

Having run the Rubicon for many years, I know exactly where you’re at, you do realize that the trail continues past that obstacle to the passengers side? First rule of thumb, if in doubt, get out and walk your line and never trust a spotter especially if it’s someone you don’t know or that doesn’t know your vehicle

Honestly, I can't argue anything you're saying. Lessons learned for sure lol.

 

[Love Shop Auto Lo]

No need for this guy, his tires are the weak link instead of the tie rods, they just go "poof" and loose 3/4 the air on a ABSURD impact!!! And then re-bead themselve with the proper 8 PSI for crawling

Im truely surprized the tie rods, rack, and or CVs or the eager drivers thumbs did not SNAP.

^I always ask myself what the downsides are with all the reinforcement on the tie rods and steering rack. More on my theory on that later. For this trip I brought two sets of extra inner and out tie rods with me. I took some notes from my favorite Youtube show, 4WD24/7.

I'd like to think that having a background in karting, drifting, and doing track days help. Concepts like weight transfer, and learning how to gather feedback from the vehicle goes a long way in the world of off-roading.

Also, I thought the rule of thumb (lol)in off-roading is thumbs outside the wheel, in racing it's thumbs in the wheel. I guess with that in the back of my mind, I avoided the issue of my thumbs getting ripped.

Back to the steering rack and tie rod thing. I have no date or knowledge of anything I'm about to say. I'm just pulling conclusions from what I've observed throughout my years in cars and what I've been following on here

1) I'm sticking to 35's. I really wanna do 37's but I'm afraid that it will cause more stress and tension on the tie rods when you're crawling.

2) No reinforcing tie rods because I feel like you're gonna put tension or stress further up stream like the steering rack

3) Why not do the steering rack and tie rod reinforcement? Because it's hella expensive lol. I'm eyeing the bronco buster kit. BUT!
a) I haven't outdriven the stock components to call for that yet

b) if you're careful enough with your steering angle and know when to turn your lockers on and point your wheels straight you avoid the problem all together?

 

[Love Shop Auto Lo]

In regards to the sliders, I think that's a bad name.
Because these parts,

Will end up catching you on a rock, vs allowing you to slide over it.
You can already see how much they were hitting things

Oh yeah I totally agree. If it was flat, we'd be good

Do expect to get hung up

 

[broadicustomworks]

I think the first time I have to pull these to refinish them, I'm going to POR15 them and then topcoat them with the spray cans of Raptor Upol. Drill out the drain holes to be much larger. And maybe see if there is a way to just replace those blind nuts with bolts and regular nuts. Other than that, I do not doubt their strength at all.

Once you see how poorly POR15 actually is at doing what it is advertised as doing, you'll never consider it.
It begins with a good effort and the right thing, with the metal prep system they supply with the kit. But it ends there.
It creates a shell that is not as durable and tough as advertised.
Once moisture gets in there behind it, it actually accelerates the rusting. OR amplifies it if you are trying to coat prior-rusty parts that you did not get ALL of the rust off of.

The shell makes the rust spread and eat away under the coating as it is now a barrier to encapsulate the moisture and hold it in against the raw steel.

I redid a floor pan on a truck that the guy put POR15 on about 10 years prior. The POR15 was the only thing holding the pan together at this point. Once it came off in sheets with rust attached to the backside of it, the rust was horrendous.

Same result restoring a few frames that had the same treatment.

You would be better served with a zinc-rich epoxy primer and forget POR15 ever existed.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

^I always ask myself what the downsides are with all the reinforcement on the tie rods and steering rack. More on my theory on that later. For this trip I brought two sets of extra inner and out tie rods with me. I took some notes from my favorite Youtube show, 4WD24/7.

I'd like to think that having a background in karting, drifting, and doing track days help. Concepts like weight transfer, and learning how to gather feedback from the vehicle goes a long way in the world of off-roading.

Also, I thought the rule of thumb (lol)in off-roading is thumbs outside the wheel, in racing it's thumbs in the wheel. I guess with that in the back of my mind, I avoided the issue of my thumbs getting ripped.

Back to the steering rack and tie rod thing. I have no date or knowledge of anything I'm about to say. I'm just pulling conclusions from what I've observed throughout my years in cars and what I've been following on here

1) I'm sticking to 35's. I really wanna do 37's but I'm afraid that it will cause more stress and tension on the tie rods when you're crawling.

2) No reinforcing tie rods because I feel like you're gonna put tension or stress further up stream like the steering rack

3) Why not do the steering rack and tie rod reinforcement? Because it's hella expensive lol. I'm eyeing the bronco buster kit. BUT!
a) I haven't outdriven the stock components to call for that yet

b) if you're careful enough with your steering angle and know when to turn your lockers on and point your wheels straight you avoid the prob

^I always ask myself what the downsides are with all the reinforcement on the tie rods and steering rack. More on my theory on that later. For this trip I brought two sets of extra inner and out tie rods with me. I took some notes from my favorite Youtube show, 4WD24/7.

I'd like to think that having a background in karting, drifting, and doing track days help. Concepts like weight transfer, and learning how to gather feedback from the vehicle goes a long way in the world of off-roading.

Also, I thought the rule of thumb (lol)in off-roading is thumbs outside the wheel, in racing it's thumbs in the wheel. I guess with that in the back of my mind, I avoided the issue of my thumbs getting ripped.

Back to the steering rack and tie rod thing. I have no date or knowledge of anything I'm about to say. I'm just pulling conclusions from what I've observed throughout my years in cars and what I've been following on here

1) I'm sticking to 35's. I really wanna do 37's but I'm afraid that it will cause more stress and tension on the tie rods when you're crawling.

2) No reinforcing tie rods because I feel like you're gonna put tension or stress further up stream like the steering rack

3) Why not do the steering rack and tie rod reinforcement? Because it's hella expensive lol. I'm eyeing the bronco buster kit. BUT!
a) I haven't outdriven the stock components to call for that yet

b) if you're careful enough with your steering angle and know when to turn your lockers on and point your wheels straight you avoid the problem all together?

Naw this aint that....more like you sidesteped murphys law by having trail spares handy. Had you left the tierods at home that s*** would have broke for sure!!! Looks like a BB vid...ALOT. glad you know to keep your thumbs "up" tho.

 

[TakeNoGuff]

I've watched a lot of spotting out there, and half of them, I would tell them to go sit down.

Sponsored