Skid Plate-Slider question . . .

[davidfkon]

so the Safari Guard and High Country are less . . . ??
Sturdy: protective; expesive . . . ???

 

[jimbiram]

Guys...While I use the High Country Sliders, I do recognize the additional protection that RS provides. But I wanted mainly sill protection, not underbody protection. The RS sliders accomplish some of both, while High Country is along the sill. They also double as side steps due to their 4x2 tube.

High Country is around $679, which is about half of RS price, but I know there is a serious trade-off in strength. But they have saved me many times. In fact, with the sliders, I find myself a little lazy in my driving technique, sometimes relying on the slider instead of finess.
SG are priced in the same neighborhood as HC sliders, and they are similar in construction. The OE is more than a slider, it is a functional addition to the look of the vehicle, that fills in that curve at the bottom of the sill. They are incredibly strong, and they are a complex design, requiring lots of cuts, welds, etc. I think of them as sport sliders....they are really great looking for the guy who only uses their truck offroad occasionally.

 

[davidfkon]

i would like to see/hear more about the OEs . . .

 

[Trynian]

i would like to see/hear more about the OEs . . .

I went with the RS and have felt I got my money worth many times over. Worst case if you by lessor and get the bug you will end up spending more later to upgrade.

 

[davidfkon]

any idea how rover specialty sliders compare to the offroving sliders?
'bout the same cost . . . do both do frame to sill with some kind of rail?

 

[Trynian]

any idea how rover specialty sliders compare to the offroving sliders?
'bout the same cost . . . do both do frame to sill with some kind of rail?

They are the same ones. Off-Roving is a distributer of the RS sliders.

Come out with us on a SCLR trail and we can show you the differences to make a decision. You don't have to join to come out and try it out. I am actually leading the Feb SCLR Cleghorn run at the moment.

As an exerpt to the discussion on I saw on another board I would say get tires first. Then a mantec front plate, I tore that plastic thing off right away. Then the RS sliders if you get the bug and want to more agressive stuff.

Before or after the RS sliders the Raste T-case Guard should be in the mix but I know US sales are at issue at the moment.

 

[Mr.BigsLR3]

Go for it! The best possible thing that could happen to the LR3 market is more choices.

But you sorta phased out on the expensive part of the RS Sliders. More material is required, and significantly more labor than other traditional designs. As for margin, its nil. Everyone involved in making and distributing them has lost money. This is primary due to shipping debacles (sent to wrong country, or impounded by Customs, etc...) and customer service related fulfillment challenges (LR's quality control, related to the subframe members leaves a lot to be desired!) that have erroded the profit margin.

THere are much less expensive options out there, such as HighCountry and SafariGard (as soon as Casey gets back from Iraq), but they do not compare to the RS product in feature in or execution. You aren't driving a Toyota anymore.

Meh, who knows. I just might. But I also know how much of a PITA it is to put something into production.

C'mon Nathan, with what you do for work and what I do for work, we both know that steel is not that expensive. Aluminum alloys? That's a whole different story.

Regarding shipping debacles, that is the fault of the shipper.

I like Safari Gard's solution, just not the end caps on the rails. The angle does not fit properly IMO.

We'll see. I'll do some diggin and see what I can come up with.

 

[nwoods]

so the Safari Guard and High Country are less . . . ??
Sturdy: protective; expesive . . . ???

Yes to all the above, and I would add that there is a pronounced difference in finish as well.

Regarding sturdiness, they all seem to be sufficiently stout for typical use. No worries there with any brand. The main difference in sturdiness is that the RS sliders mount to frame and body, and the others only mount to the body, which puts more stress on sheet metal.

As to what I do and my knowledge of material costs, I'm in architecture, and steel is bought by the pound/ton. I really have no idea about small quanties associated with fab stuff. But I assume that a product with three times as much steel will cost 3x as much also, pound for pound.

 

[Mr.BigsLR3]

As to what I do and my knowledge of material costs, I'm in architecture, and steel is bought by the pound/ton. I really have no idea about small quanties associated with fab stuff. But I assume that a product with three times as much steel will cost 3x as much also, pound for pound.

My apologies. All this time, I thought you were a fellow industrial designer. My bad...

Steel is a lot cheaper to work with and easier to get. Aluminum alloys have a tendency to my more cost prohibitive as most performance parts require lighter materials. In this case, demand constitutes much of where the pricing is.

 

[davidfkon]

why is mantecs front skid almost 2x rasta's? is it THAT much better/thick/provides more coverage?
Are there any othe good front skid plates out there?