Alright so as some of you know, I was fortunate enough to be selected for the @4 Wheel Parts / Tacoma3g.com giveaway! Big shoutout to @Tyler for setting it all up and also many thanks to 4WP for the hookup. Never would have thought I'd win something this sweet!
This past weekend I finally got the opportunity to install these behemoths. And I do mean BEHEMOTHS because man, are they heavy! Weighing in at ~83lbs each, the hardest part of the install is maneuvering them around underneath the truck. For whatever reason I'm stubborn and decided to install these on my own and needless to say my back is paying for it. Totally worth it though. Anyway, here's what they look like unboxed:
The kit is offered as a 100% bolt-on fitment to our 3rd Gen Tacoma DCSB. Included is all hardware necessary for bolt-on installation, plus some extras! By extras, I mean it comes with extra hardware to bolt up rock lights since there are provisions for one light per bar, mounted dead center. I thought that was interesting since most people would want to run two lights, one at either end, right?
Also included is their "HD" hardware kit. This is extra hardware that you can use to further increase the sliders strength by drilling into the trucks frame and using pre-drilled holes in the slider brackets. I believe it adds 2 additional points of securement per side using a 7/16ths drill bit. For now, I decided not to drill any extra holes in my frame since it's still on lease.
Overall the installation is very simple and the instructions are great. They've included all new brackets and mount systems for the electronics that are easy to install and also high quality, powdercoated pieces to match. The main issues I ran into during install were:
1: I had to use a jack to lift up on the front-most slider support to get the front holes to line up on both sides. They wouldn't line up with the truck on the ground.
- My reasoning for this would be that the sliders were built using measurements taken from a truck that was on a lift. Maybe what I'm running into is the actual frame flexing from vehicle weight? Or, maybe the opposite. Perhaps the frame flexes the opposite direction when on a lift? Who knows.
2: The driver side front-most bracket runs dangerously close to the factory electrical. Make sure you clear the wires from around the bracket and don't let them get sandwiched. This is not mentioned in the instructions.
- By dangerously close, I mean the small plastic clip that holds the electrical wires on the frame needs to be manipulated. The wires generally hang below this plastic clip and are affixed with tape. You'll need to either remove the clip (somehow without breaking it) or you can stretch/flex the tape and push the wiring upwards and away from the bracket. Once stretched, the bracket mounts right below the clip almost perfectly. So, no need to delete the clip. Just be careful with the wiring. Instructions don't mention anything about this.
3: The passenger side instructions are missing a step about the centrally located mount point. There's a bracket with stud that needs to be installed to sandwich the center of the slider mount bracket similar to the one used on the rear slider mount brackets. Not a big deal, the hole used is very similar to the ones in the back.
4: 4WP supplies a small metal "shim" thats supposed to get sandwiched between the front-most mount bracket and the frame. The shim they supply won't align properly with the sldier bracket or hole in the frame because the edges are too thick.
- Can be fixed with a little grinding. I was tired as hell so I skipped it for now. Might revisit later when I do the HD update/install. Might not.
Otherwise, everything is solid! Very high quality from what I can tell. Solid welds, high quality powdercoat, unique looks and construction. They definitely seem like they can take a beating. Also to note, there are zero visible welds or sharp edges on the outward facing slider components and the 4WP cutout is very precise and clean. They tuck very tight to the truck and look fantastic. I'm always in for supporting the smaller local fabricators but these are hard to beat for the price and widespread availability! Not to mention I got them for free so once again THANKS 4WP!
Here's a video covering the quality after I pulled em out of the box:
Here's some subpar pics that don't do them justice (for now):
This past weekend I finally got the opportunity to install these behemoths. And I do mean BEHEMOTHS because man, are they heavy! Weighing in at ~83lbs each, the hardest part of the install is maneuvering them around underneath the truck. For whatever reason I'm stubborn and decided to install these on my own and needless to say my back is paying for it. Totally worth it though. Anyway, here's what they look like unboxed:
The kit is offered as a 100% bolt-on fitment to our 3rd Gen Tacoma DCSB. Included is all hardware necessary for bolt-on installation, plus some extras! By extras, I mean it comes with extra hardware to bolt up rock lights since there are provisions for one light per bar, mounted dead center. I thought that was interesting since most people would want to run two lights, one at either end, right?
Also included is their "HD" hardware kit. This is extra hardware that you can use to further increase the sliders strength by drilling into the trucks frame and using pre-drilled holes in the slider brackets. I believe it adds 2 additional points of securement per side using a 7/16ths drill bit. For now, I decided not to drill any extra holes in my frame since it's still on lease.
Overall the installation is very simple and the instructions are great. They've included all new brackets and mount systems for the electronics that are easy to install and also high quality, powdercoated pieces to match. The main issues I ran into during install were:
1: I had to use a jack to lift up on the front-most slider support to get the front holes to line up on both sides. They wouldn't line up with the truck on the ground.
- My reasoning for this would be that the sliders were built using measurements taken from a truck that was on a lift. Maybe what I'm running into is the actual frame flexing from vehicle weight? Or, maybe the opposite. Perhaps the frame flexes the opposite direction when on a lift? Who knows.
2: The driver side front-most bracket runs dangerously close to the factory electrical. Make sure you clear the wires from around the bracket and don't let them get sandwiched. This is not mentioned in the instructions.
- By dangerously close, I mean the small plastic clip that holds the electrical wires on the frame needs to be manipulated. The wires generally hang below this plastic clip and are affixed with tape. You'll need to either remove the clip (somehow without breaking it) or you can stretch/flex the tape and push the wiring upwards and away from the bracket. Once stretched, the bracket mounts right below the clip almost perfectly. So, no need to delete the clip. Just be careful with the wiring. Instructions don't mention anything about this.
3: The passenger side instructions are missing a step about the centrally located mount point. There's a bracket with stud that needs to be installed to sandwich the center of the slider mount bracket similar to the one used on the rear slider mount brackets. Not a big deal, the hole used is very similar to the ones in the back.
4: 4WP supplies a small metal "shim" thats supposed to get sandwiched between the front-most mount bracket and the frame. The shim they supply won't align properly with the sldier bracket or hole in the frame because the edges are too thick.
- Can be fixed with a little grinding. I was tired as hell so I skipped it for now. Might revisit later when I do the HD update/install. Might not.
Otherwise, everything is solid! Very high quality from what I can tell. Solid welds, high quality powdercoat, unique looks and construction. They definitely seem like they can take a beating. Also to note, there are zero visible welds or sharp edges on the outward facing slider components and the 4WP cutout is very precise and clean. They tuck very tight to the truck and look fantastic. I'm always in for supporting the smaller local fabricators but these are hard to beat for the price and widespread availability! Not to mention I got them for free so once again THANKS 4WP!
Here's a video covering the quality after I pulled em out of the box:
Here's some subpar pics that don't do them justice (for now):
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