Rockslide Engineering sliders/steps any good? How's the install?

[WILDHOBO]

My wife taught me years ago- buy it once, not 2 or 3 times. And other car people taught me when I was a teen -buy the best you can afford. Making it work later costs more time and money. (they were talking cars, but tools count too, IMO.)

I wanted something that would be more useful and versatile for larger things (tired of using a torch for so much, even bending steel rods and bars). I can heat up a piece of rebar to orange in seconds and bend it into a loop to anchor coon traps to the ground - torch never touched.
Did I spend "too much" - some might say so. But using something at 70% capacity means it will last forever. Using something at 100% capacity all the time - won't last as long and I'll get impatient and frustrated.
I just figured - while I'm doing it, do it one time and be done.
I have also used it to heat pulleys and help get them off tight shafts or where they were rusted onto the shaft

I’ve always been of the same mind.

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[WILDHOBO]

Unrelated,

I just ordered the one linked below. I wanted the most wattage in a handheld. Same brand. I also ordered a pack of various coils. I know when I get it back I’m going to need to hit 6 body bolts on a 5 year old jeep. I’m not risking it. Even though this was expensive. And I’m pretty sure it will all but replace my propane torch.

https://a.co/d/0aiy1MJK

 

[WILDHOBO]

Arrived just now. Let’s see if that alternator bolt comes out of the block on the Willys.

 

[RacerAV]

I’m seeing pretty big price gaps depending on vendor and wattage. Is the induction innovations vendor that much better? They’re typically 200 more for comparable stuff from solary. It seems like the highest 110v units are 1800w. I’m inclined to go big or go home if it’s a $100 difference. Thoughts @ShadowsPapa and @RacerAV? Thanks.

I'm generally an "over buyer" as well, lol... but on this specific tool, for the $130 or whatever it is now, and the amount I use it, and how hot it gets the bolts, it's sufficient for me... don't get sucked down the rabbit hole and spend more than you have to. I think mine is only 1000w, and MAN it works fast. Zero regrets.

 

[RacerAV]

Unrelated,

I just ordered the one linked below. I wanted the most wattage in a handheld. Same brand. I also ordered a pack of various coils. I know when I get it back I’m going to need to hit 6 body bolts on a 5 year old jeep. I’m not risking it. Even though this was expensive. And I’m pretty sure it will all but replace my propane torch.

https://a.co/d/0aiy1MJK

Holy cow that thing is nice, pricey but nice! Good luck on the stuck bolts!

 

[WILDHOBO]

Holy cow that thing is nice, pricey but nice! Good luck on the stuck bolts!

Haven’t gotten it out yet, but I’m being gentle. I haven’t gone to red hot though. Don’t want to start a fire.

 

[RacerAV]

Haven’t gotten it out yet, but I’m being gentle. I haven’t gone to red hot though. Don’t want to start a fire.

Yeah I'd imagine you can easily melt the rubber body bushings... When I did mine, I think I heated for 5 seconds, waited 5 seconds, that cycle like 3 or 4 times then removed the bolts easily, they hold the heat so no need to over do it, and also be careful not to grab it lol...

 

[WILDHOBO]

Haven’t gotten it out yet, but I’m being gentle. I haven’t gone to red hot though. Don’t want to start a fire.

I got it out, but it wasn’t super easy. It wasn’t seized in the block. It was seized in the alternator. So heated it and got it out of the block carefully, then cut it and pulled it. Replaced the alternator and belt and the squeal is gone. Before and after sounds.

 

[BillR1]

I finished the install yesterday. My body bolts came out fine, as I had just installed the Rockhard 4x4 rails about a year ago.
The rubber seal on the body is WAY easier to install after the rail is on. No measuring is required.
Everything else went pretty smooth.

 

[Oingofan]

I'm at the step of putting on the Rock Slide Engineering Step Sliders on my 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and freaking out on seeing all the posts on broken body bolts. The repair for all of them seems like what nightmares are made of and something I don't want to even consider getting myself into. Local truck accessories shop wants to charge $800 to install just the sliders (not the wiring). Way too much!

So, I'm hoping a good induction heater would do the job right. I ordered a 1300w model that should arrive tomorrow. Best method of using it is 5 seconds on, wait 5 seconds, then repeat 3-4 times (to avoid melting rubber bushings)? Then slowly remove (reversing as needed). Would a torque wrench with 18mm torque socket work (set to about 50-60 ft lbs) or is it better to get an impact wrench?

Do you know if the locktite reforms after it cools? If so, would I need to heat up again to tighten down to 80 ft. lbs.?

Any advice you can give me would be appreciated! Thanks!!!!

 

[Pliny]

Do not use an impact wrench.

The induction heater will head up the head of the bolt. The bolts are long (in particular the rear) and the thread locker is way far away at the other end up the bolt on the threads. It is going to take numerous apply heat / pause / repeat cycles for the heat that you apply to the bolt head to make it's way down shank of the bolt to the threads and then to the thread locker to eventually heat that cured compound up enough to soften it. You're trying to slowly get that bolt heated up all the way through to the threads. Take your time. The time you spend heating it up is much, much, much less than the time it would take to deal with a broken body mount bolt.

Follow the ~1/8th of a turn loosen, ~1/16 tighten process to clear the threads.

The bolts will cool off as you're working on loosening them, so you'll want to heat them back up.

If you have an infrared thermometer you can use that to measure the temperature of the bolt.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Do not use an impact wrench.

The induction heater will head up the head of the bolt. The bolts are long (in particular the rear) and the thread locker is way far away at the other end up the bolt on the threads. It is going to take numerous apply heat / pause / repeat cycles for the heat that you apply to the bolt head to make it's way down shank of the bolt to the threads and then to the thread locker to eventually heat that cured compound up enough to soften it. You're trying to slowly get that bolt heated up all the way through to the threads. Take your time. The time you spend heating it up is much, much, much less than the time it would take to deal with a broken body mount bolt.

Follow the ~1/8th of a turn loosen, ~1/16 tighten process to clear the threads.

The bolts will cool off as you're working on loosening them, so you'll want to heat them back up.

If you have an infrared thermometer you can use that to measure the temperature of the bolt.

Very good advice. Hand tools only. I’ve been through my body bolts twice now and none are broken. And a friend has done this on 4 jeeps without breakage. His sliders require removal. You only need to loosen them. If they seem like they’re getting stuck, just tighten slightly and stay patient. Also, I recommend doing one at a time. Meaning loosen that one, install the bracket, then move to the next. If you have an issue with one of them, you don’t want to me sitting there with all of them loose.

 

[Pliny]

Do you know if the locktite reforms after it cools? If so, would I need to heat up again to tighten down to 80 ft. lbs.?

I heated them back up when it came to the point to torque each body mount bolt.

It isn't as if when you heat them up to loosen them a bunch of liquid thread locker drains out onto the floor. All of that material is still up in there on the threads of the bolt and nut.

Don't know exactly which pre-applied thread locker Stellantis uses on these bolts. There are these pre-applied thread lockers / sealants made by Henkel Adhesives.

https://dm.henkel-dam.com/is/content/henkel/LOCTITE_preapplied_threadlockerspdf

The different colored thread locker material indicate different properties, e.g. prevail torque, cure time, temperature limits, etc.

When I did mine, I borrowed the infrared thermometer that we have for the kitchen. Got the bolts to above 300F. A couple came loose with no struggle. The rear bolts take a long time to heat up.

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