Sliders....fill plates or not?

Those with Sliders, do you recommend the fill plates or not. Is the advantage of using it for step out weight the amount of mud/debris the plates collect? If you didn't get them and wish you did or is it the other way around?

About to order some sliders and need to decide if I should get the fill plates or not. Thanks!

 

A buddy of mine didn't have fill plates, ran over a branch which promptly was tossed in between the legs of the slider. Wedged up against his door and locked him in as well as left a big dent.
Now the chances of that happening again are slim, but something to think about.

I don't have fill plates, but if I were to get sliders again I'd opt for fill plates.

 

I just ordered some 4x innovations sliders. No fill plate, but I'm considering putting some grip tape on the top for a more effective "step".

 

This was the same story I was going to reference lol.

I don't have fill plates either and I'd reckon that most people don't, but there is a risk involved despite it being uncommon. I like the look of no fill plates personally but they would work better as steps with them if that's something you might want.

My gf uses the sliders as steps and without the fill plates she has to be careful not to let her foot slide through the bar.

 

I have caught my feet in them when it's wet. Fortunately not a actual fall resulting in a broken ankle.

 

Most fill plates are pretty thin material and seem more like decoration than anything else, so I'm unsure how effective they'd be at preventing damage from the situation you described. So if you wanted something that can withstand a good impact, I would think you'd still need to reinforce the fill plate, or go with extra heavy gauge (3/16's) material than what is typically used.

I'd be more concerned about a stick getting wedged up in any one of the numerous other nooks and crannies under the frame/body where there are far more vulnerable things like wires, fuel/air lines, etc... Body damage? pffft, that's a trail trophy...

 

Thats a concern as we get a fair amount of snow/weather at times.

 

There isn't much space between my sliders and the body of my truck, they're tucked pretty close to it so my big feet aren't at risk of slipping into them. My g/f has tiny feet though. It would depend on which sliders you're looking at and how they end up mounted to your truck, every brand/make of sliders is a little different.

 

You could always add grip tape or something similar to add extra grip. Only really gets me when I'm leaning in the truck and step out backwards (like cleaning out the back seat after a trip)

 

Since getting a dog, ive wished i had plates. 1 slip could seriously hurt him.

So far he jumps right in, but u never know

 

This is a good point to consider if you have a dog, I never thought of that. When he gets older it might be good to get a little ramp for him to walk up into the truck

 

Thinking Mobtown bolt on's and yeah, 2 dogs who are always in tow, so that's a good point.

 

I don't have any experience with them but I do know that @Mobtown Offroad is highly regarded on this forum, a lot of members on here have their sliders and love them. Maybe Mobtown can help you out with some specifics or someone could post pics of their's on their truck.

 

Pelfrebilt are bolt on too.

 

Our fill plates are dimpled 3/4" holes and they were literally designed like this so my two dogs paws did not slip through them and get hurt.

 

We run a few trucks with and without fill plates. From purely a function standpoint, I've noticed that fill plates are either beneficial or not based on the user. For instance, I have a size 12 shoe, and that shoe to too big to really get any of it on the fill plates to make a difference, I end up always standing on the outer tube. Now my 2 year old, or wife with heals on, or my dog, they sure like fill plates because of smaller shoes... or paws, especially sliders with a kicker.

I don't feel they collect any more debris that sliders without fill plates. All our trails here on the east coast are mud covered, and really the legs are going to get covered the most, so if you are already spraying out the body's rocker panels and slider legs, its really no additional work to spray the bottom of the fill plates also.

For a fill plate design, dimple dies look great, we make the down and up based on what the user wants. Dimple down looks really good to me, my brother like his up, but dimple die up does provide a grip surface. Diamond plate is really the best for a grip surface as the are more bitting edges that dimple die up could provide. Really there are a lot of options out there, and you can't go wrong with any good frame mounted slider.

Here's some of those fill plate designs we make for reference.

Dimple Die Down


Dimple Die Up


Diamond Plate

 

I opted for fill plates on mine, glad I did, I use them as steps all the time, especially when washing the truck, plus it's another way for me to get in and out of the bed.

One unanticipated benefit is that it helps a little with keeping mud and debris from hitting the side of the truck kinda like a mud flap.

Mine stick out just far enough that I can use the kickout section to sit on. Not a big deal when you have a tailgate but I've still used it as such on occasion. Plate is a lot more comphy to sit on than tube.

 

Get the fill plates.

 

This was a planned benefit in my case. I like fill plates as I think they make the product look more finished as an OEM product vs off-road after-thought bolt on, they protect the side of the truck from debris, and they offer a sold step for my 4yr old and girl friend.

You can see all my thoughts here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/all-pro-apex-bolt-on-sliders.450494/

 

Your 4 year old is your girlfriend!?



Why don't you have a seat over there...