C4 Fabrication Rock Slider on 5th Gen 4Runner – Install & Review

C4 Fabrication Rock Sliders Install, Review, and Overview on 5th Generation Toyota 4Runner

The C4 Fab Sliders are a good option. My girl originally bought these for her 2016 SR5 but they will end up going on our 2014 trail.

After looking at the step a little closer in detail, we felt that these sliders are a better fit for our 4Runner that will actually use them (and, I really wanted them). On another note, my girl forgot to order the plates that bolt on top of the sliders (well see how they work without).

Our 2016 SR5 is more of a mall crawler and child pick-up so we need to get some steps that can accommodate a 3-year-old learning how to step and a woman who wears high-heals.

The Slee Sliders are a big contender but at $1000, a little pricey for how they would be used (no off-road use at all). As we are still in the hunt for a pair of sliders for the SR5, we will be throwing the C4 Fab sliders on the 2014 Trail.

Find it Online: 

• Rock Sliders with or without top plates: Check Price

Slider Specs & Options

• Cost: $798 + $90 Residential Freight + $199 to Powdercoat = $1087

The C4 sliders are well-priced compared to other sliders and nerf bars. Weighing the cost of these rock sliders will determine how much your 4Runner will be on and off-road. If you are strictly getting these for looks, they may not be the best option for you, because of the price.

On a previous post, we broke down the cost of many different rock sliders, nerf bars, and steps. Before you jump on a  set of sliders, do your research and move on something that you know is right for how you use your 4Runner.

There are other rock sliders, nerf bars, and aftermarket running boards out there that are much lighter and for a lot less money like the N-fab nerf bars (only $340), however, these will not hold-up at all compared to the C4 sliders.

If you are looking for a pair of aftermarket running boards or rock sliders because you may actually need them on a remote trail somewhere, then these are a great option. The $1000 price tag (if you get them powder coated) is well worth it if you have off-road ambitions.

Features

• Sliders that double as Steps
• Custom Trail, TRD stamp options
• Bolt on System (No Drilling or Welding)
• Thick Plates and Gussets
• Slider legs sit at 45-degree angle for enhanced off-road performance
• Dimple Step Plates (Foot Traction)
• Option to fabricate without step plates
• Removable Step Plates (Cleaning and option to leave off & Coating Options)
• DOM Steel Tube (Drawn Over Mandrel – Super Strong)

Drawbacks

• No powder coat options available (You need to take it in somewhere local)
• 4-8 week production timeline (Who likes waiting?)
• Super Heavy

KDSS Vs. Non-KDSS

When you’re looking into a set of C4 Fab sliders, it is important to note that there is quite the difference between the KDSS version and the Non-KDSS. The Non-KDSS version is a full plate design on both driver and passenger that mounts to your frame.

The KDSS version has very distinct cuts on the driver side to accommodate the KDSS reservoir or pump (or, whatever that section that is mounted to your frame is). If you buy a set of Non-KDSS sliders and try to mount them, you simply will not be able to.

Not unless, you take your rock sliders into a 4×4 shop, cut them yourself or have an iron shop chop them up. This issue was caused for us because my girl with the SR5 (Non-KDSS) purchased the sliders for her 4Runner and then later realized that there was no way she would be able to step on them with high-heels. This brought on the install for the TEP (Trail Edition Premium) with KDSS.

We took the C4 Fab sliders into our local fab shop who we have a pretty good relationship with and they chopped them apart. Thankfully, C4 Fab sent us the CAD mock-ups of the SR5 and the KDSS sliders back to back. With this, we were able to cut the same lines in order to mount the sliders.

Working With C4 Fab

Working with C4 Fabrication was easy. Caleb, the owner, worked with us to get the correct CAD mock-ups together in order for our local fabrication company to make the cuts.

Customer service is huge in any industry, but in this industry, it really is hard to hard to find a fab company that responds to emails in a timely manner, truly cares about their customers and will go the extra mile to make sure everything is going smooth.

There are many companies out there in this industry who have shit for customer service and C4 Fab holds it down. If you are looking for a set of rock sliders for your 5th Gen, C4 is a solid choice.

Two Rounds of Powder Coating the Sliders?

Initially, we had the C4 Fab sliders powder coated in black. I had my buddy drop them off at the powder coat shop and to tell the guy (textured matte black – TEXTURED). Of course, we picked them up three weeks later and they were high gloss. Blinding your face gloss, black. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, I know.

It was a good thing we needed to chop them apart to fit out KDSS because we decided against the gloss black and just sent them straight back to a different powder coat for textured matte bronze powder coat from Prismatic Powders. On a side note, I have been writing this blog post for over two months, so we will see what happens with the final install and how everything looks.

We finally got the matte bronze rock sliders back and they were pretty epic. In the dark and shade, they look black. In the sun, you can really see the bronze color come out. While in the dark shade, the sliders look amazing. But, in the sun, they are absolutely stunning. You can see bronze and tiny flakes of gold. We did go pretty fancy on powder coating these sliders. And, at the end of the day, they are going to get beat to shit so it will look nice for the better part of a year. It was just nice to do something different.

Install with Snail Trail 4×4

Unpackage Hardware

First, start by unpacking all of the hardware that C4 fabrication provides. You should have a plethora of 13mm bolts that will bolt your rock sliders directly to the frame rail. Then you will have one long bolt with washers and a lock washer for the passenger side along with two additional self-tapping bolts for the passenger side as well. If you ordered your rock sliders with steps, C4 fabrication may provide additional step bolts for you.

Step 1. Unbolt KDSS and Brake Line

Step 2. Unbolt Gas Tank Skid Plate

In order to position the bottom of the rock slider underneath the frame rail, you need to remove the front three bolts for sure, and possibly loosen the two additional bolts on the inside of the gas tank skid plate. We did not need to fully remove the bolt that is directly next to the drive shaft. And for the last bolt, we slightly loosened it about halfway so that some threads were still holding the gas tank skid plate into place.

Step 3. Remove KDSS Skid Plates

You will need to remove the KDSS accumulator assembly skid plates, however the most important one is the lower KDSS hydraulic line skid plate. You don’t actually need to fully remove the larger KDSS skid plate, however it may make the install a little easier.

Step 4. Plastic Pry Tools or Shim for KDSS Lines

You want me to slide the rock slider underneath the hydraulic KDSS lines, and seeing how the lines are very rigid oh, you can’t just pull them back with your hand. You need something to pry them away from the frame rail. A shim or a plastic pry tool will do the job just fine. They are incredibly rigid so take your time and be careful.

Step 5. Support Jacks and Align Sliders Into Place

Once you have fully removed and unbolted everything necessary, place your rock sliders on a set of jack stands at equal heights and walk them towards the frame rail. Once you start getting close to the frame, you can position the rock slider up into place and start bolting it down. For now, loosely thread as many bolts as you can into place. You will come back later and fully torque everything down.

Step 6. Use Loctite and Prepare for Bolting Down Sliders

If you want to take an added bit of security, you can add Loctite to all the bolts that you are threading into the frame rail.

Step 7. Bolt Down Sliders & Attach Gas Tank Skid

Once you start getting most of the bolts into the frame, you can pull back the jack stands, and ensure that the sliders are securely in place.

Step 8. Small KDSS Skid Plate Tab

For our installation, the smaller KDSS skid plate did need to be cut in order for the sliders to fit. This is an incredibly small cut.

Step 9. Passenger Side is Easy

The passenger side is very straightforward. You have 11 volts along the frame rail, 1 long bolt that goes through the frame rail, and then two additional self-tapping bolts.

Step 10. Through Frame Bolt

Using a 14mm socket or wrench on both sides, torque the bolts into place.

Step 11. Drill Hole & Tap Transmission Crossmember

Before drilling a hole into the transmission crossmember, first, bolt the entire rock slider up to the frame rail. Then you can drill a 5/16 hole in between the large pre-drilled cutout holes that come on the rock slider into the frame rail.

Once you have successfully drilled your 5/16 bit holes into the crossmember, you can proceed to thread in your self-tapping bolt (pictured above). In order to get the best bite on your self-tapping bolt, start with an impact gun at an angle (same angle of rock slider flange) using the pressure of your chest against the impact driver towards the frame rail. Self-tapping threads on the screw or about a quarter-inch deep.

Step 12. Hand Torque Self Tapping Bolt

Once you get just passed the self-tapping threads, you should have now successfully tapped threads through the frame rail. Now you can take off your 14 mm bolt/impact gun and hand torque the rest of the bolt through the frame rail using a ratcheting wrench.

Step 13. Self Tapping Bolt

It’s important to note the orientation of the bolt and washer against the rock slider flange and transmission crossmember. You want your bolt and washer to sit on a parallel plane against the rock slider flange and transmission crossmember so you have adequate pressure between the two.

Step 14. View of Passenger Side Flange Bolts

Final Thoughts & Shots

If you are looking for a Toyota armor company and manufacturer that you can depend on, C4 Fabrication is definitely a good choice. C4 Fabrication has been depended on and tested for quite some time now and many builds are running their equipment. They offer the ability to have step plates on the top or no step plates. They feature a 45 ° angle with a near-perfect kick out and a very simple bolt-on application with well over 15 bolts on each side. Compare that to some other bolt-on rock sliders that only give you three to four bolts.

You can’t go wrong with C4 Fabrication.