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My Truck is not your Billboard!

16K views 101 replies 51 participants last post by  The Cardinal 
#1 ·
OK, so I ordered a set of All-Pro sliders based on this thread. I went for the DOM / Apex model, and I guess I didn't look at the pics closely enough. I was expecting the regular dimpled top-plates, but each one has this cutout at the rear end:



I hate this crap! I don't want various manufacturer's logos screaming out from various points all over my truck - this is not NASCAR. I had the Toyota dealer leave off their decal for the same reason. And while there was many reasons I went with the Warrior Products front bumper, the lack of any logos or cutouts was definitely a point in their favor.

So, what to do now? My first thought was to fill in the cutout with my MIG welder and grind it smooth before painting, but those gaps around the "A" are pretty large. Although if I rested it on a smooth non-flammable surface, I could just keep pooling the wire until it was full. Another option would be to tack-weld a thin plate underneath, then fill the logo with Bondo.

Ideas? Opinions?
 
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#39 ·
I'm with ya, hate the logo art. Removed the All-Pro aluminum logo from my bumper and filled the holes. Good luck.
 
#44 ·
Agreed,

That's one reason why I built my own hiddden front receiver, nameless in frame Aux winch battery mount, nameless front receiver Hi-Lift jack mount & yes the white tire letters face the inboard side of the vehicle. This follows a theme for my recently designed front locking hub sytem, that will yes, also be virtually nameless when it goes to market, along with some other drive train products and other goodies.
 
#47 ·
I guess if you are just gonna tack a plate on back then fill the gaps with BONDO you may aswell just throw them away and make sliders out of PVC pipe because the first time you bang em on something you will be adding BONDO to them all over again! I say either live with it or cut that section out and weld a new section in! You dont have to cut the whole piece out just part of it and bevel the edges that meet and weld the plate at the seam!
 
#50 ·
I don't agree. The top plate is not a structural part - just a place to step. If the top plate flexes when something hits the tube, then the tubes themselves are waaaaaay too weak. Since these are 1.75" diameter, 1/8" wall, drawn-over-mandrel steel, and have a lifetime warranty against bending, I don't believe that is the case.

In any case, I can always do one of the other suggested fixes if this fails later. It is a non-destructive approach.
 
#48 ·
I'm curious, did you remove all the badges from your FJ? Have you removed all the logos from your shirts, tv, phone, etc. I think you may get my point-Personal choice or not, it seems like alot of work for basically an idiosyncrasy. I'm not trying to be a dik, but you seem to be going way overboard for something most people will not ever see. See?:)
 
#51 ·
I'm curious, did you remove all the badges from your FJ?
No. I don't see the original Toyota logos in the same light. Although if there were many more of them I might not feel the same. There was an AMG Mercedes from the '80's that had the AMG logo in sixteen different places on the car - that's way too much! And if I remember right, they had the arrogance to charge $5000 to leave them off.

I agree it is hard to explain this point of view so that it makes sense to someone who disagrees. But there are quite a view people who posted agreement in this thread, or specifically asked the manufacturer to skip the cutouts or logos when they ordered. They get it.
 
#52 ·
It's all preference. Sure, I might prefer that companies not do this is to something like a slider but I think the cutout on my Expedition One front bumper looks kinda cool. That being said, I wouldn't spend hours of my time trying to cover up something that is already done . . . but I've got a lot of better things to do with my time. :D
 
#55 ·
Off to a good start!

All ready to weld on the backing plate when I found I am out of shielding gas. Welding supply closed until Monday. I tried to spot weld in a couple places, but the top plate is too thick to get good penetration. Next week it is!

 
#61 ·
I must say that I love that people are criticizing you for not wanting a logo on your parts. It is not the same as a logo on a shirt. When you go to Macy's and buy a RL shirt, it comes with a RL logo of some sort. You would not, and neither would anyone else, be okay with Macy's going in and sewing their logo on the sleeve so that they could take partial credit for the garment. You bought a Toyota and want any modifications to look as though they were always that way, not like you pieced it together with anything you could find.
 
#62 ·
I must say that I love that people are criticizing you for not wanting a logo on your parts. It is not the same as a logo on a shirt.
Yes, its exactly the same.

When you go to Macy's and buy a RL shirt, it comes with a RL logo of some sort. You would not, and neither would anyone else, be okay with Macy's going in and sewing their logo on the sleeve so that they could take partial credit for the garment. You bought a Toyota and want any modifications to look as though they were always that way, not like you pieced it together with anything you could find.
Your example is exactly what the OP did. In this case, the AP slider is the RL shirt. There is no difference. Sorry, but i just find it hypocritical to say the least.
 
#64 ·
This will be my last comment on the matter, as I have no dog in the fight. The FJ is the RL shirt, in my opinion, and he wants the truck to appear like it was meant to be this way and came like this. The slider logos make it difficult to accomplish. Whether you side with him or not, it's his money and his truck. Cheers to all.
 
#66 ·
Let me put it this way...

I have a Rugged Ridge winch. It came with a full-color Rugged Ridge logo on the top of the solenoid box, on the front of the solenoid box, on the motor, and on the clutch. This was garish, loud, and annoying. I peeled them all off. IMO, it looks better and it fits in with the truck better now.

These sliders came with big 3" x 5" All-Pro logos, cut into the metal. Essentially saying, "Try peeling this off! We are advertising here, and there is nothing you can do about it!" All I am doing is disagreeing with that last point. I think they will look better and fit in better with the truck when I am done.

And for those who have said "You can't weld it, it will warp" or "You can't use Bondo, it will flex". Do you have a pair of this particular model slider yourself? Have you seen the thickness of the top plate metal? This is not sheet metal, it is like 3/16" thick steel. Time will tell, but I really don't see it flexing or warping.
 
#67 ·
You have'nt seen much metal then have you? The stuff even moves around with temp changes. when it gets cold or when it gets hot it moves! The bondo wont move with the metal the way you think it will. The reason why people are saying you cant weld it it will warp is true because of the way you want to fill the gaps with weld...you will pound sooo much heat in to the thin 3/16" steel that it will warp the hell out of it!!!

You dont like Logo's thats cool I can respect that and it does suck that they have them on there for you but lets face it in order for places to sell product they need to get there name out and for me if I see something I like I look to see who made it!

Alot of the replys you got were giving you ideas on how to remedy your problem and how to do it properly some...not so much but ultimately do what you do and enjoy it. If you like filling gaps on an item meant to take hard hits from rocks with bondo then I say buy a big can! :cheers:
 
#68 ·
I worked with teenagers for over thirty years. That population is incredibly logo conscious. They would make fun of each other if the other person did not have the “right” logo on a product. It did not matter if it was sneakers, jeans, electronics or anything else. Pity the unfortunate soul who didn’t have a swoosh or an apple on something that they owned. One could argue about quality or cost value until they were blue in the face, the bottom line was the logo. It took a very brave soul to go against the crowd, who dared to not care. Advertising and marketing are very powerful tools on the collective psychology of the public. Look at the effective tobacco campaigns geared at young adults. There should be no shame in not wanting a logo.
 
#69 ·
Thank God I grew up in a time that this didn`t matter... I went to a regional school of 3500 students and it was a blast. From shop classes to sports it was all good. We did have the jocks VS the non jocks, but some jocks just learned the hard way and eventually we all got a long.:lol:
 
#72 ·
Not on the truck yet - I don't want to crawl under too much while there's snow, melted snow and salt on the ground. Plus it is only 8 degrees out right now.

Will post a pic of one, still sitting in the workshop, later this evening.
 
#74 ·
Wow. This has turned into quite the religious debate. Matt doesn't like logos. It's cool. I, for one, don't care as much as long as I knew it was there. He's not asking for anyone to pay him to fix it, so who cares what he does? I'm actually interested to see the results. If we lived nearby, I'd happily trade him even up for my AP HREW sliders with dimple plates, but somehow I don't think he'd go for it :)


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#76 · (Edited)
Here is the finished top side:



Original for comparison:



I welded a plate on the bottom to cover the cut-out, but I was worried that with the amount of water and mud the underside will see, any spot on the weld that wasn't totally waterproof would invite a rust disaster. So I covered the welds with a thick bead of paintable silicone sealant. Not pretty, but nobody sees the underside:

 
#77 ·
Im glad I read first when I looked at the bottom... I was going to say your welding skillz are a bit scary...:lol::worried:


Looks good Matt:bigthumb:
 
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