Skid Plate Material?

BamaTJ · May 4, 2008

Guys what do you think I should go with? I fubared mine this weekend in clayton and I have wanted/needed to replace it for too long. I was thinking about using the cutting board stuff maybe skinned with aluminum. Looking for something light that will hold up and not break on me. Ideas or suggestions?

P · May 4, 2008

You have that factory skid with tube welded to it correct ? Used to be your traction bar mount ....

You gonna redo the entire skid then put something down under it ?? How wadded up is it ?

I havent put my UHMW on the skids yet but at 3/4 thick and for what it weighs I feel really good about going that route personally. My big pieces I cut for the boatsides dont even weigh 7lbs ea.

Plus the race guys use it so that makes you all pimpy fast cool too :flipoff1:

BamaTJ · May 4, 2008

It is wadded up bad, custom high clearance right under the tranny. It is almost touching it actually. Has to be replaced as I am sure the tranny mount is fawked also. It is the same one I always had, stock with the tube on the back. I would love to run the cutting board stuff, just want it to last

wngrog · May 5, 2008

I had to replace mine once in 20 months. It takes some abuse, but it gets beat up pretty bad after a while.

InDaShop · May 5, 2008

I dropped mine for the 2nd time on Saturday and that thing has taken a beating but still does its job. 3/8 steel plate! And its got a nice arch to it. I'll take pics, but until my home comp gets fixed up , I'm screwed for posting them.

I'm thinking I can countersink mount a 1/4 sheet of that HMVIHDSHF **** to it to slide over rocks a bit better, but then again I usually just bugmash it and speed slide whatever gets up in that area anyway. skully

BamaTJ · May 5, 2008

Will the UHMW **** work by itself or does it have to be skinned with something else on top or bottom to add rigidity? How much will a piece of that that is thick enough for my needs cost me?

P · May 5, 2008

BamaTJ said:
Will the UHMW **** work by itself or does it have to be skinned with something else on top or bottom to add rigidity? How much will a piece of that that is thick enough for my needs cost me?

UHMW by itself is a NO GO... it has to be mounted to something. I have enough for what you need probably, You'll have to get a quote on it from 6ULDV8 pricing wise though since he technically owns it.

BamaTJ · May 5, 2008

You can look at it tonight and help me with some ideas, it is pretty fawked. May just buy one of the belly up deals because I don't have time or fab skills. I have found a lot of things on my rig that need to be changed.

6uldv8 · May 5, 2008

I know nothing, own nothing,acknowledge nothing, and am responsible for nothing.

P · May 5, 2008

6uldv8 said:
I know nothing, own nothing,acknowledge nothing, and am responsible for nothing.

You need to know about building a buggy fo yo self !! :woody:

I got you covered on UMHW/weld tabs/ Lexan

trevro99 · May 6, 2008

I was trying to make the same decison you are and I ended up going with 1/4" steel. The same size piece of UHMW was about $25 more so it wasn't a big difference but then you would need to skin it too. I did a 1/8" wall square tubing crossmember to hold everything up and then skinned it with the 1/4" tubing. I had enough crossbraces in it that it would have been hard to bend. You might want to look into this also since your lower control arm mounts hang below the frame like mine did and adding the 2x2 tubing for a crossmember between them helps with sliding from control arm to control arm. This also raised my belly up almost 2" from the stock skid. You can see pics in my build thread on pirate.
Here is a couple shots:

BamaTJ · May 6, 2008

Trevor how does that tube crossmember attach? Does it bolt in the stock location or is it welded up? I like the way you did that, any more details or info on how you did it al? I am going to have to replace my rear LCA mounts because they hang me on everything. They are beef, but they cost me too often. Any idea what you had in materials and time in the skid? I am trying to make the make or buy decision.

blacksheep10 · May 6, 2008

matt, thinking out loud, can you make a new rear frame end lower link crossmember like the one btf sells to double triangulate at the same time and get your links the fawk out of the way/ a little higher/not on the framerails/ make a bellypan attachment point at the back of the tcase?

BamaTJ · May 6, 2008

Yeah P and I discussed that today. If I had your or his skills I could do all that **** no problem, problem is I don't have the skill or equipment, so I am reliant on others. I really want to do the double triangulated setup, but again no how is short and I need it before MMORV at the end of this month. My rear frame mounts are killing me and my belly pan is bent so much that it is contacting the tranny pan.

blacksheep10 · May 6, 2008

yeah, that's the main reason I was suggesting it. the crossmember you can buy and put right in between the frame rails would serve as your rear skid mount point. it would tuck the links up to flush with the bottom of the rails. I think you can buy the thing and have someone just weld it in for you. then its just 2 more tabs ( one on each side) to get the lowers right at the axle. as a matter of fact, you can cut the short tab shorter at the axle, bend the long one around and weld the shortened one back on after some grinding and noone would be the wiser.

P · May 6, 2008

the thing that kills me is he wants this make over before MMORV. if it were I in Matt's shoes....

Beat the stock skid back out and wheel MMORV, then after that ride all my tabs, parts, logistics and beer would be stocked up and I could do the right thing ( triangulate the lowers and tummy tuck / replace skid ) all together and have time to do it properly and clean.

But thats just my .02 from the bench seat laughing1

blacksheep10 · May 6, 2008

**** it, start collecting parts. the lower mounts havne't killed you at the mount before have they? the skid isn't in as much jeopardy there either. no minefield like clayton

BamaTJ · May 6, 2008

Alright P, I will take your approach because I have always rushed **** and it just ended up costing me over and over again. I will beat the skid out and wheel MMROV, after than I don't have another ride plan for months, and if one comes up I can get a repayment on all those times I let you ride shotgun!!! :flipoff1:

Triangulate the lowers, make a skid, mount CO's up front and do a true 3 link with new panhard mounts. Sounds like fun! I will be the grind and **** work monkey if you are the brains and skill behind the operation!