Overlanding skid plates

[LaOutbackTrail]

So everyone's vehicle serves a different purpose for their owner.

I am building an overlanding rig (out of a Montero) and need skidplates (currently have none) and no one makes skids for my truck.

I am trying to determine what is adequate.
What is adequate? 1/8" steel with flat stock reinforcement in vital areas? 3/16" or 1/4" all over?

My goal is to provide adequate protection while limiting the weight and expense.

Thoughts?

 

[98dango]

1/8 is fine if properly braced. I have used in the past 1/2" commercial kitchen cutting board. Its light easy and slides well.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Large sheets of the plastic stuff? There's an idea. What did you do for bends?

 

[78Bronco]

You are wanting to put a flat belly skid plate to protect the trans/t-case area. I would start with some 1/8" plate and then weld some 1/8" wall angle iron to increase rigidity. Another way would to have some length wise dimples pressed into the plate and then the sides of the plate formed up at 90 degrees to wrap up the side of the frames.

If you are looking at the plastic route the material you are looking for is called UHMW and can be found in a variety of different grades as it is used widely in conveyors for anti friction/wear properties.

 

[01tundra]

1/8" sheet steel with dimple die holes and 3/8" - 1/2" UHMW screwed over top of that makes for great, light weight skid plates.

I wouldn't go over 3/16" max. Even with that, the weight will stack up quick.

 

[Byrdseye]

Those are the nicest nerfs I've ever seen.............beautiful work!

 

[RMP&O]

I bent my 3/8" belly skid in the rocks.....

I am all for keeping weight down but having it down low is not to big of a deal. Even not playing in the rocks I would trash an 1/8" plate super fast. That is just really thin.

I know a guy with a fully belly of that plastic stuff, he likes it a lot.

Can you post a picture of the belly on your truck Scott?

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Sure, I will in the morning.

 

[Scoutn79]

I use 1/8" will be plenty fine for belly protection for something as light your Montero. If you build differential protection use 1/4" plate. The UHMW plastic isn't for protection as much as its slickness and ability to slip over something rather than gouge and drag. A skid plate doesn't need to be bendproof but needs to protect what its protecting from puncture/grabbing. I have seen many skid plates beat to death and still do their job just fine.
Darrell

 

[Scoutn79]

I use 1/8" will be plenty fine for belly protection for something as light your Montero. If you build differential protection use 1/4" plate. The UHMW plastic isn't for protection as much as its slickness and ability to slip over something rather than gouge and drag. A skid plate doesn't need to be bendproof but needs to protect what its protecting from puncture/grabbing. I have seen many skid plates beat to death and still do their job just fine. You can compensate for thinner material with more mounting points gussets in your design.
Darrell

 

[theicecreampeople]

Those are the nicest nerfs I've ever seen.............beautiful work!

x2 ..very nice ...going to look at fixing mine up now ....i have ricochet 3/16 aluminum skid plates..pretty spendy but gives me peace of mind ...well you know i think your the only driver to use my skid plates scott...lol.. look forward to seeing what you come up with ..the plastic sounds awesome may look at adding some to my sliders ? ...

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

...well you know i think your the only driver to use my skid plates scott...lol..

THUNK...

I think I thunked the skids here and going up one pretty similar to this but with multiple steps.

That was a fun trail! Thanks for letting me drive part of it!

 

[shmabs]

Skids

My opinion and experience

Skid for an overlanding vehicle, should be able to take a decent hit and protect the vehicle without being overkill in the weight or size department. For my tracker and mitsu i NEEDED some protection but i knew i wasn't going to be dragging either rig over the rocks all the time. If i screw up and slam one into a rock with the weight of the vehicle im banking on them to do their job and protect sensitive components, if they happen to tweak slightly thats fine with me, as long as they do their job. I'm a believer that (within reason) proper bracing and proper mounting can make a thinner skid work well while saving weight. Bends can help too. If i had a dimple die tool, that would be the first thing i go to, but i dont so i use bracing on the back side of the skids to help with load distribution.

My montero sport trans skid, .125 plate with 1x1x.125 braces

vehicle side

and ground side

montero oil pan and diff skid .190 plate and the 1x1x.125 braces I would have liked to do this all one piece but that wasn't an option.

vehicle side

ground side

Tracker front skid same .125 plate and some square tube braces

ground side

vehicle side

As always to each their own, but so far these skids work for me and my uses.

Mike

 

[cnynrat]

I have 3/8" plates, and did bend my belly pan once when I high-centered the rig a bit. I was able to drive off it, so I wasn't hung up that badly. I guess my point is that when in the rocks it's not too difficult to put a lot of weight on a single point, and even 3/8" steel will bend pretty easily under that circumstance.

It may be possible to use thinner steel with bracing and achieve the same rigidity with less weight, but that would take some analysis and experimentation to prove out.

 

[RMP&O]

Nice looking skids shmabs, much better then most of the mass produced junk I see.

BTW, I wasn't saying Scott needs 3/8" skids. Simply that I have bent them. I agree skids are for trashing. 1/8" though, I would trash that super fast. It would work for keeping debris or roadkill from coming up into my undercarriage but otherwise just to weak for me.