Some questions about skid plates.

[Robertmangrum.rm]

So I'm wanting to get some protection for underneath. I've got tons of scrap steel and aluminum around the shop. My question would be, what would be an acceptable thickness on aluminum skids? Also if I did them out of steel, I noticed the factory skids don't seem that thick but I'm sure the bends an such create strength. How thick should they be if they see just flat with no indentations or bends?

 

[sgtsandman]

I believe steel skid plates for dedicated off road are 1/4”. Aluminum skid plates are 3/16”

I posted links to some in another thread. Check out the links and see what they list the specifics as. One is aluminum, the other offers steel or aluminum if I remember correctly.

The factory skid plates are better than nothing but I don’t think they will hold up well over the long term.

 

[Curious Hound]

I believe steel skid plates for dedicated off road are 1/4”. Aluminum skid plates are 3/16”

I posted links to some in another thread. Check out the links and see what they list the specifics as. One is aluminum, the other offers steel or aluminum if I remember correctly.

The factory skid plates are better than nothing but I don’t think they will hold up well over the long term.

I would have expected the aluminum to be thicker than the steel plates.

 

[sgtsandman]

I would have expected the aluminum to be thicker than the steel plates.

Maybe I have it backwards. I did recommend they check the links to check the specifics...

 

[RonD]

Skid plates are more brush and dirt plates, they will bend on rocks

The stamped steel or aluminum plates will have holes, and the bends, stamped ovals and such, are to help prevent rattling and add some strength
Also mount them with rubber washer on each side of bolt, to help with the rattling

And think ahead, add smaller access panels so you can service things without removing the whole plate

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

I believe steel skid plates for dedicated off road are 1/4”. Aluminum skid plates are 3/16”

I posted links to some in another thread. Check out the links and see what they list the specifics as. One is aluminum, the other offers steel or aluminum if I remember correctly.

The factory skid plates are better than nothing but I don’t think they will hold up well over the long term.

Yeah I looked at the links and stuff. But noticed they were all pretty thick aftermarket. But the factory ones are thinner. They are steel and are formed or pressed or something like that. I'm pretty rough on my truck and the factory ones have held up well. They are scuffed and scraped up but no dents or anything and I know I've hit the front one on multiple occasions. I have some some steel as thick here at the shop but it being flat sheets it don't seem near as rigid. We have some 1/4 in aluminum I may just cut a few plates to cover trans and fuel tank. Gotta be more protective than nothing haha

 

[Curious Hound]

The better quality skid plates are definitely more than just protection from dirt and brush. If you’re doing serious, technical trail riding and rock crawling, you want 3/16” steel at a minimum. Bolted solidly to the frame. It will add rigidity to the frame. Can they still get bent? Yes. But that’s much better than damaging what’s above them. When making your own, if you can’t bend lips on the edges (most of us can’t), weld some on to help the structural integrity. The comment about access points for service is spot-on. My buddy made all his own plates for his diesel Jeep. Has access holes for drain plugs, oil filter, etc.

if all you do is mild forest service roads for occasional hunting trips, lighter gauge material may be ok.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

The better quality skid plates are definitely more than just protection from dirt and brush. If you’re doing serious, technical trail riding and rock crawling, you want 3/16” steel at a minimum. Bolted solidly to the frame. It will add rigidity to the frame. Can they still get bent? Yes. But that’s much better than damaging what’s above them. When making your own, if you can’t bend lips on the edges (most of us can’t), weld some on to help the structural integrity. The comment about access points for service is spot-on. My buddy made all his own plates for his diesel Jeep. Has access holes for drain plugs, oil filter, etc.

if all you do is mild forest service roads for occasional hunting trips, lighter gauge material may be ok.

Mainly wanting to get it prepared nest I can for the DBBB, Hurricane Creek, and trails like that. Not looking to build a serious rock crawler but I know I will occasionally run across some difficult obstacles I can't go around and would like to be prepared best as I can. I know your familiar with these trails. Do you think I would need the heavy duty skids?

 

[Curious Hound]

Mainly wanting to get it prepared nest I can for the DBBB, Hurricane Creek, and trails like that. Not looking to build a serious rock crawler but I know I will occasionally run across some difficult obstacles I can't go around and would like to be prepared best as I can. I know your familiar with these trails. Do you think I would need the heavy duty skids?

I haven't really looked at the bottom of the newer Rangers. i would be most concerned about that transmission pan. I don't think you would be in bad shape for Hurricane Creek. The muddy section is primarily red clay. Not really any other real bad clearance issues that I recall.

I should probably consider more skids under my Ranger. I haven't been seeing much damage, though. My priority right now would be to add protection on the bottom of my rear diff and beef up the front axle beams. They're taking a beating.

 

[sgtsandman]

I haven't really looked at the bottom of the newer Rangers. i would be most concerned about that transmission pan. I don't think you would be in bad shape for Hurricane Creek. The muddy section is primarily red clay. Not really any other real bad clearance issues that I recall.

I should probably consider more skids under my Ranger. I haven't been seeing much damage, though. My priority right now would be to add protection on the bottom of my rear diff and beef up the front axle beams. They're taking a beating.

There is nothing protecting the transmission pan. There is a skid plate for the oil pan and the transfer case but nothing for the transmission. It is tucked up in the frame more, so that might be why. I believe the aftermarket skid plates protect the bottom of the transmission as well as the transfer case at the same time.

 

[SenorNoob]

My first truck (an 86) someone had taken a nearly full sheet (4'x8') of 3/16 and mounted it directly to the frame. It only had cutouts for the driveshaft to stick through. Stupid heavy and strong.

 

[James Morse]

I have skids ('97). One of the things I noted, looking at it before I got it. I think they were standard for the model. Later years you had to option them or even go FX.

 

[Blmpkn]

If you end up making some yourself please do show us what you end up with.

I'd probably only be willing to buy a skid for the very front.. and mabey one for the diff.. the rest seem easy enough to DIY and save a bunch of cash.

 

[James Morse]

I'm very inexperienced in 4x4, but just looking under the truck, to me the diff's are the place you want to try to keep high going over things. So if there aren't other deciding factors, you always want to keep the wheels on the high points rather than straddling them.

The diff is pretty rugged, after all, you jack on it, right? I don't imagine they made it so fragile that a hit will wreck it, and I'm talking, you were going 2mph or something and hung it up. Is it good for it, no, and if you dent the case that's not good, but I think it'd take a heck of a hit to really damage it.

I say that in the context that adding skid to diff's will only give you less clearance so you might hang up on things that, without the skid on it, you would have cleared. If it's just a tiny difference then it'd probably be really nice to have.

Like I say I'm not experienced but just looking at it, sure there are other things you don't want to hit under there but if you set up an even-height board roughly the width underneath, you'd always hit the board with the diff's.

And it just depends what am I running into. Some situations you might be able to go over an obstacle but could hit the underbody (just because the front can clear it, doesn't mean the body can). Rock bars could help, for that (or so I hear).

 

[Curious Hound]

I'm very inexperienced in 4x4, but just looking under the truck, to me the diff's are the place you want to try to keep high going over things. So if there aren't other deciding factors, you always want to keep the wheels on the high points rather than straddling them.

The diff is pretty rugged, after all, you jack on it, right? I don't imagine they made it so fragile that a hit will wreck it, and I'm talking, you were going 2mph or something and hung it up. Is it good for it, no, and if you dent the case that's not good, but I think it'd take a heck of a hit to really damage it.

I say that in the context that adding skid to diff's will only give you less clearance so you might hang up on things that, without the skid on it, you would have cleared. If it's just a tiny difference then it'd probably be really nice to have.

Like I say I'm not experienced but just looking at it, sure there are other things you don't want to hit under there but if you set up an even-height board roughly the width underneath, you'd always hit the board with the diff's.

And it just depends what am I running into. Some situations you might be able to go over an obstacle but could hit the underbody (just because the front can clear it, doesn't mean the body can). Rock bars could help, for that (or so I hear).

For differentials, you're not normally going to "dent" one. They are usually cast or forged or something like that. The sheet metal covers can be dented if you run into something. The issue is that rocks are abrasive and you will eventually wear material off where they scrape on rocks a lot. And then it can wear to the point where a rock catches the bottom lip of the cover and deform it and cause a leak. A 3/16" or 1/4" plate installed on the bottom and angled up toward the pinion neck and maybe extended past the rear of the diff and angle up slightly can give a much better wear surface and even help glide over obstacles easier. 1/4" isn't a huge difference in clearance.

What you said about placing wheels on the rocks instead of straddling them is an important tactic. But not always feasible. Plus, sometimes you do your best to place the wheels where you want them but gravity and a lack of traction put you where didn't want to be.