My New Front Skid Plate

[technoboy235]

Recently I was being an idiot and teaching my exploder how to fly. When I got home to check on it, I noticed that the cheap factory radiator protector was broken...:

I went to Lowes today and got some 16 guage steel plate and set to work building...

I finally got it finished without having to weld anything and this is what it looks like...

 

[Blee1099]

16 gauge is awfully thin.. Your better off making one out of diamond plate.

 

[99ex22]

Eeeeeek that is thin. How do you have it mounted to the x member? Some advice- dont plan on hitting anything with it and if you do, reinforce it or make one out of thicker metal and I would mount it on the bottom of the xmember. Other than that good work!

 

[Turdle]

Ya really need 3/16" minimum for a skid plate. I could dent that with my fist--

 

[technoboy235]

Eeeeeek that is thin. How do you have it mounted to the x member? Some advice- dont plan on hitting anything with it and if you do, reinforce it or make one out of thicker metal and I would mount it on the bottom of the xmember. Other than that good work!

I doubled it in the top and I have the metal to weld a couple layers over the rest. This was only a one and a half hour thing... I mounted it to the cross-member by drilling and bolting. It seemed pretty tough. I cut out a piece of aluminum to reinforce the mounts to it. I will put that on before I take it out.

 

[Robroll]

I made a great heavy duty bumper with slide plate.. from now it is indestructible ! ! !

 

[Robroll]

Good looking and very effective in big rock..
Wont hit the rad no more with that ! ! !

 

[wisekise]

Good looking and very effective in big rock..
Wont hit the rad no more with that ! ! !

that is definitely 1 way to do it.
i do believe that is the first time i have ever seen a sway bar used as a brush guard!

 

[Robroll]

Yeas I don't like to waste metal ! ! !

 

[V8powerbaby]

what size C channel did u use?

 

[wagoner2]

That is great!

 

[storlied]

As I was sitting here admiring the work, that looks great btw.. I didn't realize until it was mentioned that the top bar was the front swaybar... that's awesome... lol...

Edit: I do see a slight flaw with it though.. I was thinking to myself.. hm.. it's damn near perfect.. but wait.. it's back an awful lot.. (no room for my hella's if I did the same exact design) but I guess you could put light tabs on it for more lights... which brought up another point... I was looking at it and yea it looks pretty damn tough but anything you hit that comes up higher than it is going to destroy your header panel and grille and possibly headlights/corners. Any thoughts on that?

Other than that, I want one! lol

 

[Robroll]

I used some 3" beam and welded a 1/2" steel plate behind the shackles to make sure nothing bend


Your right the head lights are not protected and I need to fix some thing for that

But for the upper damages, I'm not scared. Everything I hit fall before it hit the hood ! ! !