Gas Tank Skid Plate

[MountaineerGreen]

I need some sort of gas tank skid plate, I think.

I saw GJarrett's thread on his bent up gas tank somewhere on here, and I believe he even had a factory skid plate. Mine had none whatsoever, and Ive heard holes in the gas tank are a bad thing.

So show me your gas tank skid plate! I need ideas!

 

[Stic-o]

I have a factory one, but plan to sell it when ever I get around to getting my new rear tank mounted and working

 

[Turdle]

You are in luck!
Mine is off---in the garage. 1 good thing came from my fuel pump fiasco eh?
I'll try to get a picture real quick.

I painted it blue though---

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I have a factory one, but plan to sell it when ever I get around to getting my new rear tank mounted and working

When do you plan to get that done?

We may be able to work it out so that you bring it with you to moab and we throw it on before we go wheelin?

 

[MountaineerGreen]

You are in luck!
Mine is off---in the garage. 1 good thing came from my fuel pump fiasco eh?
I'll try to get a picture real quick.

I painted it blue though---

Thanks, a picture would help very much.

Blue??

 

[Turdle]

Here Evan. It uses the gas tank bolts for attarchment.
The other plate is for the transfer case--

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Put em in a box and send them to me. Kidding, you need those for Moab!

Looks like I need the transfer case skid plate too. My 4406 hangs down a bit too much for me.

I may try some local salvage yards and see if I can find some. How thick are they?

I thought you meant like bright blue and was worried about you there for a minute..........

 

[Turdle]

Put em in a box and send them to me. Kidding, you need those for Moab!

Looks like I need the transfer case skid plate too. My 4406 hangs down a bit too much for me.

I may try some local salvage yards and see if I can find some. How thick are they?

I thought you meant like bright blue and was worried about you there for a minute..........

They are pretty thick. weigh 39 lbs together. I would say 1/8 inch
The corrugations down the length give strength also.
I think 1/4 plate would be neat-but heavy huh?

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I was thinking of making my own out of some 1/4" plate before, but man that would be heavy, even more weight on the drivers side. Plus, I don't know how I would cut the steel straight and clean.

Has anybody built their own custom skid plates?

I may go see what my favorite salvage yard has on the couple of rigs that are there next week.

I could take some stock ones and beef them up with angle iron and metal strips maybe?

 

[Turdle]

Somewhere on here is a link to a video of a guy cutting 3/8 plate with a chicago tool, bought at harbor freight, metal cutting circular saw.
I have seen it in person, it is 99 bux with the blade.

let me look for the link----

 

[Turdle]

Found
3rd link in first post

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160472&highlight=metal+cutting

edit--link is dead--read thread though--

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Humm more / new tools

That plus the cost of 1/4" steel plate would be a bunch of $$. I'd have to buy a big ole sheet of plate too.

EDIT: read the thread, some people bought em and seemed to like em.

 

[RockRanger]

I made mine out of 3/16" plate. It is for a bronco II tank in my ranger. My guess would be 3/16" bottom plate then weld angle iron on the edges to stiffen it up. Build some mounts to the frame like the stock one and call it done.

 

[ProjectAviator]

I think the easiest and cheapest would be get Explorer skids. Surprised Mounties doesn't come with them. I guess the more luxury the less off road.

Tim

 

[cgriffin_5139]

Evan how abot the stuff that plastic cuting boards are made of i have some that is 15''x8'x1/2'' would that work!

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I've got some of that stuff in 3' x 4' x 1/2", but I don't believe it would be stout enough to stop dents alone. Though, I could build a frame around it. Humm.....

 

[Savage Wolf]

IMO a stock skid plate would be find with some added beef to it, I have had it in mind for a while to just add some 1"x1" x1/4" wall angle iron down the length of the skids 2-3 runs should be plenty

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I just bought a skid plate gas tank and transfer case from my local salvage yard, all brackets and mounting hardware included. $50. I am going to beef it up, paint it and put it on.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I got the skid plates, was impressed with the thickness, strength and how they mounted, so I decided not to beef them up just yet. I couldn't figure out a way to gain much without adding points to get hung up on.

The gas tank one went on with no modifications, just four 7/16" grade 8 bolts. Grade 8 is overkill, but its what I had in short enough lengths.

The transfer case plate had to be modified to clear the bigger 4406 case. I had to grind about 1/2" off of one part because of a tab on the case. The rear edge also had to be bent downward. Also had to mount it a little bit lower, putting spacers between the frame and skid plate. I didn't have the factory hardware to mount this with, so I used the biggest bolt that would fit in the factory hole, witch was 5/16". Kind of a small bolt, IMO, but I guess it works. The drivers side was impossible to put nuts on the inside of the frame rails, so I welded small links of chain to the tops of the bolts to hold them, dropped them through the frame, then tightened the nuts on the bottom.

Still needs to be painted, didn't have any flat black on hand-

Inboard rear bolt for the gas tank plate, right next to the gas tank strap-

Outboard bolt, bottom side of the frame, inside the drivers side wheel well-

Front bolts-

Transfer Case Plate drivers side view-

Closer Up-

From the back looking forward-

Spaced it down with some bigger nuts for 7/16" bolt-

 

[Turdle]

Hey--guess what
I have some blue paint---need it? lol

I was wondering the same thing about re-enforcement. Seems like anything done would hang lower