Had some free time at work today for the first time in a long time... Decided to replace my skid plate with a newer one out of some 3/16" plate we had lying around.

so after measuring the stock skid plate and transferring that information to the plate, busted out the plasma cutter and heres the result


I took the digital and measured the angles on the stock skid plate (which was so screwed up it was bent in different directions) then, instead of putting it into the ironworker to bent it, threw some ear plugs in, clamped it to the table, and beat the piss out of it with a BFH. Got a perfect angle though and it fit great!


Gonna make it tie into the front of my crossmember where my bumper also bolts in, so I first off, found longer bolts to use and then made some 3x3 squares, punched a 3/4" hole in there for a bit of play if i want it, bent it to the radius of crossmember so it would lay nicely on the skid plate. Tacked that bitch up.


Took it off and welded it.


How it stood.


and the finish product painted road marker yellow...


Sorry they are all cell phone pictures... :redneck:

 

lookin good! i bet its gonna be stronger then stock by far. you gonna run any beads in it for extra strength or do you think the 3/16ths will hold up just fine?

 

Im thinking I might go reinforce the back of it but honestly I don't plan on any really substantial hits, seeing as the stock skid plate is only... 1/16" (maybe a hair less...) it stood up pretty well.

If i had a big enough piece of 1/4" lying around I would have done it out of that!

And thanks man!

 

Shiny

 

Nicely done Matt!

And yeah, 1/4" is preferable for skids, but 3/16ths will do.
Just be aware it can and most likely will bend with hard use.

 

Yup... i figured. I think im gonna go throw some side supports on that will help keep it more rigid.

 

It worked pretty good today....lolz

 

Indeed! now off to that crossmember...

 

Haha cool, now that it's battle tested when ya making me one?

 

so make one out of 1/4 and ill take that one... haha just got to change that color tho... haha

 

that looked like it was pretty easy and straight forward...lmao, you beat it up at all yet?

 

lol no.

lol no. er... maybe your local.

yes. and yes.