Homemade skid plates?

Bought the steel today. This should get interesting.

 

Got the IFS skid done today sans the paint. Will be starting work on the transmission skid tomorrow. Everything fits as it should on the truck and I’m overall happy with the final product.

 

Are those whiskey bends or separate pieces?

 

The 3 main bends are whiskey bends. All the supporting perpendicular pieces are separate, welded to the main plate.

 

Obviously, not quite done. Had to get it functional for a trip to the Slick Rock trail here in the Stanislaus NF. Not what I wanted to do with the rear crossmember. My measurements were off for my original design by an inch, so I had to improvise.

Was going for something like this:

Ended up with this: 1/4" thick crossmember

 

Did you gusset the crossmember?

Edit: what 3d modeling software are you using?

 

Not yet. Didn't have time. Figured it would be good enough for the trail. I used Tinkercad.

 

I'm inspired to NOT spend $900+shipping on a full set of skids now!!!!

 

You may not spend it on skids, but you sure as heck can easily spend that on all the tools to build them!

 

This is so true. Good news for me is I have the tools.

 

That's a better start than I had. I bought my welder and hadn't given cutting steel too much thought since I had an angle grinder. Long story short, I bought a band saw and a Milwaukee 8 inch steel circular saw in the course of about a day.

 

I'm actually saving for a tube bender next. So you're pretty spot on with that one. haha

 

I'm envious. I'm also running out of room in my garage for tools. lol.

 

Yep. I've got a bunch of wood working tools as well as a couple motorcycles with a bike lift. Things get tight. But that's why I'm building a dedicated shop building as soon as we buy some land for the next house. That and my wife complains about the "shop smell" getting in the house.

 

I'd much rather spend the money on the tools that I can use to make even more things than spending it on shipping and 'labor'.

 

No dobut, that’s the route I went with my bumpers, since then the welder has been worth its weight in gold.

 

Even if you only add up what I spend on my welder and my 4xInnovations sliders, it's still less than what some people are spending on their sliders.

 

Mine came out to be about $100 more than if I were to just buy them as a set. I'd say that's worth it though. Tools don't go bad if you buy quality.

 

Interesting, making comments to come back to this

 

My welder was $400ish. Sliders were $270 plus shipping. $900-1000 for sliders is insane. I was able to customize them, too. Took an inch off each side (width) and angled them how I wanted.

I did learn that you shouldn't cheap out on the wire, though. Was using some crap wire from Ace, then I ran out and got Lincoln stuff and my welds instantly improved.

I've bought a few harbor freight tools, intending for them to be a "one time use", and most of them last quite a bit longer, so.... free tools! lol