Skid Plates?

Yup, I hear you. Lots of weight put on these trucks w/these add-ons. That's great about the aluminum skid plate, sounds like it's tough. I've seen some say only to buy steel, but?...I just looked at your pic again nice. I like the coverage. A guy on youtube said the ARB front bumper comes w/a skid plate, but I don't think it does. Your front end looks bad-ass. Thx for info.

 

They look bad-ass, and serve an important function. I hear you about driving through he woods, we do that here and it happens. And yeah about reaching the roof. I'm hoping to put on a roof rack at some point. I forget, do you have textured on the sliders for grip when standing. I'm getting paranoid in my older age, lol. Going to check out your thread now, thx!

 

Bad-Ass sliders. I'm sold on them. I think I'm gonna spend the added 80. or so to get the square 'main tube' maybe. How did you finish them? Also what kind of welder? I have a MIG 250 amp, maybe try it myself, or a neighbor is a better welder.

 

Get a gas tank skid as well. My truck now only holds about 10 gallons or so of fuel after years of wheeling without one.

All those are good choices. Dont fall into the trap of people on here telling you that you need some super thick skid plates and you have to weld all kinds of reinforcing on it, all that does is add weight and makes them a PITA if you ever have to get them off. I ran my all pro 3/16ths skid plates for 10+yrs and yes they were dented all to hell, but it's a skid plate, that's what it's there for.

 

haha, no, they're just painted right now. Danger is my middle name! I walk VERY carefully when washing it, lol

I think if/when I end up repainting them, I'll go ahead and add some texture to the top side, or maybe some of thse sandpaper strips.

 

I currently have a Hobart 210MVP, but I did the sliders with a Lincoln 125 home depot special.


It's pretty thin material (.120 wall), you don't need huge amperage to stick the material together. The only thick part is the 1/4" plate that welds to the frame, but a couple passes did okay.

I did my bumper with the 125 as well. That's what convinced me to go bigger. It did the job, but I had to do more than a couple passes and do some preheating in a few spots. The 210 would have walked right over all that, as it did on my skid plates.

 

The ARB comes with a plate to attach to the skid which is really helpful. It’s an option when you order it.

 

I beat my 96’s factory one to death in the rocks and ended up fabbing one up myself with countersunk spacers and 3/8” Allen bead bolts to be sure not to round them off.

 

I hear you, want a gas skid when I can. And 10-4 on weight. Like you, planning on 3/16", maybe budbuilt front, or RCI, IDFK, lol. When the time comes I'll figure it out. I'm also learning though research and talking to you guys is way informative. You had to patch your gas tank huh? 10 gallons, at least you've been using your truck. thx for the heads up

 

Good on you for fabricating one yourself, right on

 

Right on, I'm not much of a welder but might do the sliders myself. My little MIG welder has welded some 1/4" before. I'm mostly self-taught and wing it. I live on a ranch so it's helpful to weld to make repairs to tools, implements, irrigation head-gates and such. why not for the truck...haha

 

Oh really? hmmm, bumper came yesterday and there's a section that is flat that looks like it could be what you're talking. Might have to call the seller today and inquire. I'll go look a little closer. Thx!

 

Kind of a funky picture but this is what I was talking about

 

No patch, just really dented up. I'll probably toss a new tank in it along with the low range offroad skid for my next mod.

 

Your 250amp is "little"?? lol

The thing with the 1/4" plates for teh sliders is that you don't need to be able to get full 1/4" penetration on a single pass. All you're doing is stitching the plate to your frame, which is only a few mm thick anyway.

I'm self taught as well. Certainly no expert, and my welds look like diarrhea, but everything is holding up so far...

 

10-4 yup that's it. I was gonna take a pic. and show you, so Thx! I got it. Looks like it ties in nicely w/your skid plate. I'd like to order mine soon.

 

Haha, I feel it is, very compact at least. I don't even know what's wimpy and what's not. Paid a few hundred for it used many years ago. I'm a silversmith/lapidary but a welder not so much. Friends of mine are. I'll do the sliders though for sure. Looking forward to it, and will be in touch w/you for ?'s I imagine. I want that slight angle, kind of like what you did.

 

Got it, dented up good it sounds like. Who's the maker of the Skid you want, Off rd?

 

You and that truck is just bad ass, checked out your build thread

 

They came with pretty good instructions. Although mine, being round, were pretty easy to get that angle on them. Everything came pre-notched, and all I did was cut off about an inch from the stand-off tubes.

That 250 will more than handle anything you could ever imagine doing to a pickup truck.