Questions about building steel armor.

I'm thinking about building bumpers, sliders, and skid-plates for my truck.

For sliders and bumpers, is round tubing a better option than square tubing? Nearly all of the sliders I've seen have been round tubing, so there must be a good reason besides taste. I can only bend tubing the redneck way, which is why I'm asking about square tubing.

Also, how thick do you think skids should be for bouncing against rocks and stuff?

 

Skids should be 3/16 thick and it’s a good idea to add reinforcement peices along the plate. 1/4 is overkill unless you’re really slamming stuff.

 

Round tube is stronger than square when comparing size and thickness. Round distributes force exerted on it more evenly across its surface while square distributes forces exerted on it unevenly.

As for thickness of skid plates, that would depend on how much weight you plan on applying to the skid plates. The more weight the thicker the plate needs to be. The issue then becomes the weight of the skid. That is where thinner plate with strategic reinforcement comes in handy to handle the load and still protect vital components.

 

Go with round tubing for better strength and distribution of impacts.

3/16" steel for skids.

The first 5+ years of my building bumpers, skids, etc., I over-built the crap out of everything. Too much weight is just as bad as not having protection. The best built armor is the stuff that gives you protection at the least amount of weight possible.

 

weight of armor is a tough one because some go with aluminum skids but personally think if you want a good piece of mind with your armor I agree you should go with 3/16” steel if you want to have good protection that isn’t too heavy.

 

As someone who just built his own sliders, I suggest buying from one of the many reputable sellers here.. haha

I love my sliders but definitely wouldn't do it again. All round tube is a ton of notching. Making the plates is a ton of measuring. It all sounds a lot easier in theory.

 

i agree building your own is fun and all but will be a lot of work and tinkering to get them perfect. personally i’d just buy a premade or used set but if you want to do the work go ahead.