Homemade skid plates?

Is this for a 1 gen?

 

2nd Gen

 

He's got a 2nd gen.

There are several posts earlier in this thread of guys with first gens. I'm also (VERY slowly) in teh process of fabbing some skids for my 1st gen, so I'll post some pics, maybe a separate thread. But don't hold your breath, I've been a busy man with non-truck stuff lately....

 

Yeah 2nd gen is what I’m looking for

 

I'm sorry to hear that...

 

This is some amazing work!

 

How much clearance did you end up with between the skid and the front diff?

I finally decided to burn through my stash of cutoff wheels this weekend and give this a try. So far so good. My intention was to mount this flush to the bottom of the crossmember and make the legs just long enough to make up the gap to the bolt holes but I’m ending up with super tight clearance between the skid and the front diff. Like I could get a credit card in there but probably not much more and I’m wondering if I should be concerned.

I’ll probably just go for it and add some washers if I hear shit banging around down there I guess.

 

I would think you'd want more than a credit card width, though. Even if the diff doesn't move at all under torque (pretty sure it does), you also don't have any "flex" clearance, so if (when) you bash it on something, you'll flex the skid and hit your diff. Even if the skid doesn't permanently bend, it does flex a bit.

With my first gen, I have a diff drop, so that lowers it by about an inch. When I modified my stock skid plate, I just added that same length to the skid using some 1" square tubing, lowering the whole thing by 1". Basically just maintaining whatever the clearance was originally.

With the skid I'm making now, I'm working on something very similar. I'm going for at least 1/2" clearance from my diff. Maybe a little more. More clearance will allow you to get a reinforcement brace under there, too, if you choose that type design...

 

Can't really tell from this picture, but it is somewhere around 3/8" gap between the skid and diff.

 

About to go and buy some foam board and start mocking up my skids finally

 

I just scored a Hobart 210mvp for $500! (NEW!)

I was lurking around on Amazon because I had been eyeing a Lincoln 180 for a while, and they had some random deal on the Hobart. Normal price is like $900. I'm glad I ordered it on the spot then asked "permission" from the wife later, lol. I went back just a few minutes after I ordered it and it was back up to normal price, and they had the 190 on sale instead - also for $500 so not as good of a discount.

Anyhoo, this will much much easier work of the skids that I *still* haven't gotten beyond some initial cuts from raw material. Oh well, life gets in the way sometimes.

EDIT:

No I didn't. Seller is a douche and apparently makes a habit out of posting $500 items then cancels them. I knew it was too good to be true...

oh well, still getting the 210, just not as good of a deal on it as I thought.

 

I use the Hobart MVP210. Make sure you use a dedicated 120V receptacle with a 30A breaker. I never use the 120V option anymore but for $500, that’s a steal!

 

Oh I've got a dedicated 220v in my shop I just built.

I actually was skeptical at first, I was like that's TOO cheap, what's wrong with it?? But then I knew I'd kick myself if I missed out. I guess I'll have to wait and see if it's the real thing when it shows up this week, lol

 

What ever you do be sure to beef up the mount on the crossmember near the LCAs. The stock nut plates don't even hold up to stock. Here's mine...

 

For sure.

This is on my list for this weekend.

I have some plate that I bent on 2 sides and is tapered on one end so when it's mounted, the bottom of the plate will sit level/flat - making bolting the skid plate to it a little easier.

Just make sure you have plenty of room for the LCA to droop all the way down without hitting that plate.

 

I like this idea. Will have to do it on my truck soon

 

Finally made some progress on my skids:

Made a few whiskey bends for the front piece of the IFS skid,

And made up a jig to hold the mount plates. I welded nuts to the top of the plates, and I'll use this same jig to place the holes for the skid, too.

Ready to burn the mounting plate to the frame, but it's 107 right now, too damn hot to keep welding...

 

My solution for recessed bolts and the bottom plate:

Once the frame mounts were welded:




I bolted this "C" channel to the mounts, and lined up the bottom plate, tacked the two main pieces together, then carefully marked the location of the "c" channel on the bottom plate.

Took a bit of careful measuring and placement of this "c" channel, by marking the location on the skid, then drilling the holes and tacking in place. A test fit showed it lined up perfectly!

 

Did some skid plate "mods" even though the original skid was aftermarket:

Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr
Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr
Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr
Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr

 

How did you make the cuts for the oil drain hole? That looks really clean. Was there a particular reason for the shape?