skid plate thickness
 

hey all, what thickness should be adaquate for a skidplate?

i've made some, but i punctured it pretty quick, i did 1/8 cause i got the materials for free.

that is what they are on some vdubs around louisville

try 1/4

What material are you using? I was looking at some of the cars at LSPR during service, and it looked like they might run multiple layers of thin material, Some looked like plastic...

really? which cars? i'll look at matt houki's car, hes the matts auto glass car that you see every year, but i'm looking for what people have done, not guesses. multiple may be the way to go, cause its cheaper.

go with a 1/4". 1/8 is too thin if you ask me. the stones that get tossed in the road can be sizeable and after all its aluminum. otherwise you could find a carbon kevlar version from tatomotorsports maybe, if they still exist. or overseas.

Aluminum....
 

i really dont think there is a mass produced skid plate for the focus. carbon kevlar would almost be a garunteed no find. That and its so high dollar for its strength and lightweight.

Other under body protection and gas tank protection go with 1/4" LDPE.
I think its anywhere from 100-150 a sheet. it might have gone way up. havent checked the prices for a while. youll need 2 sheets for sure.

Riv nut it or weld nuts in place for fitment. no screws for sure.

not that u already havent thought about this but when u r drilling holes in the skid plate for mounting make sure the holes are chamfered a bit so the bolt heads lay flush inside so they wont get knocked off or rounded by rocks.

I used 3/16" of 6061 aluminum for my front plate. 3/16 is heavy enough that you can jack the car up on it without crushing or bending it. I used 1/8" of LDPE to wrap the tank, mud flaps, and protect other strategic locations (inside of rear wheel wells...it was a rear wheel drive car) and over the fuel and brake lines. The 1/8" is easily bent and shaped with a heat gun and holds up to rock spray really well (that's its primary purpose after all, it's not necessarily a skid pan/plate in those locations). Closely spaced zip ties (I'm talking heavy duty wide ones) work surprisingly well to hold on plastic sheets... especially for the gas tank wrap. Just make sure to carry plenty of extras with you should you have to remove it for service. On a metal skid plate, also make sure to oversize the holes for bolts (about an 1/8" bigger than the bolt diameter used). This allows the plate to be easily removed if it gets dented especially on short rally services. You don't want to use valuable time trying to pry off the skid plate. Believe me, been there done that.

Rally Innovations Skid plate

[cheers]

actually, its not a skid plate, its just a gaurd, AND I ALREADY BOUGHT ONE!! lol