skid plates
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,277
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From: St George, SC I-95
Ive never seen a use for them but then again Ive never had a IFS vehicle (TTB ranger but you live and learn) Its just something else to get ripped off and bent up. I doubt 16ga aluminum is going to protect much and if you get in a bad situation the IFS is just going to go to the crapper anyway.
One vote for dont waste your money
One vote for dont waste your money
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,277
Likes: 0
From: St George, SC I-95
The skid plate will bend LONG before it stops the truck. The plate will do God knows what once its bent. Good chance it will cause some suspension component to bind and worse case being it will bend up and cave in your radiator or take out the lower radiator hose.
Truck specs?
Matt (MBBFord) has a 04 that is wheeled pretty hard maybe he can give some opinions.
I say SAS that MFer and get it high enough to clear the BS in the mud.
Truck specs?
Matt (MBBFord) has a 04 that is wheeled pretty hard maybe he can give some opinions.
I say SAS that MFer and get it high enough to clear the BS in the mud.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 8,147
Likes: 1
From: Joppa, Maryland
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2008
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i want to do a SAS but i dont have the tools or know how. im 18 and i have pretty much no experience with trucks and i cant really experiment with mine because it is my daily driver. my truck is a stock 2003 extended cab 4x4 f150.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: conroe tx
Then your best bet, is probably to look for a "beater" or trail truck. ... https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...w-mud-toy.html
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
Likes: 5
From: Louisiana
I'm trying to think of a reason they'd be worth buying, but can't.
IF you find some on a junkyard truck for $10-20, it wouldn't hurt to get them, but I don't see it being worth it.
The 04 in my sig gets used as a truck, expecially during hunting season. It doesn't have any skid plates, and I don't see the need to get them...never had any problems.
A few people I know that have them always complain of all the mud that packs up on top of them, and how hard it is to clean with them (if you don't clean the mud, you just start the rusting process earlier).
Like Kris said, they are so thin they wouldn't truely help anyway.
One of my friends had a 97 F150 like yours with a skid plate. He bent it pretty bad when he hit a poll...took it off, and didn't have any problems since.
I had one on my Bronco... took it off. Just gets in the way.
IF you find some on a junkyard truck for $10-20, it wouldn't hurt to get them, but I don't see it being worth it.
The 04 in my sig gets used as a truck, expecially during hunting season. It doesn't have any skid plates, and I don't see the need to get them...never had any problems.
A few people I know that have them always complain of all the mud that packs up on top of them, and how hard it is to clean with them (if you don't clean the mud, you just start the rusting process earlier).
Like Kris said, they are so thin they wouldn't truely help anyway.
One of my friends had a 97 F150 like yours with a skid plate. He bent it pretty bad when he hit a poll...took it off, and didn't have any problems since.
I had one on my Bronco... took it off. Just gets in the way.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
Go to a local speed shop, 4x4 shop, or truck (as in tractor trailer) shop and have them weld you up custom skid plates. Have them use 13mm 10.8 or better bolts to attach them. Use 1/4" steel plate for the skids.
A good skid plate is much too heavy to have shipped, so have them made local. Start with the gas tank.
A good skid plate is much too heavy to have shipped, so have them made local. Start with the gas tank.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,976
Likes: 0
From: Rep. of Texas
these guys covered it pretty well. Its going to take a lot of steel to be effective. A 6000 + lb truck isn't going to stop on an 1/8" or 3/16" piece of steel when it hits a big rock, its going to either bend, puncture, or most likely just rip off from its mounts. Some of that high impact plastic would work best, but then again it will probably just rip off from the mounts. You aren't going to have tabs going all the way around the sheet like you would on a tube framed rock crawler to help distribute the load. Then you still have the problem MBBFord mentioned, and will just carry around an extra 25-150 lbs of mud with you, depending on how many skid plates you add and how wet the junk is.
If as many avid rock crawlers out there can run their rigs w/out skid plates and not have serious problems, I think you'll be fine in a few mudholes.
If as many avid rock crawlers out there can run their rigs w/out skid plates and not have serious problems, I think you'll be fine in a few mudholes.