Question about Fabtech

[mingoglia]

I was on Max4X4's site and it got me thinking so this may be pointed particulary at him. I've noticed in the 4wd mag that Fabtech carries long arm kits that have that high impact plastic skid attached to their long arm skid. I've always been a big big fan of platic skids due to their ability to slide over rocks. Does Fabtech make skids other than their long arm skid (which of course has integrated mounts for their long arms)? Or in other words can I just get a skid that I can use with my existing RE short arm?

Does anyone else know of any skids that are lined with plastic on the bottom? What about the material itself? Perhaps I can cut my own and attach it to someone elses (flat) skid?

Mike

[xFallen]

I was on Max4X4's site and it got me thinking so this may be pointed particulary at him. I've noticed in the 4wd mag that Fabtech carries long arm kits that have that high impact plastic skid attached to their long arm skid. I've always been a big big fan of platic skids due to their ability to slide over rocks. Does Fabtech make skids other than their long arm skid (which of course has integrated mounts for their long arms)? Or in other words can I just get a skid that I can use with my existing RE short arm?

Does anyone else know of any skids that are lined with plastic on the bottom? What about the material itself? Perhaps I can cut my own and attach it to someone elses (flat) skid?

Mike


I don't know of anyone that makes a general use skid that uses it (check the Nth Degree site -- but it'll be overpriced).

You are looking for UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) plastic. I'd figure out how to mount my own and design it to be replaceable. I am not sure if you have ever seen it but it is way cool material. You can machine it just like metal.

Lots of places sell it but onlinemetals.com puts you in the ballpark. I have used them before and they are very good to deal with. They will be somewhat spendy too but they are convenient unless you want to try a local source.

I seem to recall articles on the web somewhere talking abuot doin g this but can't think of where. Maybe some time with google will reveal more details.

Barry

[mingoglia]

Thank you Barry. It look like this (http://onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=785&step=2) is what I'm looking for. Now all I need to do is find the flatest skid plate out there to make this easy. Any suggestions? How flat is your RK skid?

[mingoglia]

Now that I had some more time to think about it what do you think about using an aluminum skid if I were to use let's say 3/16 or 1/4" UHMW under it?

Mike

[xFallen]

Now that I had some more time to think about it what do you think about using an aluminum skid if I were to use let's say 3/16 or 1/4" UHMW under it?

Mike

I am not sure what grade of Al has the strength but maybe. You'd probably have to run some numbers You would not even have to know the stresses involved. Just take the numbers from the mild steel used by everyone else and find a grade of Al that meets or exceeds it and see what thickness you need. It may or may not be practical, dunno.

I bet one of the local fabshops could give you a better idea.


Barry

[DsrtJeeper]

Aluminum will make a great skid with the correct cross bracing and reinforcement. If saving weight is on your list; by all means go aluminum. Toys by Troy can build you an aluminum skid. Check out Stu's site for the writeup on his new gas tank and TC skid, both made of aluminum. The guys at www.JeepBBS.net run aluminum skids succesfully at Johnson Valley as well. Many wheelers just pick up some plastic cutting board and apply where needed. ;)

[mingoglia]

yeh, was thinking aluminum would be sufficient if I had the UHMW attached to it. I'm not a big fan of aluminium for a skid otherwise...

[Max4x4]

Call me at the shop and we will check to see if we can get the skidplate seperately (Fabtech, Nth Degree, ???) for you.
Thanks,
Kevin

[FrenchChili]

which is cheaper, alu or plastic?

[xFallen]

which is cheaper, alu or plastic?

There's a hundreds of kinds of plastic and lots of different types of aluminum.

You can go to onlinemetals.com to get an idea of for some of what is available and what the comparative pricing might be.


Barry

[AZXJ]

Finding the right plastic to use for this sport is the KEY !!! ask me how I know... Mike, do yourself a favor... don't go with plastic.

take it from somone with the experience and the failures to know..
ie: learn from my mistakes.... plastic doesn't belong on a rockcrawler.. period.

[mingoglia]

I'm not really going with plastic as much as I am going with plastic on top of a traditional steel or possibly aluminum. If I can get a flat enough skid plate it won't be too bad to replace the "plastic" once it wears/rips. If I have to replace it twice a year IMO it would be worth the slickness over the rocks. This is the reason I'm thinking of going to one of the thinner cuts of this material. I'm not using it to make a skid out of it...just really using it to line the skid.

Although I only have 1/3 of my Rhino with traditional armor (the other 2/3 is still plastic) I've noticed that I get hung up more. Although it's much lighter than a Jeep (probably 1/4th the weight of a armored Jeep), it's really proven plastics ability to slide over the rocks.

Mike