Skid Plates?

[OffroadTreks]

Has anyone ever made some ¼-inch steel skid plates to beef up some of Ram's skids? It's not that they're bad, but they're not great either. OK at best. And have been thinking about beefing them up in a few areas.

[DamageWagon]

I've considered it. Primarily to replace the tubing sections. One good hit on a rock always trashes those. They are still there, but they punch in. Mine look like sine waves haha. The gas tank skid is good I would say. You could add reinforcement but just doing some rectangular tube structure and leaving the sheet metal might be all that is required. 1/4" plate is way overkill. You will collapse the supports that hold the tank skid long before 3/16 plate gives. The biggest worry with the existing skid is that the edges like to curl up and into the tank and can cut a hole in the tank.


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[olyelr]

Here are some manufactured aluminum units I came across the other day.

http://www.asfir.com/our-products/skid_ ... odel_id=30

[DamageWagon]

Never heard of those guys, that's pretty sweet


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[OffroadTreks]

Interesting, although these seem to be for the diesel models specifically?

[RamGentry]

ASS FUR...anyone else reading it that way?



Sorry, I have not contributed in any productive way

[DamageWagon]

I read "ass fear", both are pretty bad.


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[yellowranger1]

Looks like they're out of Israel, shipping is probably pretty cost prohibitive. Cool that there's an option out there though.


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[PWRider]

I'd say lose those running boards first.

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[olyelr]

I'd say lose those running boards first.

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If thats in regards to the OP pic, that isnt even a power wagon. It has independant front suspension. He's already got running boards that can handle rocks

[OffroadTreks]

I just noticed that. LOL Just googled Ram Skid Plates and picked an image off google search.

[Reloaderguy]

Do you high center your truck very often? Those tiny tires you have probably don't help.

[OffroadTreks]

Now that's some shit talking right there. :p

[TwinStick]

I checked into stronger skids shortly after I bought mine. I bent the steering damper skidplate the 2nd day I had it, trying to jack up the P-side front tire. There was nothing avail then & nothing avail now, that I know of anyways. So, ours are like 1/8" thick steel, right ? If so, would 1/4" thick aluminum be any stronger/better ? I am guessing that the skidplates are not heat treated because mine bent so easily & did not spring back into shape ?

[DamageWagon]

The heat treatment process would add a ton of cost to those skid plates. Not because of the heat treatment itself, but because they would have to change to an alloy steel. High carbon works too but would be too brittle in they application. So they give the skids strength by cold working them, forming in the ribs and contours. That makes them super strong in certain ways. But yeah... That front skid is 1/8" and has two tiny screws holding it in, so it is what it is haha. Aluminum can be stronger but it can also be weaker too. Land on a rock with factory skids, you get a small sing in a localized area. Land on a rock with a flat aluminum plate, you'll crease or sent a huge area. It just doesn't have structure. If it's formed 1/4" aluminum, like the 5052 alloy from those ass-fear guys, it would be stronger but also super soft. It will take a beating before breaking probably but will deflect a lot with each hit. You could bend those skids by sticking each end on a cinder block and jumping in the middle.


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[OffroadTreks]

What I don't like about aluminum is that it gouges easily.

[Reloaderguy]

What weighs more, a ton of aluminum or a ton of steel?

[DamageWagon]

What weighs more, a ton of aluminum or a ton of steel?

A 4 ton truck.


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[ramv]

The brackets on the gas tank skid are the weak parts. They are the same as my second gen which had a plastic skid plate and the brackets still failed first.
On the T'case, I made a new crossmember (on the second gen) out of 2x4" 3/16" tubing, with 1/4" steel caps on the frame. I bolted 3/16" aluminum plate with the factory t/case skid on top of it. I have bent the crap out of the plate itself but not the crossmemeber so it's doing its job.

I took the gas tank off and got one from a Grand Cherokee 5.9 and put it in the bed. Solved the skid plate issue.

[OffroadTreks]

What weighs more, a ton of aluminum or a ton of steel?

A 4 ton truck.

They're heavier than that. I've been over the cat scales.

[Bill2014]

What weighs more, a ton of aluminum or a ton of steel?

A 4 ton truck.

They're heavier than that. I've been over the cat scales.

As soon as I hop in my empty truck (no gear), It's over 4 tons.

[DamageWagon]

Holy cow I thought they were about 7000 dry. That's nuts.


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[Reloaderguy]

Those are huge nuts.

[OffroadTreks]

Full tank of gas, two adults, two kids, some gear and Toyo 35's. 8360lbs. Pretty damn close to GVWR.


I have a Laramie too. This is why I scoff at "it needs a diesel" comments, the truck doesn't need to be any heavier.

[DamageWagon]

Whoa. That's fat. Mike, noob question,how do you use Cat scales?


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