ATTN: Primative Skid Plate Owners

[BarManBean]

Trying to figure out exactly what to order. Questions to folks who have a metal skidplate:

 

 

• 1/8" or 3/16", what do you have and would you stick with the same?
  
• Oil filter hole necessary?
  
• Fumoto hole necessary?
  
• I'll need header spacers, but don't think there's much to ask about those...
  

Anything else I'm missing?

[chato]

in retrospect i wish I had gotten the 3/16's.

I do appreciate the access holes, although oil sometimes goes everywhere.

 

I also wish that there was a little more side cover like the Rallitek has.

 

I ended up trimming the factory plastic tray to use the sides, but then gave up because it was just a hassle to deal with taking on and off and was causing some rattles.

 

also, unless the mounting system has changed, the front bolts become the first line of impact. mine got trashed then punched through the wimpy threaded mounts on the body. Ended up just using really long carriage bolts running all the way up through the lower radiator support now.

[PutnamCO]

I got the 1/8th thickness, and feel that is adequate. I have run over pieces of wood and ice in the road at high speeds that did not make a dent in the plate.

 

I got both the drain hole and filter cutout, and would recommend it. I've done numerous oil changes quickly without a mess, and am always glad I didn't have to remove the whole plate. The placement of these holes makes it unlikely that anything would hit them first.

 

I agree with chato regarding the front bolts. One of mine was destroyed, so I had a nut welded into the hole, and that is working fine.

 

I am glad to have mine, and am confident that I would have continued to destroy a plastic undertray every 6 months if I hadn't purchased the plate.

[idiot4hire]

I have the 1/8 thick skidplate. I've hit some large ice chunks with out and dents. If I were to buy another one I would not get the access holes. My oil filter hole is to small and my hand barely fits. Other then that I like it big time. I almost bought the rallitek but shipping was over 100dollars

[JF1GG29]

Thickness

I have the 3/16" and I would stick with the 3/16". It is heavy, but strong enough to jack up the car with.

 

Openings

I have neither the filter hole or the Fumoto hole. It seems nice to have both, since removing and replacing this thing every 3750 miles for an oil change is a pain in the ass. I would spring for them in the future.

 

It's a nice piece to have, but it does add weight and removing and replacing it all the time is a pain. It is heavy and there are some hard edges.

[BoozeRS05]

I'm very happy with my 1/8", and it is more than sufficient for any moderate DD needs in my opinion.. I see all kinds of road types and conditions, and I'm completely confident in the protection it offers.

 

If you pull too close to curbs it will hang up and you can very easily damage the bolts like others have mentioned. I treat it like a front lip, just don't ride up close to curbs and it's not an issue.

 

At this size/weight, removing the plate is not difficult every couple months for myself. It's a bit awkward putting it back on and it can be a PITA lining the bolts back up, but I did not get access holes and I'm fine without them.

 

There is a fair amount of exposure to the sides of the plate, which I did not like so I also hacked the OEM tray apart and I'm happy with the end result. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I use two strips of heavy duty duct tape to keep the sides attached to my plate. I was going to drill two holes and go with zip ties, but whatever.. It works fine, you'd never know, and they are in there snug.

 

I'm doing an oil change tomorrow, I'll snap some pics.

[turboboost]

Extremely pleased with my 3/16" - it may be a bit overkill for a DD, but I figured if I was going to spend that much money on a skidplate, I might as well just go the whole 9 yards. My investment paid off a few times over this past winter - many instances of ice chunks, highway debris, rocks/gravel, and various chunks of wood/branches have bounced off the plate with a very satisfying thunk without any damage whatsoever.

 

No access holes - the holes take away coverage and would defeat the purpose of a skidplate (in my opinion). Plus, I have pretty big hands and those tiny access holes would be a PITA.

 

I have a Fumoto valve - no issues with clearance. There's also a nice little piece of padding glued onto the skidplate to prevent rubbing/damage to the oil pan. Taking it off for oil changes or any work underneath is super easy: 1 bolt + 2 nuts; all 1/2". I usually just lay sideways and use my knee to prop up the plate as I'm taking off the hardware.

[BarManBean]

Thanks folks, all good feedback!

[ERLoft]

I have the Rallitek plate. 1/8" thick. Has the filter and oil drain openings. Took a few tries to get oil changes right. Eventually I modified a funnel to be able to sit in there while I ran my wrench with extension through the middle of the funnel to remove the drain plug. Love it.

 

Hopefully there won't be any clearance issues with the headers for my new motor...

[BoozeRS05]

Not much here to see really, except how my OEM tray is fitted to the skid plate (and all my rust). There's probably an inch of overlap with the OEM tray tucked up in there.

 

Makes me feel a little better about weather and small debris getting into the motor area, also TMIC flow characteristics.