Bellypan skid material?

buggybuilder

buggybuilder

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Mar 26, 2005
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under a rock
Hey anyone here use aluminum plate for their bellypan skidplate,how does work compared to steel or uhmw plastic?
 

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Though I'm still going to run it, I was told Aluminum will "dig in" instead of sliding over the rocks. However, I spoke with a couple of guys on another board who have been running Al skids for around 2 years, and they are plenty happy.

Using 6061 T-6 on mine.

While doing my research, I did find that the grade and type of Alum makes a big difference on the "hardness" of it...
 
My truck has aluminum skid plates on it, and they do dig in on rocks instead of sliding on over, but it usually doesn't hang me up. But maybe that's cause my truck weighs eleventy billion pounds and I have inertia on my side.
 
Im using 7075t-6,its about one of the hardest aluminum alloys so hopefully she will work.........
 
Yeah, I found that 7075 was one of the hardest, also the most expensive... outta work great for ya.
 
Aluminum will dig and if it gets hit hard and deep enough it will crack and bust. Alcoa has come up with a new grade of aluminum which they claim is just as good as the 6061 and its about 1/3 the cost. While I was making this reply I see that you've already decided on the 7075. Anyway nice tube work man.
 
Thanks I appreciate the info......its 3/8 plate so I hope it can take a good hit without busting up.I know 7075 is hard but it is more brittle than 6061.Maybe I could put a thin sheet of the uhmw over it.We'll see what happens............
 
just out of curiousoty, why did you go with aluminum over steel?

and if it was for weight reasons would a steel plate that size make that much of a weight difference?
 
material weight

orange150 said:
just out of curiousoty, why did you go with aluminum over steel?

and if it was for weight reasons would a steel plate that size make that much of a weight difference?
Click to expand...



steel weighs .283lbs. per cu. inch
alum. weighs roughly .1lbs per cu. inch
just some handy info. i thought.
JD
 
How about skinning it w/ a peice of 1/8 steel to avoid the digging effect? Just a crazy idea.
 
Franklin said:
How about skinning it w/ a peice of 1/8 steel to avoid the digging effect? Just a crazy idea.
Click to expand...

Good idea, here's some weights for ya.. example piece is 36x40".

3/8" alum - 53.5 lbs.
1/4" alum - 36 lbs.
1/8" alum - 18 lbs.

1/4" steel - 102 lbs.
1/8" steel - 51 lbs.
14 gauge (.094" 3/32" ) steel - 30.5 lbs


I suppose I could use a sheet of 1/4" alum, with a skin of 14 gauge and be within 10 lbs of the .375 alum I was gonna use...

edit for size correction
 
Rich said:
I suppose I could use a sheet of 1/4" alum, with a skin of 14 gauge and be within 10 lbs of the .375 alum I was gonna use...
Click to expand...

But is the 2 pc set up (1/4" alum and 14g steel) gonna give you the same structure and bend properties as a 3/4 pc of alum? I would think you would have to "bond" the 2 sheets together to get the same strength. Kind of like plywood, each individual layer is useless until it is all bonded (glued) together...Maybe a thin coating of JB Weld between the 2 sheets?
 
I would use some rounded head pop rivets every so often to bond.
 
Franklin said:
I would use some rounded head pop rivets every so often to bond.
Click to expand...
That might work...but sometimes that little bump (rivet head) is what keeps you from getting over an obstical...
 
buggybuilder said:
Wow,its gettin pretty in depth here.Thanks for all the info.......
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Uhn-hu. How many of us have NOT dreamed of building a lighter, flatter, stronger skid? I'm thinking the "laminate" of alum and steal would be great on the Mando...
 
lomodyj said:
That might work...but sometimes that little bump (rivet head) is what keeps you from getting over an obstical...
Click to expand...

Well thats just wee bit too anal for me :D
 
Franklin said:
Well thats just wee bit too anal for me :D
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I'm not so sure. To get a rivet big enough to actually hold up to rocks beating up agianst them it would take a pretty big rivet head. I'm not against the idea of a rivet...just thinking there might be a better way.
 
orange150 said:
couldnt you drill a counter sink hole in the steel so that the rivet head would be pretty much flush?
Click to expand...
I'm thinking the 1/8 inch steel would be too thin to countesink much...
 
My idea:

Thin gauge steel.... 11-16 or so. Weld nuts to the top around the perimeter. Tabs on the trans cradle/crossmember with bolts threaded in from the top.

A couple of pieces of small angle can be stitched in where necessary (unsupported edges, etc) to stiffen the light gauge steel.

Simple, effective, and about as lightweight as you're going to get, methinks.
 
Rich said:
Good idea, here's some weights for ya.. example piece is 36x40".

3/8" alum - 53.5 lbs.
1/4" alum - 36 lbs.
1/8" alum - 18 lbs.

1/4" steel - 102 lbs.
1/8" steel - 51 lbs.
14 gauge (.075" 3/32" ) steel - 30.5 lbs


I suppose I could use a sheet of 1/4" alum, with a skin of 14 gauge and be within 10 lbs of the .375 alum I was gonna use...
Click to expand...


not to be a smart ass ,but 3\32" is .09375 1\32" = .03125
 
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