The Factory Skid Plate Is A Joke

[TremorOwner]

I like Westin's tubular bumper a lot since I'll likely never use a winch. Good to know their skid plate is stronger than factory. I wasn't expecting that out of Westin given the pricing.

Trying to determine if it'd work with the ARB or Shrock plates right now. Want the tube look and the best tube bumper out there (IMO) is only made for Toyotas. Classic...

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[JACKSMYDOG]

Because it's cheaper and easier to fab a metal skid plate in your garage than mold a high strength plastic part.

I don't understand.

Are you saying Ford uses a plastic fuel tank plate, and metal for the rest, because I can fab up a metal plate for the fuel tank if I want one, cheaper and easier than I can fab up a plastic one? What?

How does that address the original context that plastic was claimed to be better than metal plates?

 

[Tom_C]

Some posts here seem unnecessary.

 

[Trigganometry]

Some posts here seem unnecessary.

We need a ? choice for emojis

 

[VAMike]

I don't understand.

Are you saying Ford uses a plastic fuel tank plate, and metal for the rest, because I can fab up a metal plate for the fuel tank if I want one, cheaper and easier than I can fab up a plastic one? What?

How does that address the original context that plastic was claimed to be better than metal plates?

I was addressing the "why don't aren't third party fuel tank skid plates made out of plastic" question The reason (IMO) you don't see 3rd party plastic plates is that by and large they're really small operations that can't afford to produce high performance plastic parts (this isn't something you can do on a 3d printer); metal has a much lower cost of entry. Ford presumably uses a plastic plate because it performs better--they're the only ones who have done extensive destructive testing. I would further assume the other plates are not plastic because they don't have the same issues with potentially explosive failure as the fuel tank protection. (Also, to some degree, this is more marketing than reality, and regardless of how well completely plastic underbody protection might perform they wouldn't be able to sell it to the target market.)

 

[Calmdown]

Ford presumably uses a plastic plate because it performs better--they're the only ones who have done extensive destructive testing.

I remember quite a few "car guys" losing their collective shit over Lotus gluing the aluminum chassis together on the Elise, and how they didn't "believe" that the bonding was stronger than welding. Sometimes as the manufacturer, you have to be the adult in the situation, and feed the kids a proper breakfast, rather than the pie they're screaming for.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I don't understand.

Are you saying Ford uses a plastic fuel tank plate, and metal for the rest, because I can fab up a metal plate for the fuel tank if I want one, cheaper and easier than I can fab up a plastic one? What?

How does that address the original context that plastic was claimed to be better than metal plates?

There was another thread on the forum (maybe this one... They all blur sometimes) the said the plastic offers more protection from a 'safety' and 'most people use it for street' standpoint. I am sure it also has something to do with crash testing.

At the end of the day, this thread comes down to 'we are the minority of Ford buyers'. Even though there are a boatload of members on this forum who like to take their Ranger offroad, we are a small number of the buyership for Ford. Ford also has to meet crash standards and safety requirements. There is a really interesting video about the AEV Colorado and what they went through to be able to sell the vehicle through Chevy. Even though they are aftermarket, they had to meet the same safety standards that Chevy is required to meet. Their skid plate (IIRC) has elongated holes to allow for movement during a crash. They couldn't fit bigger tires because of EPA standards that Chevy still had to meet on the truck.

 

[THLONE]

The whole story of these posts has many branches. The OP just wanted to complain that he bought a Tremor and thought it was going to be a super duper off road vehicle. But, all the duper got was a decal and managed to dent his new vehicle on a little rock while almost stopped. It was interesting reading to a point. All of these kind of posts reinforce the wisdom of buying an XL.

 

[Calmdown]

The whole story of these posts has many branches. The OP just wanted to complain that he bought a Tremor and thought it was going to be a super duper off road vehicle. But, all the duper got was a decal and managed to dent his new vehicle on a little rock while almost stopped. It was interesting reading to a point. All of these kind of posts reinforce the wisdom of buying an XL.

Coming from my 4X4 Jaguar (2013 Ford F150 FX4 fully loaded), I like my creature comforts.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

There was another thread on the forum (maybe this one... They all blur sometimes) the said the plastic offers more protection from a 'safety' and 'most people use it for street' standpoint. I am sure it also has something to do with crash testing.

At the end of the day, this thread comes down to 'we are the minority of Ford buyers'. Even though there are a boatload of members on this forum who like to take their Ranger offroad, we are a small number of the buyership for Ford. Ford also has to meet crash standards and safety requirements. There is a really interesting video about the AEV Colorado and what they went through to be able to sell the vehicle through Chevy. Even though they are aftermarket, they had to meet the same safety standards that Chevy is required to meet. Their skid plate (IIRC) has elongated holes to allow for movement during a crash. They couldn't fit bigger tires because of EPA standards that Chevy still had to meet on the truck.

I am not dismissing the benefits of polymers and engineered products. I do thermo-molding in my garage, I make Kydex holters, I weld all plastics, I have 9 Glocks, lol. I understand the spark eliminating benefit of not having steel plate in front of a steel tank full of explosive contents, but the context at play was plastic bash plate providing better protection to a plastic fuel tank than a metal skid plate, protecting a plastic fuel tank.

The plastic tank removes spark and explosion from the conversation, leaving only the difference between an ABS type thin plastic thermo-molded guard or a metal guard. It's not an injection molded, high-density engineered plate, just thin sheeting.

I completely agree Ford makes them for urban 4x4s, and I have said as much in my previous post. I suggested upgrading from plastic to metal, and was told plastic is better for protection.

With that said, my RC differential skid plate arrived today, and it is a BEAST! 1/4 welded plate out wieghs all the FX4 plates combined, lol.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I was referencing only the statement about ' Are you saying Ford uses a plastic fuel tank plate, and metal for the rest, because I can fab up a metal plate for the fuel tank if I want one, cheaper and easier than I can fab up a plastic one? ' mostly to say I bet they used plastic because of safety concerns. I would feel more comfortable with a metal fuel tank skid, so I am not trying to justify the plastic, just offering my opinions.

 

[FordFreak]

The black skid plate is not unique to Tremors. I had a new take off from an FX4 on my last truck.

My ‘20 FX4 has black ones…just sayin

 

[TremorOwner]

My ‘20 FX4 has black ones…just sayin

Sweet!

 

[gameovergt]

It is very thin/light. I plastidipp'd mine flat black & was surprised how easy it was to remove/reinstall by myself.

 

[halligan1201]

My guess is all the manufacturers except maybe jeep use light steel for skid plates thinking 90% never leave the pavement except for crossing a lawn. Their goal is to keep weight down an MPG up due to economy regulations. An off road package that's supposed to be an upgrade should have stronger plates IMO.

Chevy puts boron plates on the ZR2. They're the only ones I've seen on any vehicle, including Jeep, that don't have a better aftermarket option out there.

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