The Factory Skid Plate Is A Joke

[TremorOwner]

Not likely to see that with a Tremor. Only rated for 19 19 19.

Managed to get to 18 mpg on my 2 hour mostly highway drive to the trail where this happened. Yay!

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[TBR17]

Managed to get to 18 mpg on my 2 hour mostly highway drive to the trail where this happened. Yay!

In the 6 weeks I've owned mine I haven't managed to get more than 450 miles. I'm sitting right on 18mpg as we speak.

 

[GTGallop]

I was honestly seeing how long I could go before someone called that out after all that.

This was the best I can do with my current camera options. I tried getting an angle for the bend.

The rock didn't seem leave a much of a mark when it first made contact and bent the plate. It only left the scrape when I backed out of it while turning for earlier tire contact hoping to avoid more damage. Hindsight, perhaps I should have just continued forward as backing up must have dug the rock back in its original location and caused the scraping (and maybe more bending, I dunno). I did shotput that effing rock pretty far... kind of proud of that.

I could care less about scratches to the plate. It's warped on the right/center now and that's what I care about. A proper plate would never have warped in this situation. I'm not an inexperienced offroader. My Tahoe, which weighs a lot more, has been subject to much worse and its plates have never bent - they're also like 2-3x as thick and ribbed.

The truck's entire weight wasn't hanging on the plate, never was. The truck was simply sunk atop the rock very, very slowly. No tire slip. No tires off the ground. Wheel travel not maxed out. The truck just went down into a "pothole" on one side that I couldn't see over the hood. I was going so slow and already holding the brake that the truck effectively stopped on contact.

This stuff happens off-roading, I get it. But this isn't a plate for anything but show and tell.

So, let the... "you started all this because of that" commentary. Have fun with that... adults.

So it looks like your skid plate skidded.
I'm not seeing the issue here?

It is there to "take one for the team." That doesn't mean it looks factory fresh all nice and cherry when it's done doing it's job. I'd say your plate is fine. Did it's job like it should and has lots of life left in it.

 

[Trigganometry]

Ug... dude... stop. Can you engage without acting like a high school bully? I'm not attacking YOU. I'm criticizing a vehicle. It's a object. It's not personal. Let's act like it.

I know what you are saying - I get it the design -- but it's a parts bin compromise to look fancy while saving cost. The GT500 has the same knob (to shift is transmission), just with a fancier surround. It's terrible in the GT500, too, but it least it only detentes on the available selections.

Elegant would mean it doesn't freely spin beyond it's three detente purpose and has more fidelity (space) between each option so you don't rotate past the one you want super easily.

If you like it, great. I'm glad you do. It's certainly tolerable, but I think it can be improved and shouldn't have been released as-is. It requires much more careful actuation than any 4WD selector I've ever experienced and that is just going backwards. The 4WD switch has long been determined to need to be a very obvious, overt switch, heavy detent or large button switch that is easily actuated off road... not a spinny wheel you can play Wheel of Fortune with.

Let's say we get rid of the indicator mark, okay.... it still doesn't need to rotate any more than the three settings. Anyway, you and I both aren't going to change it. You're bullying of me won't work to shut me up about any criticism I have of this model vehicle. So... keep calm and carry on, my dude.

Buddy if you were designing cars with your vision applied this is pretty much what we would be driving….

 

[Synyster06Gates]

In the 6 weeks I've owned mine I haven't managed to get more than 450 miles. I'm sitting right on 18mpg as we speak.

After 2000 miles, I'm averaging 19.9 and have a highway max of 25 over a 140 mile round trip. And I don't baby it, either. Weird.

guess you got duped into the marketing ploy.
the tremor isnt an FX on steroids. it's just got on fancier shoes.
i suppose some research would have pointed that out

I wouldn't call an entirely different suspension "fancier shoes". It's leaps and bounds better than the factory FX4 setup.

 

[THLONE]

Six pages and another "tremor" fan boy starts another argument. Face it folks these trucks are built for the boulevard 4x4 people. Even Ford wouldnt go heavy 4 wheeling without mods.

 

[VAMike]

Also have to wonder why all the other Ranger plates, upgraded skid plates, and after market skid plates, and wheelers around the world all use metal.

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

 

[Calmdown]

Mine bent to the right of those three rubs -- in that right divit/vent section, toward the back. It deformed the entire skid plate in that area, bending upward toward the engine.

Glad yours held up!

Sounds like it was an unfortunate location. I looked at a few aftermarket ones, including a 6mm aluminium job. One thing they lack that the FX4 one has (from what I saw) are the bends in the metal. The aftermarket ones have thicker metal, but not much in the way of those bends.

And I think that's a functional design choice from both parties. The bends in the metal enhance the load bearing qualities of the plate while trimming weight for a myriad of reasons; (saving money not really being one of them; the cost of stamping 3/16 or 1/4 steel is negligible.)

What you wind up with is a lighter piece of metal, that due to some design changes; has a lot of capability to support and protect over a large surface area. The compromise in this being due to the metal being thinner, it may not have as high of a localized impact resistance.

That would explain how mine is unscuffed (force over a large area) and yours is bashed (force over a small area).

The aftermarket ones appear to be better at localized (smaller area) hits due to the thickness of the metal, but may not be able to provide the same wide area load bearing capabilities.

 

[sklnbnz]

All I can say is that I hit my factory skid plate a couple times, then decided that since it really is not intended for that in the long run soI bought the ARB Skids for $600. After a couple good smacks on them it is the best $ I have spent on a mod to date. Without these, I would likely be waiting for my new Transfer case to arrive still.

 

[Rp930]

The only thing that’s a joke is complaining about some scrapes on the skid plate after bashing it on a rock.

 

[D Fresh]

Ug... dude... stop. Can you engage without acting like a high school bully? I'm not attacking YOU. I'm criticizing a vehicle. It's a object. It's not personal. Let's act like it.

I know what you are saying - I get it the design -- but it's a parts bin compromise to look fancy while saving cost. The GT500 has the same knob (to shift is transmission), just with a fancier surround. It's terrible in the GT500, too, but it least it only detentes on the available selections.

Elegant would mean it doesn't freely spin beyond it's three detente purpose and has more fidelity (space) between each option so you don't rotate past the one you want super easily.

If you like it, great. I'm glad you do. It's certainly tolerable, but I think it can be improved and shouldn't have been released as-is. It requires much more careful actuation than any 4WD selector I've ever experienced and that is just going backwards. The 4WD switch has long been determined to need to be a very obvious, overt switch, heavy detent or large button switch that is easily actuated off road... not a spinny wheel you can play Wheel of Fortune with.

Let's say we get rid of the indicator mark, okay.... it still doesn't need to rotate any more than the three settings. Anyway, you and I both aren't going to change it. You're bullying of me won't work to shut me up about any criticism I have of this model vehicle. So... keep calm and carry on, my dude.

I'm sorry that you were bullied in high school. It is not my intent to bully you.

You obviously don't understand the design. It's been explained to you 4 times now but you still don't get it.

You wear velcro shoes, don't you?

 

[TremorOwner]

I'm sorry that you were bullied in high school. It is not my intent to bully you.

You obviously don't understand the design. It's been explained to you 4 times now but you still don't get it.

You wear velcro shoes, don't you?

You're still spending time in this thread? Wow...

 

[Stage3Motorsports]

Just an FYI for anyone looking for an upgrade

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/thre...plete-steel-skid-plate-kit.13647/#post-268749

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

With my lift and bumper, the front plates no longer fit my truck. I bought a Westin front plate because it was all the dealer was able to find at that time.

The FX4 in back is front down, and the Westin in front is front up. Digi caliper gave me .074 on the FX4 plate, and .144 on the Westin. Without coating can't be more than 065 of 16 gauge sheet.

Also to note in the photo, is the mud stain left in the tray. I had a mud coming in under the doors when I was stuck in that bog, it was brutal. Water never made it in the intake, but more than half the fan was submerged so it was flying everywhere.

Anyway, for clean-up, I remove wheels, use sprinklers underneath and power washer everywhere, but could not have gotten the 3 inches of mud inside this plate.

Depending on how you plate, and where you wheel, checking and or cleaning behind you plates is good practice. Some places clogged with dried mud, could lead to over-heated components, water rot and rust, or excessive wear/damage (rocks/debris in the mud).

 

[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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