Community Forums

56Nomad · 08-30-2006, 02:19 PM

Hi all,

After bending both the right and left side of the rear bumper when heading into the boondocks as well as deep and steep exits out of shopping malls, I decided to do some modifications. It wasn't hard to straighten the bumper out and re-paint, but I'd rather have a reinforced skid plate that takes the beating. The factory skid plate misses the mark.

I made the template I needed out of a small piece of steel and then had the local metal fabricator bend all the right angles from a length of 3/8" x 5" steel plate.

Fits like a glove with (3) 3/4" #8 bolts for each side.

56Nomad · 08-30-2006, 02:19 PM

Hi all,

After bending both the right and left side of the rear bumper when heading into the boondocks as well as deep and steep exits out of shopping malls, I decided to do some modifications. It wasn't hard to straighten the bumper out and re-paint, but I'd rather have a reinforced skid plate that takes the beating. The factory skid plate misses the mark.

I made the template I needed out of a small piece of steel and then had the local metal fabricator bend all the right angles from a length of 3/8" x 5" steel plate.

Fits like a glove with (3) 3/4" #8 bolts for each side.

melon · 08-30-2006, 05:51 PM

Solid. Has anyone ever put wheels on those skid plates. I thought the weld on one would work, but I think the re-enforcing that you did might be clutch before adding the wheels. Those skid plates that I have wouldn't last through too many driveways.

Rod

high desert · 08-30-2006, 06:40 PM

Great mod.......another one I'm going to use.

BTW, It was nice meeting you at spot GC last week.

Wes

WWFan · 08-30-2006, 07:43 PM

Hummm...Spot GC?! Let me get my trusty Spot Decoder out and see if I can finger out where that's at.

Hey Howie...I'm especially interested in why you didn't go the HD caster route- even with the non-swivel type. Fortunately I've yet to have a problem, but there's always that "get-cha" slope.

And it seems you've got a different bumper than the SLC's....hummmm....

56Nomad · 08-30-2006, 07:47 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by melon:
Solid. Has anyone ever put wheels on those skid plates. I thought the weld on one would work, but I think the re-enforcing that you did might be clutch before adding the wheels. Those skid plates that I have wouldn't last through too many driveways.

Rod </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

For what we do... that being off roading, the wheels are most likely to be ripped off if you snagged a hole.

WWFan · 08-30-2006, 07:51 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by 56Nomad:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by melon:
Solid. Has anyone ever put wheels on those skid plates. I thought the weld on one would work, but I think the re-enforcing that you did might be clutch before adding the wheels. Those skid plates that I have wouldn't last through too many driveways.

Rod </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

For what we do... that being off roading, the wheels are most likely to be ripped off if you snagged a hole. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Howie...you prolly didn't see my post above, but with my MC2 formula (or is it the Murphy's Law one), the trick to minimizing the damage is figure out which part you wanna break- because there'll always be that one time that'll do it. Seems as though you certainly have a stout drag bar...I was thinkin' you may want to add some rotation to whatever to come across. Whatdayathink?

56Nomad · 08-30-2006, 08:26 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by WWFan:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by 56Nomad:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by melon:
Solid. Has anyone ever put wheels on those skid plates. I thought the weld on one would work, but I think the re-enforcing that you did might be clutch before adding the wheels. Those skid plates that I have wouldn't last through too many driveways.

Rod </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

For what we do... that being off roading, the wheels are most likely to be ripped off if you snagged a hole. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Howie...you prolly didn't see my post above, but with my MC2 formula (or is it the Murphy's Law one), the trick to minimizing the damage is figure out which part you wanna break- because there'll always be that one time that'll do it. Seems as though you certainly have a stout drag bar...I was thinkin' you may want to add some rotation to whatever to come across. Whatdayathink? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

My skid plate will carry any rotation

My hits to the rear bumber have all been straight on. Each time I did it, I had to bring out the heavy duty tools to bang it straight and hit it off with the metal grinder.

It was time that I did something as the metal might start suffering some fatigue if I continued to keep staightening it each time.

Vette Racer · 08-31-2006, 06:13 AM

Boy Howie, that's what I call off roading. Those drag plates should work for you, I agree if you had wheels or casters they might get caught off road, works well for driveways though.

56Nomad · 08-31-2006, 12:51 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Vette Racer:
Boy Howie, that's what I call off roading. Those drag plates should work for you, I agree if you had wheels or casters they might get caught off road, works well for driveways though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

My son in law welded on his casters on his Weekend Warrior..... and they look pretty substancial, but they don't rotate

melon · 09-01-2006, 05:48 AM

I think WWs bumper design has changed. I had the same one you have now with the open edge on the bottom that would catch on the ground in low clearance sittuations. I totaly ripped that thing apart one trip and had to replace the entir bumper with 2x6 square tube. By the time I was done you could lift the whole trailer from the bumper. My current trailer has an enclosed bumper that wont catch.

Rod

56Nomad · 09-02-2006, 08:36 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by melon:
I think WWs bumper design has changed. I had the same one you have now with the open edge on the bottom that would catch on the ground in low clearance sittuations. I totaly ripped that thing apart one trip and had to replace the entir bumper with 2x6 square tube. By the time I was done you could lift the whole trailer from the bumper. My current trailer has an enclosed bumper that wont catch.

Rod </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Rod,

Do you have the '07 Warrior?