unfortunately I'm in Cali
I'm just seeing this so and your post was months ago, it is probably too late. But ping me if you still have a set of skid plates for sale. I'm in Dallas.
OEM is under rated because so thin but it's AHSS that no aftermarket has or can afford to make with die costs and pressing if can get a set cheap it's pure gold.
I dunno, people talk about "thin" but honestly most people don't need structural strength, they just need the rock not to rip into their shit. The OEM does that just fine and it's not that expensive. YMMV.
Wifey's rig gets UHMW clad aluminum belly skids from Next Venture Motorsports. Mine has their sliders coming, but it won't be in the rocks nearly as bad as hers. OEM skids will be fine for mine.
They are a sacrificial layer so consider them a consumable if into it hard frequently ......anything 5000lb+ for hard core frequently is the wrong vehicle if can't or do t want to spend $10K year on various hard part consumables. Even my dirt bike costs $3K year for tires, skid plates, sprockets, chains, bibmoose, oil, filters, valve adjustments and maybe a wheel here and there as well as radiators, hand grips and levers.....off roading is costly.
The stock Ford ones weigh 150lbsI've been researching lately myself. Some thoughts to help choose what's right for you...
Aluminum saves weight vs steel, but a full set (even w/o gas tank) is still heavier than stock plates. From what I can find the stock plates on a 4dr Badlands is 46 lbs. For a set of well designed alumininum (1/4") I was looking at, they would add 45 lbs over stock. The steel version (3/16") would add 115 lbs over stock.
If you have any experience with metal at all, you know aluminum fatigues from bending much easier. It doesn't weld easily, and in general it's just not going to be as strong or durable as a "bash" plate. It is lighter, and it doesn't rust. So those are the good points.
After numerous video reviews showing real world usage, I've concluded that alum is suitable for some but not all cases. It appears to be a good option for:
Otherwise, if you're expecting to come across rocks, ledges, tree stumps, etc. then you really should consider steel.
- Overlanders who will rarely wheel on trails rated more than a 4 (of 10), and so will not really come across many situation where they're really banging the plates, they're for that one rare emergency, and minimizing weight is more important.
- Regions where offroading doesn't equate to rock bashing -- sand, mud, dirt, maybe some tree stumps, but not much smacking into pointy things.
- That would apply to desert/"baja" type of high speed off-roading as well -- not as likley to be bashing rocks or tree stumps.
- Trucks with very high clearances -- again, a lot less rock bashing on regular trails, unless you're counting on them on purpose doing some boulder hopping.
- Competition rigs where saving the weight is useful, but there's also a budget to treat the plates as consumables.
Any good set of plates would ideally include (cheap ones don't):
From there you can look at 1/8" (light), 3/16" (common), 1/4" (heavy) options for weight and price.
- Coverage for the front lower A arm mounting points
- Stiffeners across large spans to reduce bending (a bent plate right next to a critical part isn't protecting much)
- Either recessed bolt mounts, or bolt shrouds
- Air flow openings to prevent excess temperature build up
- Drainage holes to prevent water pooling or mud build up
- Access for regular maintenance items without removing the whole plate.
IMO, frequency isn't the issue as much as the type of trail. I don't go frequently, but I do want to play near the limit. I'm in the west, so it's mostly rocky trails -- with no extra lift and 33" tires, I need some decent protection. Frequency is a matter of considering the plates as consumables. Do you replace them every 2 years from heavy use, or every 10? (I had thick plates on a 4Runner for the same reasons, and that turned out to be a good choice.)
You may also want to consider the little covers for the rear shock and swing arm mounts. Cover them before they get bent
Anyway, that's what I've come up with after some digging.
After collecting that info, I'm starting the shop and compare phase. I have one I like as a starting benchmark, we'll see what I find from there.
At 150 lbs that includes the fuel tank cover.
I believe that’s the Badlands. On Wildtrak 2&3 right now. 1&3 only had the diff skid. Number two had full OEM skid options.
