Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
So basically after falling off the "Forum" grid for the last 5ish months. Mainly due to School, and no time. After nearly depleting my bank account of my savings for truck modifications; to keep paying for my truck. I have finally found a job again, at least temporary for now until a better one comes along. I'm finally making some money once again. Which will lead me to spending it on my truck. So here finally comes the question.
I have recently found out that one of my long time friends from high school, Dad, Works at a place(don't know exactly where) where they will regularly have large sized scrap pieces of metal, Tubes and sheets. Long story short i'm gonna have access to some metal form time to time. Wither it be steel or aluminium. And at no cost or very little. Which will be very nice. So I decided to use this to my advantage and I'm going to start fabricating some armor for my truck. And have decide the very first thing i'm gonna do is build a set of skid plates that can actually take some beating(in comparison to the semi pathetic stock skid plate). So to this question be.... Is there a way I can get by, by using aluminum for a skid plate? I guess what i'm trying to say is. Is there a Grade/Thickness of aluminum that can actually take a beating on rocks? Aluminum because of the weight reason. If not what kinds of thicknesses of steel should I be looking for?
And is anyone willing to share with me there dimensions of the skid plates that they have underneath there tundra, if it be custom fab'ed or even the skidrow skids?
Once again thanks for helping my ever learning expanding brain learn the ways of the force.
-Quentin
Peace.
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
There is some tough aluminum alloy sheets so if you get one of those and do not have to weld it, it may be worth it. Steel would be tougher in a low budget fab and the weight is not that much different so if you have your choice, the steel would be better. Save the aluminum for some other task. But it may be all moot if you are just relying on what is available
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
I figured aluminum wouldn't be strong enough for a skid plate. So im gonna keep my eye out for a 3/16 sheet of steel. Question...? If i cant find a sheet big enough would welding 2 sheets together work for making a bigger sheet? or would the weld make it so it would not be strong enough? As you can probably tell, I pretty much know nothing about fabrication things.
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
Bang for the buck, use steel...3/16", with some bracing welded to the back, should do the trick. There are a bunch of holes you can use, stock & threaded (buy the correct metric tap to clean them up, or drill & tap them for 3/8" bolts), plus open holes in crossmembers where you can put a plate and nut on top to clamp the skid in place.
It'd be cool to dimple some 1/8" plate, add bracing and stick some of that HDPE underneath...dunno how well it'd work on our heavy trucks tho...my 3/16" front Skid Row plate has a different shape now...
You can certainly weld pieces of plate together, like for the front skid...a few guys here in COTTORA have done that. Whether it's effective or not depends on how you design it as well as your skill as a welder.
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
I was actually gonna ask about dimpling it whether or not that it was strong enough for a skid plate. I think in some areas it could work. but do u ever see skid plates with dimples? None that I have never noticed. I mean possibly on Jeeps and Zukie's because there small and light. Is there a way you can make things stronger with dimples?
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
Well plans are that im finally gonna get to do it this saturday. Im gonna draw some stuff up tomorow first, Or if im in a tech-ie mood ill do it in solidworks. And ill see what u guys think about them. Mostly im gonna go according to the skidrow skids as much as I can, but ill have to add my own touch ofcorse .
Never got a response on the dimpleing. what do u guys think abou it for skids?
To add to that ill probly be in some mud form time to time so do u think that dimples would make it so mud was easyer to clean out, or no dimples make it so mud didnt get up there as easy?
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
I probly wont do anything harder than a 4 or a 5 on the 10 scale. Mostly 3 stuff. Most of the trials I do are 3's but there are some 4's and 5's sections that I wanna be able to do. Specially since im in jeep country it willl be great when Im doing everything those guys do in there Jeeps.
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quentin18
I probly wont do anything harder than a 4 or a 5 on the 10 scale. Mostly 3 stuff. Most of the trials I do are 3's but there are some 4's and 5's sections that I wanna be able to do. Specially since im in jeep country it willl be great when Im doing everything those guys do in there Jeeps.
You say that now ...
Five and six-rated, you'll be fine. Seven is pushing your luck. More, and you really need Jon's truck...front end is weak.
Dimples don't really add much, when the plate is thicker than 1/8"...so don't worry about them unless you're intending to brace and gusset the structure, and run a thick piece of HDPE like Jon is using under his boatsides.
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
Alright I wont dimple them. The only hole i'll do is one for the oil to drian out of; and ill try to funnel that one if possible.
In the morning before work I cleaned my truck and sprayed underneith with the power washer and sprayed off all the layers of mud that I could, so it would be easyer to measure for skids and help when I install them. Later on in the day,once it started to cool down a bit(since it was 111* today ) I got under the truck. Suprised how much mud was still acutally under there, although it was the cleanest under there ive seen except for the day I bought it. Took all my measurements drew some simple diagrams and went mostly off the skid row designs. The Tundra was quite simple underneith to figure out where some skids will go. Now my friend is helpin me put the design into an Auto-CAD program. The drafts are still at his house and as soon as hes done them in the CAD, I'll post them on here to see what ya'll think about them. And see if You have any suggestions or anything before saturdays production.
What do u think about painting them lime green? I think I may start doing some lime green stuff on my truck along with the black and white scheme I have going.
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Re: Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
Alright ended up not doing the plates that weekend because we went to lake powell instead lol!
But remembered I should post the pics of the plates. There just a little sketch on a pad. Like I said there mega basic. Oh and the little tab wing thingys are pieces to bend in like in the other thread where im asking about offroad mods.
Oh and theres a little treat to let u know what we pulled the boat with . Thats just my friend walkin away when I took the Pic.
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Tundra with a little lift and 33's
Is there a stong enough aluminum? or just go steel?
. 
) I got under the truck. Suprised how much mud was still acutally under there, although it was the cleanest under there ive seen except for the day I bought it. Took all my measurements drew some simple diagrams and went mostly off the skid row designs. The Tundra was quite simple underneith to figure out where some skids will go. Now my friend is helpin me put the design into an Auto-CAD program. The drafts are still at his house and as soon as hes done 
them in the CAD, I'll post them on here to see what ya'll think about them. And see if You have any suggestions or anything before saturdays production.
Alright ended up not doing the plates that weekend because we went to lake powell instead 
to let u know what we pulled the boat with 
Linear Mode
