Went a different route than putting the wimpy factory skid plate on. So I decided on Monday I would start making the design for my t-case skid plate I did want. Decided to make it out of 3/8in plate. And here's what I came up with by Friday night when I left my night time fab class.

I really only worked on it for a total of about 8-10 hours including the prepping for paint and stuff. I bed lined it and let it set out all day before putting it on tonight.

Enough talking, more pics!

Before bed liner:






After bed liner and installed:












I figure it should hold up better than the OEM skid plate and if I can screw this plate up, I shouldn't be taking my Ranger down those trails haha

What do you guys think? Oh these pics also show off the rear cat delete mod I finished up last week. 2.5in system exhaust ftw!

 

damn tre, youre going to have to try awful hard to bend that one. looks tough

 

looks really good nice build..nice welds great fab work -- school is paying off!

 

yeah im sure it will. hahah way sure.. either way if you hit something big enough its gonna f your day =]

i like it ill take one.

 

Looks great man!

 

Looks good....hella beefy. Now I'm out that money I paid for your skid... Who want's a stock tcase skid from a '02 Fx4???

 

Looks real good man. Wish I had a transfer case so I could have one.

 

Sure is paying off! I'm learning new things everyday! I'm now one of 3 people trained to use the CNC at the school. WoodsRider was my test subject when I was learning, he's got a new bumper being put together by the pieces I cut out using the CNC. I love that thing!

You probably can't tell, but I used 3 different processes of welding, Spray transfer, Flux core and 240v short arc. lol

 

I like it. Looks good. I wish I had a t-case.

 

are the fx4 skids different from what i have stock on mine?

 

If you'd answer the phone, I would came and got it. Have another new mod up my sleeve also. Wanna see this next one this time I wanna show you?!

My t-case skid weighs about 40lbs. It shold hold up well. What's the fx4 one weigh? 5lbs? lol

 

Sweet! I just made one identical to that one out of cardboard yesterday... lol now i just need to go and actually have it made.

 

Nice man! I was originally going to ramp up the back like I did the front, but decided I wanted it done and painted and on. I was tired of working on it.

Gonna make a tank skid next I think outta 1/4in plate or 3/16in plate.

You should make it yourself, if you have access to tools and a shop. If you don't know how to weld, it's a good starting point. You learn a lot from your own mistakes and making your own pieces.

 

Looks good!

 

Holy crap man! that must weigh a ton with 1\2" plate!

What you do at school is like what Im learning at work

 

Very nice work TrePaul. I'm jealous...i need one of those for speed bumps....lol.

 

It's only outta 3/8in plate. Every part of it except for the angled gusset off the side is 3/8in plate. It does weight a **** ton though!

See Cody, I plan to know a lot by the time i get to the working point lol but hey everyone learns differently!

 

Oh, Looks like 1\2 from over here on the picture box.

Haha, No problem with that. I'm 16 and starting with this stuff, so hopefully I'll be ahead eventually.

 

man that thing is beefy! watch your head when your down there working on it! lol

 

mmm... beefy

 

I want to learn how to weld so bad. My parents said they'd buy one if i learn how to first. My dad and i are getting really close to a local metal shop and im hoping that they'll let me do a little work on some skids. And i dont think that you will have to worry about not ramping the back because if you think about it, if you ever do slide over anything the front is going to hit it first and most likely nothing will pop up and get shoved into the back of the t-case. Not saying that it couldn't happen somehow though.

 

wow and i thought mine was beefy....it is heavy though..i found it easyer to use a floor jack to put it on....and on mine i only ramped the back so its opposite of urs....2 ramps create a bowl thats why i only did one....and i did the back cause for some reason iv never got hung up going forwards....only backwards. thats how i f***ed my stock one up. usualy my torsion skids hit first and it just transferes to the transfer skid, but comming from the back it just hits the transfer skid. so far with it on i have "ramped" back over stuff backwards and have never been hung up on the front. plus it is more towards the front tires so they will keep it up longer than if ur going backwards..does that make since....if u drive up a hill and get cought up at the top ur more likely to get hng up after the transfer case since it would get hung up in the middle of the truck and if ur going down backwards again it will hit in the middle of the truck so more towards the back of the truck than the transfercase. so as u went back u case skid would hit and u would want a ramp. i think..or maby im just crazy

 

i like it. looks good and thats some think steel

 

Hefty hefty hefty!

Looks good!

 

Dang how did you get those measurements???? Must have been a nice guy to lay undernieth his truck in the middle of the street. LOL looks great Trevor