I have a 2011 king quad 400 and I'm just not to sure about the plastic skid plate that came on it. It's my first four wheeler so I don't know much about it. Are they tough enough?

 

Unless your are going to be a hardcore rock banger,
plastic will work fine for most situations.
They will keep the mud and snow, branch's and sticks from jamming up into frame
and bogging you down.

 

X2 The stock plastic skids are pretty good. My son had a Polaris ATP that had plastic skid plates and went through everything I did with my Sporstman X2 with full stock steel skid plates. We ride over downed trees (within reason) and lots of rocks, mud and snow. Had a few more deep scratches in the plastic though. If you're not going to be in nasty rocks alot I wouldn't worry about it.

Plastic skid plates: Pluses: light weight compared to aluminum and steel. Skids over obstacles better than aluminum. Aluminum tends to stick a bit on rocks. Minuses: Scratch deeply more than aluminum or steel. Deflects more than the others. If sitting on an obstacle plate can get pushed up into items it should be protecting.
Aluminum: Pluses: lighter than steel. Stronger than plastic. Doesn't deflect much.
Minuses: Sticks more on rocks. Dents cause metal to stretch. Sometimes can't pop the dents back out.
Steel: Pluses: Skid like plastic over obstacles. Doesn't stretch as much as plastic or aluminum.
Minuses: Heavier than either plastic or aluminum and can rust.

Rocky Mountain ATV has 3/8" thick plastic skids I just saw in Dirt Wheels.

 

Thanks ill have to check that out

 

If you don't worry about losing about 1/2" of clearance and a little extra weight, you can get longer bolts, then put the plastic back over the aluminum. Now you've got a really durable plate. But as Moose pointed out, you still will have the "scarring" issues on the plastic plate, but you'll keep the slickness of the plastic.

 

Yea good point. not really worried about scarring it longs nothing gets damaged.

 

On my big bear, my rear bash plate lasted one ride! The front of it was just hooked over the frame and at some point bent down and creased in half!!! I think before I made my first payment, I was already buying an aluminum bash plate!!! I would stay with the plastic until it gives up and then replace with aluminum...just my opinion-
mudslinger2

 

If you're going to be riding on a groomed race track, then the plastic is good enough. IMO, it is much cheaper to buy the better protection for the frame and suspension pieces than it is to replace them because they weren't protected enough. I have always armored up my ATVs with the thickest aluminum aftermarket skids and a-arm guards I could find, but then I ride hard on lots of differing terrain. A hit at moderate speed on a plastic skid can go right through it and bend the frame or crack a case, and then it goes downhill from there.

 

I used a PVC truck mudflap over the factory bash plate & secured with cable ties. Seems almost bulletproof, cheap and never hangs up on anything.

 

Good idea.