Hi!

This winter I have planned to use my new ac 400 fis 2007 in the forest, to haul some wood.

just like in a normal forest I have stones and ruts. I will make trails and only do slow riding.

Is the plastic underbelly protection good enough? Thanks to the awesome gc I have run over many obstacles! But sometime scrats it.... Will metal plate be better? I mean, if you hit a big rock it will still smach your underbelly, no matter if you have plastic or metal. There will be the same amount of damage to the ATV frame even if metal. True?

The only real benefit I see is that it will protect the A-arms better. Because the plastic doesn't cover the a-arms good.... last time I took a ride in the forest I discovered that I had a 1,5 meter spruce under my machine! It had been there whole trip against the right wheels drive train (or what it is called). The whole metal was warm!!!! not good.

 

That's why the manual and CD Video say's to look/inspect all around and under the quad before you start it up for a ride , not just before you climb on for the ride onto the trailer or truck bed ; but everytime you stop and dismount ! And before you get back on after every stop , before you get back into the saddle you must inspect again every time ; no matter how many times you stop and before you remount ! This way these thing's won't happen again and again ! ...................

 

I made some A-arm protectors for the under side of the A-arms from an inner plastic fender from a pickup... you can get some at the junk yard. I cut them to shape and mounted them with about 10 HD plastic ties. Works pretty good. Suck in mud tho' - they hold mud like a shovel (half a dozen of one and 6 of the other)

Plastic belly protection is the best way to go. It will give some, as metal won't. Less likely to bend a frame. (if you bend the metal belly protection chances are you also bent the frame). But each to his own - I like my plastic belly protection.

 

The plastic is very strong and made to handle the abuse.

However you may want to loose the factory stick stoppers and replace them with three sided ones. Cycle Counrty makes some for the Arctic Cat

 

The stock Arctic Cat polyurithane (sp?) skid plate is the best on the market. It won't rip, dent, or rust like metal, and is strong. I have only known one guy to brake it, not bad in over 10 years of Cat using it. As for the A-arms, take a look at my pictures, #11. There you can see my old H1 with diamond plated stick stoppers. They cover the bottom too, and work (and look) awesome. I got them from a guy who hand makes them. Go to Arcticchat.com and his name is "Hos650". I think they are around $130 for a set of 4 delivered to your door. Good luck.

 

Just figured I would drop my experiance in here NL Canada. I have a 05 300 4x4 and I have the rear AC plastic skid plate is broken and I am looking to replace it. The broken piece runs across the quad at the most rear cross member of the sub frame of the bike and turns upwards towards the rear of the engine on a 60 degree angle. The skid plate seems to be almost chewed of at this spot. I persume it is from being hit in that location many times. The 300 is lower (9 1/2") then most of the other cats and the engine is rear mounted making the quad heavier in the rear so the rear skid plate is more prone to be damaged. The rear sub frame cross member has been flatened out a little. With a heavier metal belly pan I wonder would the impacts been of distrubeted over a greater area because the metal would not bend the same as plastic's? I am a little carefull of what I ride over. The front half of the belly pan seems to of held up well with the exception of one small side tear. I guess it depends on your riding area and in my location it is very rocky and very few back woods roads. I am thinking about a metal skid plate but the cost is much higher and I would have to order it because of the upwards turn at the rear of the skid plate. A plastic one I can buy a piece of proper material and use the old skid plate as a template and make it myself. I am still debating and neither of the premade skid plates metal or plactics are inexpensive

Happy ATVing
MrJ

 

I have a friend who put an aluminum skid plate on his bike and he wasn't long taking it off. He said every time he went over a rock it was like his bike was glued to it. Plastic will slid over a rock, metal or aluminum will hang on it.

 

Here's my experience and recommendation. My 98 500 Manual took a lot of abuse and the stock plastic bash plate did end up with some relatively large gouges.

I took the stock plastic and went to a Plastics Shop. The stock plastic is about 1/8" thick. I asked the shop to cut me a new bash plate out of 1/4" UHMW. They used my old plate as a template and drilled matching holes. I asked them to countersink the bolt holes about half way through the material (i.e. 1/8" deep). I also did not cut out any holes to drain the oil. The new 1/4" plastic bash plate has only the mounting holes (I think it is stronger this way).

I had to buy longer mounting screws (1/4" longer) to secure the bash plate. It was incredibly strong and the plastic slides easily over the rocks and trees. If you are looking to build a stronger, light bash plate, this is the way to go.

I do agree that the stock 1/8" bash plate is quite durable. GH