Utilities have pretty good skid coverage to begin with, so I figure the plastic skid is just to fill in the holes and provide something slick for the rocks to slide on. Protecting the frame from getting dented is extremely important! The one thing I don't like about the plastic is that it doesn't wrap out around the edges of the frame rails like some aluminum skids do.

 

weird.. when i go to maiers web site.. i see the ski plate only under the rancher 4x4 and it doesnt come up under the es

 

Yeah I found that same thing.........I may try this one on my ES LINK

 

The Armadillo looks to be pretty similar plastic to the Maier (????). The Maier doesn't have the big ski front end, however.

 

he didn't tell you all the facts, but lets say:

Rubicon rider - 250
Rancher AT rider - 180

that's 111 lbs - or enough to make a huge difference depending on the conditions

or maybe this (too) ?
05 rancher - new tires
01 Rubicon with original tires?

silly thread until the UHMWPE skid subject took over! I will be installing one of these too. My AC had one and it is a big improvement over the aluminum plates

 

I dont think it was a silly thread at all.......I have a Rancher and a Grizz......both have Radials....... I can be riding my grizz with my son on the rancher behind me.....get stuck going uphill in the deep snow with the grizz....back up and try to break thru that spot with the grizz with no success.....jump on the Rancher and ride right thru it.
Grizz has 26 inch goodyear MTR's.
Rancher has Rincon Radials 25 inch.
Plus he did give the tire info on both quads if you read the whole topic

 

yes it is, well it started that way

it wasn't my point to explain what happened that storied day, just to say it's explainable other than "rancher rocks!"

one friend has a rancher at, but he weighs >40lbs more than me. weight advantage gone. actually he's at a disadvantage, good thing he doesn't have dirtbikers quad as it must have more power than his? I'd get a lot of busting if I was slower than him. Just hasn't happened, yet I guess.

skid was great info and the tires too, I have the DU Wetlands radial and do much better in deep snow than another friend with 26" 589s on a Rubicon - who wants tires that dig in a lot of snow? Surely not dirtbiker's buddy