Has anyone ever made homemade skidplates for their scrambler? I am thinking of making my a-arm, chassis, and swing arm skid plate. I will use 3/16" aluminum. I have access to an aluminum mig welder as well as torches and and bending machines. I would buy them but I am saving my money for my pipe and clutch kit[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] How hard is it to make these? Any tips or suggestions for attaching them? I can probably make a carboard template. I was also able to get some pretty godd pictures of aftermarket skid plates so i know how the should look. Any help, tips , or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

 

I think the same as you. I try to make anything if I have all the tools, I'm cheap. It seems you have the tools it shouldn't be that hard making skids. It's a great idea I'm going to give it a shot to I have an old tool box off a truck that's diamond plate aluminum that should work good I'll post some pics when I get going. I don't know about attaching the skids you'll have to get somthing cheap from a hardware store.
I'm constantly trying to make somthing for my quad, my friends with money always say "just buy a new one" I hate that saying.

Make sure your quad doesn't have much gas in it. Turn the fuel valve to "Off" and start your engine till it dies this will drain your carb, now you can stand the quad straight up without spilling gas all over, you will need help doing this unless you are world's strongest. It's a lot easier than working underneath of the quad, cardboard is a great idea, hold an approximate piece up to the frame and tap the cardboard where the frame is underneath and it will leave perfect marks on the cardboard now you can cut your template and begin.

 

I know that aluminum is a soft metal, but 3/16" can still be pretty hard to bend. I dont want to use a torch on it because it will melt. I recall seeing Jesse James on Motor Cycle Mania do something interesting to aluminum so that he can bend it to make his tanks. He used an oxy-acetalene torch and turned on just the acetalene and lite it. He quickly ran the flame over the metal where he was going to bend it so that the carbon turned the metal black. Apparently it made the aluminum much more flexable and he was able to bend it real easily. You can then just wipe the soot away. I am going to try this when I start and see it it works [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img] I think it may actually be pretty easy to do. Skid plates are just too expensive to buy. Plus, I can give it my own person touch, you know, polish it up a bit and maybe do a little engraving[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I have seen that episode to where Jesse was hand making gas tanks. I doubt he makes all of them by hand like that that but it was very intresting. Aluminum will just burn up like throwing an aluminum can in a fire. Looked like Jesse just just had his gas on maby a little oxygen when he ran the flame over the aluminum. I don't really understand what does but he said it spreds out the molicules and makes it like butter.

 

well i would think that if he is heating the metal anyway like the flame it is to help it bend thats all hes doing i made some light mounts for a guy and all i use was a little propane tourch to heat up the aluminum then used pliers to bend it in any shape i wanted.

its just like iron-smiths do youve seen them with a bright red piece of metal and then they hammer it out this is the same as the guy does with the aluminum execpt he doesn't need as much heat to spread the molecules out as one would with iron because aluminum isn't as dense as iron.

 

That would make things a lot easier. One question though. Wont it spill my oil or leak it into the cyclinder? Thanks

 

For bending aluminum, you want to make sure you use "O" grade. There's also T-3, and T-6. The second two are hardened further, and will crack at the seam. For the a-arms, you can draw the triangle on the cardboard. Use at least .125". Take your time and debur (smooth) the edges well. This works for the straight a-arms, don't bother trying it for the Predator units, get the factory guards, the aluminum is soooo nice, it's almost beyond aviation quality. The Predator's also require the compound bends to fit the outer arm/balljoint area. Unless you have the right equipment, they're gonna look really rough. The Predator's too nice a quad to put ugly accessories on.


Ken

 

It probably wouldn't leak oil anywhere because those things should be made to take the beating it could go through like rollovers wheelies slopes etc. It would be safe to drain your oil to instead of taking the risk of getting it in your cylinder.