Quinny92loyale Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hey guys not sure if I'm not looking in the right spot but I've found very little if any info and pics of skid plates! I'm about to make one myself for my loyale and just looking for some ideas. Anybody make they're own and got pics? Does anybody know of skid plates for the tranny and diff? Any ideas are much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Check the offroad section, that where this should be. Most of us don't use skid plate, just pay attention to where your going and its not an issue. iI your gonna build one, the front skid is the only one you really need, the tranny and rear diff are strong enough to take some blows. Josh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 There were factory skidpaltes on lots of Loyales, GLs. Subaru sells a Rear Diff skidplate as an accessory to. Made for EJ cars but fits the old schools stuff too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81EA81 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 It should be relatively easy to mount a skid plate seeing as most 4x4 EA cars came with one from the factory. Id bet someone would be willing to ship one out to you If you really need it. Ive seen skid plates made from thin aluminum sheet(street signs). They are not very strong, but will provide more protection then nothing Another material I want to try out is HDPE, aka High Density Polyethylene. Simply put,strong chemical resistant plastic.Best bet for skid plate material would be a cutting board Ive attached pics of the rear differential skid plate, Stock EA81 and EA82 oil pan skid plates. and an aluminum plate. Good luck!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I have never understood the need for a rear diff skidplate.Its SOLID Cast iron/steel.Its a jacking point. You would damage the mounts LONG before you did anything other than cosmetic damage.The transmission is a moot point because it sits higher than the crossmembers, So the crossmembers would take the hit and lift the car up and over the rock,unless somehow you managed to have the car land with the transmission on a rock.Even then it would take a signicant bounce to mess up the transmission.Unless its an automatic it doesn't have a exposed pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I have never understood the need for a rear diff skidplate.Its SOLID Cast iron/steel.Its a jacking point. You would damage the mounts LONG before you did anything other than cosmetic damage. I've seen a guy shatter the cast alloy backing plate on the rear diff. If he had a bash plate on the rear diff this would not have happened. You never know what is possible in terms of damage. The way the suspension moves while traversing rocky terrain can see all sorts of things up under your vehicle, especially if you're not experienced enough to know better - or you slide over something you're trying to avoid... Over here the very least of protection is a sump guard/front bash plate... I've got an L series that I'm planning to build a guard for the fuel tank, I'm on my second one now (partly due to going EFI and I had a suitable tank available) - granite rocks that can move are great at damaging your underbody. I've got a ripper "battle scar" in front of my rear right wheel in the sill panel - I don't know how it got there nor did I feel or hear anything happen until I saw it once home. Cheers Bennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 (edited) I have never understood the need for a rear diff skidplate.Its SOLID Cast iron/steel.Its a jacking point. You would damage the mounts LONG before you did anything other than cosmetic damage.The transmission is a moot point because it sits higher than the crossmembers, So the crossmembers would take the hit and lift the car up and over the rock,unless somehow you managed to have the car land with the transmission on a rock.Even then it would take a signicant bounce to mess up the transmission.Unless its an automatic it doesn't have a exposed pan. Cast can crack. Seen it....not on a subie but on other diffs. And the Aluminum rear is very vulnerable when backing up/out of obstacles. I've punctured Oil filters too up front. And I damn near destroyed my gas tank doing this: Rock Garden on Firebreak 5....Brown's Camp, OR Luckinly it didn't puncture.....but some plates and sliders from the mustache bar to the trailer hitch is on the list. Edited January 5, 2014 by Gloyale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinny92loyale Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 Thanks ea81! I was actually thinking of trying to get my hands on a sheet of that polywhatever plastic lol. I've seen many atvs and utvs use them and they work awesome! The front skid isn't much of my worry because it is fairly simple to make one. Uberoo most of the reasoning for me wanting skid plates is the skid part. It takes a hard hit to damage things yes but I've been hung up by the trans mount enough times already that its bent back. Also josh I highly highly disagree. Where I live its almost impossible to pay attention enough to not bottom out. Its a given in a stock height Subaru that your going to scrape regardless of you pay attention or not. I have a aluminum transfer case skid for an s10 blazer that will take little fabrication to make fit up front. Probably gunna make something close to what 81ea81 posted for the rear diff and look at making a plate to go from the engine cradle to the trans crossmember. Ill have it up on the lift tomorrow soo ill post pics of what I end up doing! Thanks again to the guys who help not just criticize! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spazomatic Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) I can see the need for one for the fuel tank. Ive drug mine over all kinds of crap and its been okay so far. I think ill start collecting street signs... Edited January 6, 2014 by spazomatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Cast can crack. Seen it....not on a subie but on other diffs. And the Aluminum rear is very vulnerable when backing up/out of obstacles. I've punctured Oil filters too up front. And I damn near destroyed my gas tank doing this: Rock Garden on Firebreak 5....Brown's Camp, OR Luckinly it didn't puncture.....but some plates and sliders from the mustache bar to the trailer hitch is on the list. I would want a gas tank skidplate for crap too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Also josh I highly highly disagree. Where I live its almost impossible to pay attention enough to not bottom out. Its a given in a stock height Subaru that your going to scrape regardless of you pay attention or not. I have a aluminum transfer case skid for an s10 blazer that will take little fabrication to make fit up front. Probably gunna make something close to what 81ea81 posted for the rear diff and look at making a plate to go from the engine cradle to the trans crossmember. Ill have it up on the lift tomorrow soo ill post pics of what I end up doing! Thanks again to the guys who help not just criticize! You highly highly disagree, but have you ever wheeled a subaru?? I bottom out all the time on 6" of lift with 31's, but its not on my oil pan. In my post I was stating a fact...most of us over here in nw washington don't use a skid pan on the front and none of us run rear diff skids because you don't need one. Just like any other rig(Jeep, Yota, etc) the only real weak point on a rear diff that needs armor is the input yoke. Yes the rear diff housing could break, but if you had some experience, you'd realize its really low on the weakpoint list. I'm not saying any skid pan is useless, but all I'm saying is that if you build some, all you need is a front skid. It is a given that a stock subaru will scrape...Are you planning on wheeling a stock height subaru? Like Gloyale said, they all came with a stock front skid(I've never seen one that didn't come with one) and unless your going over 2" in lift, it can stay there, they help a lot at that height. Having wheeled 2" lifted subarus I would run a front skid, but I'd never attempt any serious wheeling in a stock height rig. It would do it, but you'd just be killing it. On the issue of plastic skid pans, they work on atv's because they don't weigh anything, but on a car they'll just break, or flex to the point of distributing weight on the things they are trying to protect,. Unless you use a steel frame, which makes using plastic fairly pointless. You shouldn't be afraid of criticism, its all constructive here on the board Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I just realized mine was missing the other night and was considering getting one. Is it more trouble than it's worth? I have done little off-roading (yet) and am only lifted 2", but I intend to get out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 A sump gaurd is a must. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 yes oil pan skid is an absolute MUST especially for something close to stock height. Its also highly recommended for taller subarus because it smooths out the leading edge of of the crossmembers. If your in rocks like gloyale a gas tank skid would also be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrgrr Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 If anyone has an ea82 front skid plate they wanna ship, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I might have one, I'll have to check my parts car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinny92loyale Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 I plan on keeping my loyale stock height until I get another DD. The oil pan skid is definitely first on the list! Just because things aren't likely to break doesn't mean they won't! I've learned that the hard way when I complete broke a CAST np205 transfer case in half! And yes I actually wheel my subie almost daily but can't justify lifting it because, first of all my money is going into my wrangler project (350, spring over, d44s, rollcage) and second once the jeeps done the subie won't be seeing the woods that often. Also almost all of the paths in my area were at one time blocked off so bush humps are another issue but that's where the hdpe full belly pan would play a HUGE roll!! Like I said I've seen alot of rzrs and rhinos with them and they take alot more abuse than I expected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.