Almost4x4

Aluminium plate 7mm thick. Steel tubing running behind for added strength and support. Have "landed" on this plate twice and it has protected the car! Was fabricated by AAA Service Centre (website has all details and is of same name) and is used on local Rally cars. Think I payed approx Dhs 1200. One of my better investments!

Dave;39656 wrote:Aluminium plate 7mm thick. Steel tubing running behind for added strength and support. Have "landed" on this plate twice and it has protected the car! Was fabricated by AAA Service Centre (website has all details and is of same name) and is used on local Rally cars. Think I payed approx Dhs 1200. One of my better investments!

Dave, I'm sorry to say that, but your skid plate should be bowed other way, not to touch all the time obstacles. Additionally it may jump out of the holes as at hit there will be a certain tension. The skid plate should be copying body to get better clearance, as it is shown on this pic.

Hi

Which areas should be covered under the car? How much coverage we would need? Front , Belly, Back?

Thanks

Did you change your tires?

Dave;39655 wrote:[URL="http://"]http://[/URL]

adventure motox;39820 wrote:Did you change your tires?

Hi,

No I didn't change them yet. Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks

Hey JT, aka [MENTION=9302]adventure motox[/MENTION]. My garage is full of spare sets of wheels, shocks, etc. The photo posted are my older wheels which are "Sharjah Specials" from somewhere along BMW road. Purchased 2nd hand for less than the price of dinner for two at one of Dubai's better restaurant's.....! To clear out the garage I have in the past donated shocks to the Almost garage and descent tyres to a fellow Newbie and friend on this forum to clear the clutter that forms over time. The skid plate has stood the test of time and is still attached to the Patrol. Lots of opinion's on this forum to the shape and size of skid plates but use whatever best suits you and your 4x4. My plate has taken some heavy bashes and most certainly saved the car from serious damage more than once. For me, it has done its job great! See you out in the dunes soon. Been too long since our last desert play!

So this is my new armor with structural support on the back. I am considering to make some openings on it if it collects sand. (There is a big slope so I am not sure)

The question is since the most common incident for all cars is the cresting where the car sits on the belly (zone 1) Do we need to protect this area? Maybe with a thinner sheet including all the service points and how about zone 2

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Hi Daggerfall. The "zone 1" you have highlighted is between the two front wheels. Your car will never crest here. It's zone 2 and behind that tends to rest on the crest of a dune when you approach too slow. As the sand is soft the weight of the car is spread over a large area of sand so damage here is rare. Rock climbing 4x4's tend to protect this area but unless you plan on a lot of wadi bashing and Rock climbing this area of your car should be fine unprotected. That's just my opinion as all of my 4x4's have been damage free in this area over the years!

Dave;39858 wrote:Hi Daggerfall. The "zone 1" you have highlighted is between the two front wheels. Your car will never crest here. It's zone 2 and behind that tends to rest on the crest of a dune when you approach too slow. As the sand is soft the weight of the car is spread over a large area of sand so damage here is rare. Rock climbing 4x4's tend to protect this area but unless you plan on a lot of wadi bashing and Rock climbing this area of your car should be fine unprotected. That's just my opinion as all of my 4x4's have been damage free in this area over the years!

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply. Regarding zone 1, I was considering while you are driving along the crest. Where sometimes the car is sitting on the crest (Also zone 1) .

Maybe it is a wrong way to drive I dont know. Also recently I saw a land cruiser and the entire zone 1 was also protected (by default) and some parts in zone2. It was plastic and I know every car is different but this made me think about it.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Regards

Good morning Daggerfall. I take your point that if you are side cresting your "zone 1" may in fact also rest on the sand. However, as I said before the weight of the car is spread over a large area so damage is rare. My advice would be not to over complicate or think too hard about mods to your car at this stage. Get out there and enjoy yourself while the weather is cool. Work out from experience what will work best on your car and it will save you spending twice on protection and accessories!