Swingarm Skid

[ccd]

Yes, I'm new here! I have been scanning this forum and am very impressed. Knowledgeable crew here! ? is:Who makes the best, most rugged swingarm skidplate for the EX? I just saw a raptor and it had a wicked heavy duty skid. Don't know the make. Thanks, Steve

[theTman]

i had a armadillo....very thick and good quality, i got ir from www.rockymountainatv.com

[ccd]

Thanks Tman. They have a great selection too.

[journeyman]

I also have the armadillo .250 swinger skid....very good purchase
I got mine on ebay for a decent price

[vpofthedrc]

After much consideration, I decided to go with a stainless skid plate. I'm very glad I decided to do so.

www.protectfabrications.com

[ccd]

Originally posted by vpofthedrc
After much consideration, I decided to go with a stainless skid plate. I'm very glad I decided to do so.

www.protectfabrications.com

Is the additional cost worth it? I'm assuming the SS plate is much stronger than the alluminum. Yes?

[murrays400ex]

pro armore is a little lighter but mine has taken a beeting and my friend has dg and he seems to like it.

[jak1389]

Get a prm skid plate. once you go with prm you never go back. best out there.

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by ccd
Is the additional cost worth it? I'm assuming the SS plate is much stronger than the alluminum. Yes?

I personally wouldn't go with a stainless skidplate. Yes, stainless steel is stronger than aluminum, but it is also more brittle meaning it may crack before it bends unlike aluminum. The aluminum plate is more favorable and much more forgiving because if you manage to bend it, you can just pound it back with a hammer. It's not worth the additional cost IMO :o

A .250" thickness aluminum plate is all you will ever need and should make your rear end tough as a tank :D

[ccd]

Great input. Thanks everyone!

[quad2xtreme]

NacsMXer,

I have a deal for you. I will buy you Protect Stainless steel for your ride for the next 5 years and you buy me your choice of aluminum for my ride for the next 5 years. Any time it cracks or welds break, it is up to the other to buy a replacement.

/jon

[Pappy]

you wanna see a picture of a stainless skid broken up after a few races:(

i chose PRM all the way. the stainless are too heavy IMO and yes, they like to crack.

[shorgasm]

Stainless is strong/weatherable but cracks instead of bending...believe it.plus it is HEAVY.Not exactly a good combo.Not worth the money to me either.Take awya the cost factor and then I would gamble and take the sainless cause of the bling factor..plus it will look much better down the road.

Aluminum..cheap light strong scratches easy bends easy and hold dirt easy.Well just plain cheap but it is a skid plate after all.

Stainless..expensive heavy durable crack prone easily cleanable harder to tear-up.Prettier and higher quality

[quad2xtreme]

You guys have had way different experiences than I. I ride the rockiest of terrain at Tower City, Paragon, and Hatfield McCoy. I can show receipts for purchasing 1 ProTect stainless skidplate for a Raptor and 3 for the 400exs. I am not talking about any other stainless skidplate.

I agree they are heavier but my experience is much, much more durable. I destroyed no less than 7 aluminum skidplates on these 4 quads in less than 2 years. I've had the ProTect skidplates on the 400ex since 2003 with no problems after having great success on the 2001 Raptor (the one I only destroyed one aluminum skidplate before going to ProTect.

On the 400exs, I even added a 1/4", 2" wide piece of support steel to keep the stainless from bending around the rear mounting tabs on the swingarm. I got tired of hammering this portion back into place but the rest never bent and haven't lost a single weld.

I have destroyed DG, RPM, Pro Armor, and Armadillo aluminum swingarm skidplates. I've busted the welds, had them crack from pounding back into place, bent brake rotors, etc. I definitely like the weight factor of aluminum. I will buy a PRM when I get the 450r or the R450. I will hold you guys responsible when I destroy it. :) I agree aluminum skidplates are cheap. ;)

[Pappy]

maybe since you seem to have the joneses for stainless, explain to me this thought that ive expressed to 3 different skid plate builders that manufacture stainless skids...


"i asked them that with stainless, there is virtually no give and the shock taken by the skid plate is 100% directed to the swing arm. With aluminum it will give and even if bent in can usually be usuable after a few whacks with a hammer. with stainless can it lead to swing arm cracks and damaged components?"

all 3 failed to answer.


and ive also riden those areas you mentioned and have never destroyed a skid plate play riding. racing ive dented a few but never trashed one, merely luck i assure you.

[NacsMXer]

I agree with you Pappy. The fact that aluminum has more "give" to it and is much less rigid than SS is another very important factor. It's all about slowing down the impact to disperse it instead of having that energy "shock" run through your swinger instead.

quad2xtreme, sorry can't take you up on that deal b/c I don't even run a swingarm skid anymore anyways. I've run the same AC belly skid for the past 4 years and believe me, it's taken it's share of hits. Yes, it has been dented before but has never cracked or harmed my frame. All I do is set it on a concrete surface and wail on it with a brass hammer and it's good as new, ready for the next hit.

I guess I just don't see the point to use a high quality material like SS for a skidplate when aluminum already does the job good and well.

[quad2xtreme]

Pappy,

Actually my 115lb girlfriend destroyed 2 of the aluminum ones. Her first was a DG that the welds broke apart on and her 2nd was the Armadillo. Her son destroyed a DG and went on the destroy the RPM (with no welds). I destroyed the Pro Armor on the 400ex and the first DG on the Raptor. It was only 6 aluminum and not 7.

Maybe the Protect stainless 400ex is just really stronger than the others. I have never broken or cracked a swingarm but I must admit that I go through swingarm bearings faster than I think one should so you may have a point about stainless not absorbing as much impact.

/Jon

[Pappy]

oh i dont doubt you can tear up an aluminum skid plate:p i just havent seen much luck out of the stainless units personally, while others have etc. we have had to cut aluminum skids off soi have had my share of destruction:devil:

[vpofthedrc]

The choice was easy for me. I had already broken an aluminum plate. Not to mention I have the equipment to weld stainless, but not aluminum.

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by NacsMXer
I agree with you Pappy. The fact that aluminum has more "give" to it and is much less rigid than SS is another very important factor. It's all about slowing down the impact to disperse it instead of having that energy "shock" run through your swinger instead.

quad2xtreme, sorry can't take you up on that deal b/c I don't even run a swingarm skid anymore anyways. I've run the same AC belly skid for the past 4 years and believe me, it's taken it's share of hits. Yes, it has been dented before but has never cracked or harmed my frame. All I do is set it on a concrete surface and wail on it with a brass hammer and it's good as new, ready for the next hit.

I guess I just don't see the point to use a high quality material like SS for a skidplate when aluminum already does the job good and well.

I was definitely only talking about the swingarm skid. I would only run an aluminum belly skid and possibly plastic. I don't even run a-arm skids. I took them off and sold them after riding so many time in rocky terrain and not having any big scratches in the aluminum a-arm skids. I only run stock Honda a-arms at $36 and $55 each. I might change my mind about this one if I had $600 a-arms.