Opinions on weight vs protection on Aluminum / Steel skid plates

[Gary Bzzz]

I'm curious if anyone has a strong opinion on the weight vs protection pros and cons of Aluminum vs Steel skid plates.
I don't care if they get banged up - if they don't hit on some obstacle I guess I haven't really pushed it much.
I DO want to feel confident that I'm protecting vital components.
So the question is:
Aluminum vs Steel - please comment but also fill in the quick poll answer.

 

[Steve]

I'm still rocking the OEM plates on my 4Runner, between I do eventually get better protection, it will be aluminum. Here in northern Ohio, rust is the enemy, so if aluminum is a feasible option for any aftermarket bits and pieces, that's my first choice. I had a 1/4" aluminum skid plate on my Outback that got a few scrapes and gouges, but held up well and didn't have any rust. ;)

 

[vegasjeepguy]

Out West rust is a non-issue and it’s steel for me

 

[000]

I’ve been on the fence with the same thing, and plan on a full three piece skid on my taco soon. My truck is already so heavy and gets such crappy mpgs a couple hundred lbs probably isn’t going to matter much so I’ll probably go with steel soon. Another thought I had on this aside from the usual weight, cost and durability issues, is how well it will slide. I am thinking that aluminum being softer will not slide on rocks as well as steel in a slow rock crawling situation. If you’re planning on getting into the rocks a lot it’s another thing to consider between the two.


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[Gary Bzzz]

I’ve been on the fence with the same thing, and plan on a full three piece skid on my taco soon. My truck is already so heavy and gets such crappy mpgs a couple hundred lbs probably isn’t going to matter much so I’ll probably go with steel soon. Another thought I had on this aside from the usual weight, cost and durability issues, is how well it will slide. I am thinking that aluminum being softer will not slide on rocks as well as steel in a slow rock crawling situation. If you’re planning on getting into the rocks a lot it’s another thing to consider between the two.


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great point - thanks for the input.

 

[nickburt]

Asfir 6mm aluminum skid plates on my Mits L200 (Triton) - taken one heck of a beating over the years and are now a right pain to refit if taken off, but well worth the cost and weight saving.

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

I've only found steel skids for my rig, altho I'm sure there is an aluminum factory skid. Rust is always a concern, but IMO steel is the way to go, because steel is real

 

[tmbrwolf]

One of the things that needs to be considered....is if you slide off a obstacle and "come down hard" on a rock will the skid plate prevent damage........aluminum may not. If you are in the middle of "no and where" the extra weight will not matter if you break something you can not fix.

 

[Wanderlost]

Weight is a big concern for us. Not just for MPG but for ride comfort too. The heavier the front the more you have to “squeeze” the springs to maintain ride height.

We’ve been beating up hard on a set of aluminum skids under our FJ Cruiser for a couple years now and they’ve been holding up great. It’s our belief that the thicker aluminum skids are just as strong as the thinner steel, but about 25% lighter. We’ll be putting a full set of aluminum under our new 4Runner very soon too.

There was a good point made about steel being more slippery over rocks though. Aluminum tends to “grab” or “stick to” rocks.

 

[4wheelspulling]

If you are not doing much more than fire roads, Aluminum would be fine. Steel is heavy but does protect better if designed right, can be close in weight, slides better over rocks. To me, why not keep your main drive train protected, the best you can? You brake something underneath your rig, could mean a long walk out. And remember, the weight is down low, so not as much a problem. Just don't bring as much stuff with you to make up the difference! Aluminum high, steel down low! Benz.

 

[CDN Offroader]

Unless you have a dedicated off road rig where the following doesn't matter, lighter aluminum makes more sense to me, as it saves fuel, reduces wear and tear on the vehicle, allows for more gear storage, and still protects from all but the most serious of damage, and doesn't rust. For those of us tat use their Overland vehicles as daily drivers as well, these things matter.

 

[slomatt]

I prefer steel for skid plates because it slides over obstacles better than aluminum and because aluminum can crack if bent, whereas steel will often spring back into place. To keep the weight down I don't run "full skids", only the specific ones where the truck needs more protection.

 

[Michael Kinnett]

Aluminum skids just fine over rocks. Arkansas a month ago I took several hard hits and there aren't even dents in the aluminum skid plates I got from Pelferybilt. I lost some bed liner coating them but that's easily replaced. Aluminum may be softer but you'd have to hit it very hard to do anything significant to them if they're well made and not cheap stuff. I went aluminum for the weight savings and rust protection being in Indiana and those being the most prone to salty conditions. As far as strength goes, I highly doubt 99% of the overlanders in North America would ever need anything stronger than aluminum.

If you're worried about aluminum not sliding as well, coat them with something that's resistant to abrasion like a bed liner.

 

[Borfoo3]

Aluminum.. just make sure it’s the good stuff

Fits all purposes unless your sleeping in between boulders every night..

 

[family-overland]

for my rig, there are only steel skids available. therefore i go for steel!


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[GoXplore]

Depends on what your intended purpose for the vehicle is. If you're going to be doing any manner of "rock crawling" where the undercarriage is very likely to encounter rocks, especially sharp rocks, you will be better off with steel. Even if we're just talking about trails where there may be boulder or even a bad tree stump/root every so often.

If you're going to be doing lighter duty stuff and are more worried about something from the road getting kicked up into the undercarriage, or your largest risk is getting high centered on sand, dirt, etc. then aluminum will work just fine. Also keep in mind that steel generally bends past the point where aluminum might crack, and steel is easier to bend back into shape and retain strength whereas aluminum weakens significantly more where it bends.

I debated this for a while before buying steel skid underbelly plates for my 2012 JKU. Yeah, it weighed more, but I had a lot more confidence in it.

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Aluminum vs Steel on an offroad rig:
I suggest aluminum anywhere above the midline of the rig(headlights and above). Things up here dont tend to get hit very often and if they do its not very hard. This ties back into the low center of gravity thing.

Bumpers: kind of dealers choice here. You know how you drive. If you hit your bumpers a LOT, I would go with steel. If you occasionally tap a corner dropping off rock than aluminum will hold up for years.

Sliders: Steel. You will hit them...often. If they deflect, that means your body just took a hit as well and you spend money on sliders to prevent that, right?

Skid plates: These can go either way. If you are constantly dragging your belly over sharp rocks, steel is your friend. It will last longer and not gouge very easy. If you hit it a few times here and there, save the weight and go aluminum. The skids are all supported by your steel chassis so they will take quite a bit of abuse.

Always keep your vehicles power to weight ratio in mind. Adding weight lowers your fuel economy and actually makes it harder to climb obstacles on the trail. Also, Weight breaks parts. The lighter you can keep the rig, the less headaches you will have. Look into options like a front receiver if you dont want to carry a winch on your daily commute as well. You can "What if" your rig to death. The vast majority of the rigs here are set up for overland travel, not hardcore rock crawling. Save weight ANYWHERE you can.

 

[Kent R]

For me, skids are steel because of granite rocks and corners and fenders aluminum.

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

I have a skid plate and a high clearance trans crossmember going on my rig. Both are steel, Yet I'm only gaining maybe 30lbs over stock. More clearance and protection on the underbody is a must since I haven't lifted my rig just yet. Short lift on the way, but will still need the protection. Sliders will run about 70-85lbs. If I can help not tacking on any more weight, I will. I have been able to gain more power and fuel economy with a Superchips tuner. Not sure how much of a difference it will make fully loaded, but any gain is better than none. For me, I have a transfer case that has me in a 4WD all-time mode. While it's rather efficient, there is some loss in performance and fuel mileage. I plan on swapping the NP247 with the NP 242HD (and rear driveshaft). This will give me better performance all around, low range, and give me a slight MPG gain.

 

[The other Sean]

One of the things that needs to be considered....is if you slide off a obstacle and "come down hard" on a rock will the skid plate prevent damage........aluminum may not. If you are in the middle of "no and where" the extra weight will not matter if you break something you can not fix.

I've come down plenty hard a few times on my Aluminum skid plates and they have held up just fine. If I had to do it again, I would go with aluminum again. If I lived out west steel may be a better idea. And as far as sliding, or not sliding, well, I've got plenty of scratches on mine, so i'm sliding off tings just fine.