PDCCD Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Well, i thought i'd ask if anyone else has torn one off? I was wheeling a couple of weeks ago (same weekend i sucked in a power valve screw), and tore off the third skid, the one all the way back that covers the transfer case. I was traversing a little cliff about 2.5-3 foot high, and the line was pretty close to strait on, so i was sorta high sided on the wall. I think that's where it happened. Someone else in our club found it after the run, thankfully. Anyway, the plate is pretty large, and i noticed when i installed it, that it was pretty daintily mounted with only 3 bolts. Two in the very thin tabs coming off the cross member, and one on that odd s shaped bracket you bolt to the gas tank skid mounting hole. It seems the plate just tore lose of the two front tabs (tore them open) and then somehow tore off the bolt from the factory tank armor. So i took it into work and ground off the factory tabs, re-welded some nice beefy 3/16 tabs all around, and even added another in the middle of the cross member for added help. Then i bent straight the carnage at the gas tank bolt hole, re-threaded it, and put it all back together. I came out surprisingly well it think. Should take a bit more beating that the original design. So i thought i'd share my carnage, and see if anyone had the problem, and how they fixed it. Here's some eye candy. This is where it happened belive. I was actually lucky the plate didn't dig in and tear open the gas tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Vengeful apparently turned his T-case skid into a taco sometime last year. Mine is torn off, but on purpose... we removed it last fall, and never got around to re-installing it. Mine got pushed up into the t-case and would rattle like a mofo... we added some washers to space it away, but it got pushed up again, and the rattles continued. When I spoke to Vengeful last year he had said Marcel was looking into redesigning the T-case skid plate, or the mounts. But being that he's not really doing the skidplates anymore, I would say it's safe to say that nothing has been done. I will agree that the mounting on the T-case skidplate was pretty flimsy. We had planned to look at setting up something stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDCCD Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 (edited) Vengeful apparently turned his T-case skid into a taco sometime last year. Mine is torn off, but on purpose... we removed it last fall, and never got around to re-installing it. Mine got pushed up into the t-case and would rattle like a mofo... we added some washers to space it away, but it got pushed up again, and the rattles continued. When I spoke to Vengeful last year he had said Marcel was looking into redesigning the T-case skid plate, or the mounts. But being that he's not really doing the skidplates anymore, I would say it's safe to say that nothing has been done. I will agree that the mounting on the T-case skidplate was pretty flimsy. We had planned to look at setting up something stronger. Hmm. Interesting. My plate hit from the day i installed it. Drove me nuts. My solution was to install a small piece of EPDM rubber, about 1/4 it think, at the point of impact (between tcase and plate). I then took a spare rock washer and placed it on the bottom of the "S" bracket, between the bracket and the plate, sandwiching the plate between two rockwashers, and spacing the plate down the thickness of the rockwasher. That helped. I looked at it briefly for a redesign, but it's a super tough spot. I didn't see a way without welding a support bracket, or bolting one from the floor, not an ideal solution either. No place for another cross bar (i've bent that too) because of the fuel tank. Too bad Marcel is out, his stuff is great, and no one else is providing anything as nice. I believe that my added tab will help substantially. I also made the new tabs out of stainless, so they won't tear out. Only problem is, if i hit anything else hard, it'll probably trash my cross member. Edited September 16, 2008 by PDCCD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Why did Marcel stop making them, anyone know? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Personal drama, divorce... I dont believe he's made any new skids since then. PDCCD, I do chat with Marcel from time to time, I can ask him what he had in mind in order to "fix" the t-case skidplate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Oh, sheit... That sucks, never spoke with him but seemed like a good guy. If you chat with him again, pass on best wishes from the family, or me at least. We miss ya Marcel, and not just for the skid plates... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDCCD Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Personal drama, divorce... I dont believe he's made any new skids since then. PDCCD, I do chat with Marcel from time to time, I can ask him what he had in mind in order to "fix" the t-case skidplate. When i last talked to him, he had just finished the divorce favorably for him, and all lights were green for him to get going again, but it just never happened Thanks Pezzy, that would be great if you could ask him his idea to fix it. Maybe i could implement it. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 10-4, I shot him a message last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Yeah, mine got bent in half. Not exactly the outcome I was looking for. I've taken a couple pretty good hits directly into the t-case case, with no ill effects though. It's pretty dag gone strong. All of my skids are off the truck right now, because I had been slowly tearing it down to get it ready to rebuild it, but instead I'm just going to sell it and get something else that will fit my needs better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDCCD Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Yeah, mine got bent in half. Not exactly the outcome I was looking for. I've taken a couple pretty good hits directly into the t-case case, with no ill effects though. It's pretty dag gone strong. All of my skids are off the truck right now, because I had been slowly tearing it down to get it ready to rebuild it, but instead I'm just going to sell it and get something else that will fit my needs better. Just to clarify, i'm not ripping on the Black Panther skid. Marcell's made a great product as far as i'm concerned, it could just use a little improvement. And no one else cared to put any serious effort into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I had a chat with Marcel a few days ago... I think at this point he is trying to decide what exactly he wants to do with Black Panther... hopefully he sticks around, he does make a great product, and like you said, our options are pretty limited, and it hurts to lose a supplier. As for the T-case skid... I would say for the time being we're on our own trying to figure a better mounting system for that piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDCCD Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I had a chat with Marcel a few days ago... I think at this point he is trying to decide what exactly he wants to do with Black Panther... hopefully he sticks around, he does make a great product, and like you said, our options are pretty limited, and it hurts to lose a supplier. As for the T-case skid... I would say for the time being we're on our own trying to figure a better mounting system for that piece. I just don't get it. He's obviously got the equipment and talent. what's the problem? Is it shipping? I imagine the costs are prohibitive and cutting into his profit margin, but my god, charge more. He's the only viable option, we'll pay or go without. He seems to have other markets he's dabbled in as well, so he's got a good name and a niche that needs filling. Run with it runnerman!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 The T-case skids I started making fit any TX10a, The prototype I made was for an R50 infact. Basically all I did was remove the tin stock skid, and using it as a jig, built a plate steel one around it, drilled for the stock mount holes. After the second scratch made one, I made cardboard templates for the skid pieces. IIRC I had figured about $150 to make one to cover my T&M. Only ever made 5 of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 stock skid plate? on an R50? BAHAHHAHAA... omg GG, you're funny!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 stock skid plate?on an R50? BAHAHHAHAA... omg GG, you're funny!! The one I worked on had one just like the WDs, it might have been an addition the owner had done, but he wanted beefier so I pulled it and molded on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUELER Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 the stock one if more of a splash guard/air diffuser than a skid plate, its very fragile, i'd say it's just one level stronger than cardboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Weird, yeah, mine only had the POS cardboard one on the front, and one on the gas tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HitTheTrails Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 stock skid plate?on an R50? BAHAHHAHAA... omg GG, you're funny!! Maybe he's talking about the skid plate that Dean has installed. I have the same one on mine. Not very strong but better than nothing, and it would be a good template to build a stronger one from. Pics are at http://www.xplorx4.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Maybe he's talking about the skid plate that Dean has installed. I have the same one on mine. Not very strong but better than nothing, and it would be a good template to build a stronger one from. Pics are at http://www.xplorx4.com/ Yep, that's it: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Ah hah!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Ah, the factory Xterra T-Case skid.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Ah, the factory Xterra T-Case skid.... It's a TX10a skid, there is the same T-case on every 4wd Nissan from 86-05 (not sure what 05+ use, might still be the TX10a ...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Hey y'all Not to intrude on this thread or anything but I found a set of skid plates for the R50 online. Does Marcel also make these ones? Here's the link: https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/product_in...roducts_id=3456 This set seems pretty sweet; the price does not though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftpup Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Hey y'all Not to intrude on this thread or anything but I found a set of skid plates for the R50 online. Does Marcel also make these ones? Here's the link: https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/product_in...roducts_id=3456 This set seems pretty sweet; the price does not though Yeah..saw those but apparently they are not as HD as Marcel's. Not to mention gettin' hooped on shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Yeah..saw those but apparently they are not as HD as Marcel's. Not to mention gettin' hooped on shipping. Really...? 3/16 steel seems pretty beefy... Marcel must be damn good if he makes his skid plates tougher than that. Damn! I wish he'd return 'cause I'd love a set of famed Black Panther skid plates Rumour has it he's from around these parts too... That would be boss for shipping. Hell, I'd just go pick them up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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