Underbody protection

[RCWD21]

I was thinking about it and well with me going through the woods a lot in my pathy how hard could it be to make a giant skid plate for the underbody? It would most likely bolt to the frame and extend to all the places that don't stick down past the frame rails. This wouldn't be so much for resting the weight of these tanks on it but more so to keep tree branches and other bad things from ripping out hoses and wires and possibly crippling me in the middle of the woods where no one that I know could reach. I see plates for up front and the rear differential and what I do see for the mid body area is super expensive and to me the price doesn't justify itself. I was thinking something like a big piece of aluminum or even diamond plate. Probably 1/4 inch thick? My only problem would be cutting it to fit. For fastening it to the frame I was thinking about welding on some captive nuts. Well sort of, Basically drill a hole to fit the head head of a shoulder nut and weld around the shoulder securing it in place and leaving only a minimal gap.

 

Not sure how practical this would be especially if it had to be removed considering it's probably going to be pretty heavy...

 

Anyone have any other ideas? If and when I decide to do this I plan on documenting the whole process and all the equipment needed to do it as I'm sure someone else on here has wondered this very thing.

[Slartibartfast]

Seems like a full tray in that kind of thickness would be heavy as hell, and most of what it would be covering is empty space. I would also be concerned about flammable things getting trapped between the skid and the exhaust, or furry things nesting. Probably better to build smaller skids to protect the individual components or harnesses you're worried about. My '93 came with a skid for the transfer case, not sure if those are standard but it doesn't look like a complicated part to replicate if yours doesn't have one currently. Protection for the transmission pan (if auto) might not be a bad idea either, not that I've heard of anyone managing to bash a hole in that.

 

Come to think of it, I haven't heard of many rigs crippled by woody debris apart from tire damage and the u-joint my cousin snapped by driving his Samurai back and forth over a log.

[RCWD21]

Good point. I didn't think about the neighbors cat! It likes to spray my front bumper and it pisses me off! But now that you said something I think a plate that covered the area a little further back after the pan would be all I would need. I usually have branches get up in near my neutral safety switch and transfer case switches. That and I've had a few tug on my shifter cable and rear brake cables and fuel lines. I'll have to mock something up with some thick cardboard and take pics.