Mark......Ok, so you are saying that the tank "skid plate" or "tank shield" can stay in place when lowering the fuel tank? Once the tank is removed, this "tank shield can then be unscrewed to be cleaned/painted?

I agree with you.....it isnt very thick, and a stronger one would be nice.

OK....thats the skid plate for the tranny pan in the picture which you custom-built. I have seen the 4 threaded screw holes for a tranny skid plate, but so far I have never seen a Montero with a factory tranny skid plate. Where they actually made and shipped on the Monteros when new?

I recognize those narrow front 2 screw holes, and wondered why they were not spaced further apart. I guess you have the far corner resting against the frame so it doesnt vibrate. Good work fabricating it.

 

1) Yes, the tank and shield come out as a unit.

2) out of the 10 or so Gen 2's I have seen, not one trans protector and only 3 or 4 xfer case protectors.

3) I am going to figure out a bolt for that one empty corner, weld in a tab with built in nut or something.

The whole thing nests snugly up into the crossmember recess so it rides tight and the crazy ex even tested one, inadvertantly of course, and they will basically support the weight of the whole truck.

 

Do the angle iron bars point inward or outward when installed? Also are they going lengthwise or across the vehicle? Just getting more info if one day I want a tank skid plate...

 

1) I have them pointing down, on the outside. Triangles are strongest when the force is directed into one of the points, rather than a side, and a force trying to bow the ribs inwards would have the whole plate in tension, seems like it should be plenty strong.

2) I run them fore and aft, a long the direction of travel. My thinking was that I didn't want them to be something I could hang up on. I even beveled the front and rear ends about 1 1/2" on one set.

On my tank skid plate, I was going to do the same thing on the outside and have low channel iron (open side to the plate of course!) on the inside, running crosswise, with the corners radiused so in the event of a big impact, they wouldn't cut the tank... maybe use schedule 40 tubing split in half lengthwise, open side to the plate... yeah, I think that'll be my approach.

For any of you thinking "Hey, that's a lot of weight, all of those skid plates!", I say " You're right." Weebles... remember Weebles. Take out that 100 pound sunroof, pull off that roof rack (you've got room inside or you've got too much stuff!), too much weight at the end of that moment arm, too high of a center of gravity. Taking the heavy stuff off the top lowers the CG, and adding weight down low lowers it even more, and in this case, more is better.

"Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!"

 

BTW, the schedule 40 tubing I was referencing was round tube.

 

Mark.....
1. Thanks for the clarification.....that the plate comes out with the tank.....that makes it alot easier to remove.
2. Of the 7 I have seen, none have a tranny plate, but all had the transfer case plate (painted silver in pic):




3. Good idea adding another bolt to that corner. Funny that your "crazy X" tested the skid plate for you......Im picturing your X looking a bit like Wylie Coyote and with the Monty teetering out on a tree limb above a 1000 foot drop down to a cactii-filled canyon below. Monty is see-sawing up and down and that skid plate is not flexing. Suddenly we hear the famous "beeeep-beeeeep" from Roadrunner, and the Monty and Wylie go falling down into the canyon......seconds later the little "poof" of a dust cloud rising up from the impact site. Wylie Coyote took a beating, but the Monty was like the Timex watch, "takes a licking, and keeps on ticking". Ha ha.

 

I see the Monty standing intact next to a coyote shaped hole in the canyon floor, rofl!!!

 

Funny.......coyote shaped hole, with arms/legs in the typical out-stretched/bent positions. Good thing you had aired-down those Monty tires, as that gave her a nice smooth landing. Monty once again ready to "shake, rattle, and roll".