23 gallon skid plate opinions

[broncobear22]

I need to put on a skid plate and really can't decide where to get it from. I have looked at them all. The thing that is kinda weirds me out about them that there is no support on the sides or front and back. If you come down on a rock it will stop it from going through the tank but how about collapsing the tank. Also what about side force on the tank? If you have a skip plate shouldn't it wrap on all for sides and tie into the frame to keep the force off of the tank it self? Just wondering, maybe i'm thinking to much over kill. It seems when there is skid plates on other vehicles it covers the whole tank. ?:?

 

[HotWheels]

I have no skid plate on my 23g either. Which one are you looking at?

 

[broncobear22]

I like the james duff because of the 1/4" plate and it mounts to the frame in the rear. All the rest go between the strap and the tank. well besides the Bc which then you will have to have there tank to bolt that one too. Still there is no side support and stuff. I don't know maybe taking it to far. Like I said in the first post great to slid off and for not puncturing the tank but what about supporting the tank and taking the hit off of that?

 

[broncnaz]

Good questions a skid plate the way you describe it would be nice but probably overkill on most of our vehicles. I've had a 23 gal tank with no skid plate on my 73 for well over 25 years and have only dented( its more like a if someone pushed in your door panel type of dent) it once actually I think my brother in law dented it but either way its dented the dent wasnt bad didnt cause any leaks and the structure is still sound. I'm sure any of the skid plates out there would have helped out and I would have no damage at all today. I think for the most part the skid plates out there are more than enough unless your doing some new type off extreme high speed rock jumping. But basically most of the time if you come down on the fuel tank its at a slow speed and the skid plate distributes the weight around the tank. To me anyway a big part of wheeling is being able to judge wether or not your vehicle can make it over or through something without any damage. Thats not to say that you'll be right every time as I've had the bronco sitting on its rear tank several times although never on rocks but, even without a skid plate it held up.

 

[HotWheels]

So far the Duff's looks like the best one for the 23g:

 

[broncobear22]

Yeah I like that one also. Probably be the solution. wouldn't mind hearing others opinions though. Trials and tests with the others

 

[HotWheels]

I think with that skid plate you could loose those J-hooks too. Give me a little more clearance between the exhaust and the tank....what do you guys think?