skidplate

[soarkrebel]

I built this skidplate for my Kubota L3000DT . I was a little concerned about small saplings that i run down to mow doing damage to my oil pan.
The plate was a little thin at 1/8 " but after i beefed it up with 3/8" x2 flat stock on the top and bottom it got pretty stiff and heavy. i had to get longer bolts for the front mount cause i used the FEL brush guard( for what it's worth) to mount the front of the plate. i just got a metric bolt for the rear and used holes that were empty anyway.

I had to kind of cut out room for the tie rods to clear the plate . that is the cut out portion and the 3/8 is ground down to give clearance. after tinkering to get a fit i got the idea of boxing the front area in for chain storage. i had some plate so i cut it to fit and drilled some holes and bolted it up. great chain storage!
a little kubota orange on the visible portion and black on the bottom and it's done.
i think it'll hold up . i'm planning on testing it this weekend to see if it was worth the effort.
photo page

 

[KiotiJohn]

Well, sounds good. I wish you could get a picture of it in place from the underside. Any extra protection has to be good. So far, I've been extremely lucky and haven't done any damage, but I've been on the belly quite a few times. Also have been working a lot of brush. It's gotta be just a matter of time though before I do some damage! Thanks for the pics. John

 

[Henro]

Soarkrebel,

That looks real good!

Kiotijohn,

Here is an old thread that includes some pics of a skid plate that NS_in_TEX built for his tractor a couple years ago...including an underside shot... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Click here to view that thread...

 

[JerryG]

Reb,
Good job. That is the exact way that we use to build them for customers, except ours were longer and wider. I would like to build one like that when I get time, but it has to work with my backhoe sub-frame. So it would have to be about the size of yours. Did you get holes cut, for all of your service ports?

 

[soarkrebel]

Jerry i cut two hole for the oil drains . funny you get to cutting them and you go"i don't know if thats big enough??" you finally just have to forbid yourself from the torch. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Kind the same thing with the grinder /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I added another picture of it on my homemade camping table after i had painted it. the plates for the chain box are not on . they are drying nearby.

Building something like this is kind of a creative thing cause you can't go in and buy one or look at one. i think lots of folks in the last year have thought i was crazy i would see a tractor on a trailer at a store and would have to go see if it had one.
thats how i really got ideas.
A dealer in little rock that rents has them on thiers but i wasnt impressed with their version.

I don't have a digital camera so i have to wait to get the roll i have done and processed. i believe i took some of my bottom runners. they basically run under the 3/8 top braces and really made the thing stiff.
my son weighs about 150 and i weigh about 190 and we both stood on it . it was upside down on the attach points. the thing wouldnt flex a bit.

it may be a while but i will add some more photos.

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue"> it may be a while but i will add some more photos. </font>
When you get them back, don't forget to post. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[JerryG]

Does the front turn-up have drainage? It doesn't look like it.

 

[soarkrebel]

The front plate can drain onto the long plate. i looked at it and have thought about drilling me a hole for drainage around my front diff.
I guess i better get back outside i'm working on a water jug carrier that mounts to my FEL frame! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I love tractors they have so many places to mount stuff too.

 

[milkman]

Here's one I put together for the
bx2200, keeps sticks and stuff out of the hydro filter and fan.

 

[Henro]

I'm almost /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif to post it, but I made a small skid plate to protect the front driveshaft on my B2910, which has a plastic cover that the dealer replaced under warranty a month after I got the tractor...

I did not want any further problems, or questions as to whether I caused the failure if it happened a second time.

This plate is made from 1/8 aluminum. Works well and has left its impression on the dirt more times than I can count.

 

[milkman]

That looks like a good idea, the plastic cover on the bx looks vulnerable too. I noticed that my boots on the tie rods are torn and I'm trying to come up with a cover for them like the larger tractors have, would like to have something before I replace them. Great site, lots of good ideas floating around, just proves that a few heads are better than one. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[soarkrebel]

Hey milkman i took some pictures of the ones i made up for tie rod boots. i used angle iron and kind of shaped them with a grinder and dremel. they bolt to the steering arm bolts i used two outer bolts. as soon as i get them developed i'll post them. so far i haven't torn anymore tie rod boots. i tore two before i made some.

henro did you bend that aluminum on purpose or just working it hard?

I will probably try and make me something to protect my clutch linkage and brakes. i got to looking and they are pretty vulnerable plus it gives me an excuse to get another project going. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> henro did you bend that aluminum on purpose or just working it hard? </font>

SAR,

I bent it in advance. I thought it better that the corners be up out of the way. Otherwise I expected they would catch something and the plate would be ripped off...

It has worked good so far. Many scratches on the bottom now, but it is still in place.

The attached photo shows the shape "as bent" before I put it on the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DaveNay]

Wow....did that fall right off your skid plate tree? I have never been able to get one of those to grow around here. I bet you used Miracle Grow, didn't you? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dave

 

[RonR]

And I suppose you drilled holes in your loader frame to install it too, right??????????????????????

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> I bet you used Miracle Grow, didn't you?</font>

Dave, when you have a "skid plate thumb" you don't need no Miracle grow... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Skid plates just fall off trees or pop out of the ground... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> And I suppose you drilled holes in your loader frame to install it too, right?????????????????????? </font>

Yes...and...not meaning to hijack this thread...but...I must admit...worse is yet to come... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[soarkrebel]

After spending about 15 hours on my tractor this past weekend and mainly doing some serious brush cutting i only had one complaint with my skidplate.

It sure can hold alot of chewed up stickers and leaves! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

After i took a little inspection of the bottom of it and saw the scratches and scrapes in the paint i was glad i had one . i think it was well worth my time to build it.
My chain holder boxed in area actually turned into chewed brush container. but no real problem to clean it out.
and the pretty kubota orange sure didnt last long! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif