skid plates
#21
06-17-2010, 04:11 AM
I have and like the Utah plate. Mine looks more like deej's than Punkenduro's. I do like the looks of the one Bake offers also. I am considering getting the WC one for the GF's 250sf. It will never be beat up on the trail but if I have scraped on smaller urban obsticals.
Cheers Jim
Cheers Jim
#23
06-17-2010, 06:04 PM
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In North Western Jersey, but from Jackson, WY Originally
Posts: 278
IMHO - Aluminum skid plate is WAY stronger than the steel loops...
First Re: aluminum vs steel... Steel is typically more flexible but less brittle than aluminum so it will bend sooner, but ultimately fracture and break off later. This might make you favor either or for different situations, but since the plate is ADDED weight I prefer an aluminum plate because it's ALWAYS lighter and rigidity in this case is also a preference for keeping the impact away from important stuff.
Also, along the lines of what TNC said, but perhaps more specifically, with the steel loops on our frame, any pressure against them, from any angle of impact is all distributed as perfect bending leverage against 2 small fixed points, no matter what direction a blow comes from, the strength of those joints is the only defense at the point of a relatively long fulcrum. This is a physicists dream for creating damage ... whereas the ricochet plate in that same area is surrounded with multiple flat bends, which helps just like the sides in angle iron work together to resists bending from any direction. (granted the plate angles aren't all 90's but there's still a lot of reinforcement by them being there) and, like TNC said, after those bends reinforce they also distribute the energy all over to 6 points of contact . Not saying the steel tube loops are fragile.. but comparatively way more so than the plate is. Plus, that steel tube is part of my bike with original paint, I'm no DEEJ, but I like it in happy condition, the idea of replacing a $70 skid plate vs having to re-weld and repaint my frame in the event of a major hit is a no brainer
First Re: aluminum vs steel... Steel is typically more flexible but less brittle than aluminum so it will bend sooner, but ultimately fracture and break off later. This might make you favor either or for different situations, but since the plate is ADDED weight I prefer an aluminum plate because it's ALWAYS lighter and rigidity in this case is also a preference for keeping the impact away from important stuff.
Also, along the lines of what TNC said, but perhaps more specifically, with the steel loops on our frame, any pressure against them, from any angle of impact is all distributed as perfect bending leverage against 2 small fixed points, no matter what direction a blow comes from, the strength of those joints is the only defense at the point of a relatively long fulcrum. This is a physicists dream for creating damage ... whereas the ricochet plate in that same area is surrounded with multiple flat bends, which helps just like the sides in angle iron work together to resists bending from any direction. (granted the plate angles aren't all 90's but there's still a lot of reinforcement by them being there) and, like TNC said, after those bends reinforce they also distribute the energy all over to 6 points of contact . Not saying the steel tube loops are fragile.. but comparatively way more so than the plate is. Plus, that steel tube is part of my bike with original paint, I'm no DEEJ, but I like it in happy condition, the idea of replacing a $70 skid plate vs having to re-weld and repaint my frame in the event of a major hit is a no brainer
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