Skid Plate

[CarlB]

I recently went to Summit Point for a track day, and we were on Shenandoah. I hadn't been on the track before, and it has a very banked turn. The car was bottoming out, but I did not realize what was happening. I will post pictures of the track in the racing section. I really didn't damage anything except my skid plate. Here is how I made a new one. This is very similar to the one I got with the car. The original was made by or in George Alderman's shop. It is very simple and does a great job. The first picture shows the old skid plate. The car has a Raceline oil pan and the part of the old skid plate that now has fingers is the part that went under the oil pan. Raceline Zetec oil sumps have fins on them that match the voids between the fingers on the skid plate. Luckly not much happened to the oil pan. 

 

 

 

The next picture is how I measured for the new skid plate. The oil pan is the lowest point on the car and the skid plate attaches to two tubes in front of the engine. There are two bends in the skid pate to get to the height of the oil pan, and then you have to make=e the skid plate follow the bottom of the oil pan. 

 

 

 

The next picture shows how I bent the aluminum. First, I want to say I used 5052 aluminum. I could have used 303. Both can be bent without cracking. Do not use 6061. Almost all 6061 is heat treated, and it will crack. The aluminum is 1/8th of an inch thick. Under the aluminum is a 1X2 square tube that is supported in a vice. I clamped a 1-inch square tube on top and then used an additional piece for leverage (bending bar). If you want to build one of these do not clamp the bending bar against the bend line in the clamps. You do not want a sharp bend. The whole point is to make the oil pan ride up on anything you hit. Go slowly and make small bends by moving around. The metal will show you how it is moving. 

 

 

 

I should have done this picture before the bending. It shows how I made the slots to mount the skid plate to the car. I used the old skid plate to measure. You have to allow for the bends, or it will not fit. I do not have a mill at my house, so a drill and file got it done. The skid plate uses hose clamps or metal tie raps to attach to the car.

 

 

 

Here is the finished skid plate. The round holes are where the oil cooler bolts down.