Skid plate

[VroomVroom]

 

[VroomVroom]

 

[neopheous]

Not sure what happened to my earlier reply but here is the jist: There are no standard protective plates. It's all one off custom. The good news is that an effective protective plate can be fabricated from 10 gauge or 1/4" plate with just a few tools. Crawl under the tractor to find any predrilled holes or empty tapped threaded holes on the tranny or engine block. Look to see what other hard points you might utilize to secure a plate that covers vulnerable filters, control rods or electric lines. Get some cardboard and fashion a template. Get some plate and use a press and cutting tool or just have a local metal shop do the bending and cutting for you. Attach to tractor. You can avoid welding with tabs and bolts. If you don't have access to a press brake avoid need to bend 1/4" by making 2-3 "spooning" plates out of 16 gauge and bolt them together or get creative with plate, angle iron and bolts. Lots of fairly simple if inelegant ways to provide added protection.

Thanks, that's good advice. Could one also be constructed of aluminum, like aluminum diamond plate? I would think that may be easier to work with, with the understanding it would also be easier to dent/puncture. I am probably more concerned with sticks and beaches and maybe small rocks rather than large boulders and such.

 

[neopheous]

View attachment 514614

Now that's a skid plate!! Any issues with excessive heat caused by enclosing all of that space? Or trapping mud/leaves and debris in between it?

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks, that's good advice. Could one also be constructed of aluminum, like aluminum diamond plate? I would think that may be easier to work with, with the understanding it would also be easier to dent/puncture. I am probably more concerned with sticks and beaches and maybe small rocks rather than large boulders and such.

The only disadvantages of aluminum I can see are higher cost, more difficult welding and relative strength. But you are correct that it would be easier to work with in a home shop especially if you designed something that could be bolted together rather than welded. If you are providing protection against sticks rather than stumps or rocks aluminum has a lot going for it.

 

[Gittyup]

Didn't Michigan Iron make a skid plate for the CK's?

 

[VroomVroom]

There was no issue with debris being caught on the skid plate. Its quite open actually. I made a subframe which goes into position the same as the backhoe. It basically just hangs there. It is a bit heavy because I used 1/4 inch steel plate, but I can lift the back end of it easy and push into the c-channel on back of the tractor, walk around to the front, and lift up to put the 1" pins on each side. Then I just lift up front plate and put 2 3/8 inche bolts through. I can have it on and off in 3 minutes I say. It is thicker, being 1/4, and I'm guessing 250 lbs. But being thicker, when the groun is not perfectly flat, it would deform while running over it to position the tractor. The only thing is, where the front wheels turn so sharp, the plate cannot be very wide in this area. I thought that when I got more time I would make 6 or 8" walls to bolt on the edge of the plate to keep sticks that find their way working over the plate, at least in position of that hydraulic block the loader plugs into. Or bending the wings of the plate up a little between the front and backwheels....but then the plate may rock back and fourth while running over it . It worked fine the way it was. Because there are no edges on it....water and debris will just fall out or wash out. It goes under the front end protecting the driveshaft. It probably would take a good smack on a stump, but it really wasn't my intention to be running the tractor in over that stuff. Where the tractor is so narrow, being only 5 feet. Its amazing the little trails you can make between larger stumps. what it does is protect thos hydraulic filters stuff from sticks finding their way. If I had one of those logging winches, I could make a decent little trail and winch to the trail. That would be alright.

 

[neopheous]

There was no issue with debris being caught on the skid plate. Its quite open actually. I made a subframe which goes into position the same as the backhoe. It basically just hangs there. It is a bit heavy because I used 1/4 inch steel plate, but I can lift the back end of it easy and push into the c-channel on back of the tractor, walk around to the front, and lift up to put the 1" pins on each side. Then I just lift up front plate and put 2 3/8 inche bolts through. I can have it on and off in 3 minutes I say. It is thicker, being 1/4, and I'm guessing 250 lbs. But being thicker, when the groun is not perfectly flat, it would deform while running over it to position the tractor. The only thing is, where the front wheels turn so sharp, the plate cannot be very wide in this area. I thought that when I got more time I would make 6 or 8" walls to bolt on the edge of the plate to keep sticks that find their way working over the plate, at least in position of that hydraulic block the loader plugs into. Or bending the wings of the plate up a little between the front and backwheels....but then the plate may rock back and fourth while running over it . It worked fine the way it was. Because there are no edges on it....water and debris will just fall out or wash out. It goes under the front end protecting the driveshaft. It probably would take a good smack on a stump, but it really wasn't my intention to be running the tractor in over that stuff. Where the tractor is so narrow, being only 5 feet. Its amazing the little trails you can make between larger stumps. what it does is protect thos hydraulic filters stuff from sticks finding their way. If I had one of those logging winches, I could make a decent little trail and winch to the trail. That would be alright.

Sounds good. Do you have more pics of it that show how it bolts on and with it off the tractor? I assume it has to come off when using the backhoe, correct?

 

[countrybumpkin]

Here is one I cut out of 3/16 aluminum, I've built some for jeeps out of 1/4 and they hold up real well.

 

[VroomVroom]

Neopheous, I'll try and find some more pictures. But basically, it goes on the same as the backhoe attachment. approximately under your feet while sitting on the tractor are two pieces with 1 inch holes in them that hang down from the tractor. On the back of the tractor is a c channel that receives a pipe/cross member on the backhoe sub-frame. So basically I back over the plate and park the tractor. I then lift up on the rear of the plate, and push the pipe/cross member on the skid plate sub-frame into the C-channel on the back end of the tractor. The plate is just hanging there on the back end. I then walk around and lift up on the plate between the front and rear tires. When the plate is up high enough, I take the one inch pins that came with the backhoe and slide one in on each side holding the plate up. That's pretty much it. I did however cut the piece that angles upward on the very front of the tractor. I made a hinge where its attached to the main skid plate. I cut two plates that bolt to the front bumper on the left and right side of the side of the tractor just behind the front bumper. You can see them in the picture where I have the stick propping up the hinged portion of the skid plate. They stay on the tractor permanently. I welded two gussets on the hinged portion so that when you tip it upward, they fit between the two pieces hanging down below the engine on both sides of the tractor. 3/8 inch holes line up and I put two bolts in finger tight.

 

[VroomVroom]

 

[VroomVroom]

 

[IslandTractor]

View attachment 514843

Good way to add ballast too. Nice and low. Removable even.

 

[VroomVroom]

 

[VroomVroom]

 

[VroomVroom]

You can see that the back endhas the pipe as a cross member. This fits into the end of the tractor, which has a receiver that except the round crossmember on the plate. I lift up then, on the wing of the skid plate until the notch and holes line up with similar on the tractor itself. Then I put a pin in. I think put the other in the opposite side. Then I lift up on the hinged portion and put in 2 3/8 bolts.

 

[VroomVroom]

In the above picture of the full skid plate, I don't have the hinged portion made. I just zipped about 17 inches off the front end of the plate, and then reconnected it to the whole plate in the same place with a hinge. I then took to 2" by 10" x 1/8 flatbar and welded it on edge on the top of the hinged portion. When I tip up on the hinged portion while its on the tractor, the flatbar lines up with the two plates I have permanently installed on the tractor. It fits snug together and the holes match for the 3/8 nuts and bolts. So basically a large plate just hanging underneat tractor, with a piece hinged upward toward the front bump, held in place with two small nuts/bolts.

 

[neopheous]

In the above picture of the full skid plate, I don't have the hinged portion made. I just zipped about 17 inches off the front end of the plate, and then reconnected it to the whole plate in the same place with a hinge. I then took to 2" by 10" x 1/8 flatbar and welded it on edge on the top of the hinged portion. When I tip up on the hinged portion while its on the tractor, the flatbar lines up with the two plates I have permanently installed on the tractor. It fits snug together and the holes match for the 3/8 nuts and bolts. So basically a large plate just hanging underneat tractor, with a piece hinged upward toward the front bump, held in place with two small nuts/bolts.

Hey VroomVroom, very nice setup. Now if I only had welding skills and a welder! I do have a nephew who is pretty much a master welder and runs his own rig on the pipelines so I may have to hit him up for a favor.
I really appreciate the detailed write up and the pics,thank you. This helps a lot