Do you ride without a front Skid Plate?

[Keithcat]

Just wondered how many guys ride without them.

I have installed one on every new sled I have owned. However last year while riding I had a few of the Skidoo supplied rivits break off. So I rode back to the trailer and pulled it off and went back out riding. Almost right away I noticed that the front felt quite a bit better lighter and seemed to carve better! Not to metion the lack of snow build up under it.

I picked up an 09 and keep asking myself if its a MUST have item or if the front end can take a bit of a beating without one?

Keith

 

[team dirt]

dont waste money on a skid plate. they just build up ice. more money for fuel.

 

[High Voltage]

In 04 rode without caught a rock,needed new nun and tunnel. Haven't rode without one sence!

Do you feel lucky ? Well do you?

 

[C-man]

ive never owned a skiplate. but i ride good snow only. if your into early riding i'd consider one.

 

[BackCountryBob]

I have the opposite experience. My full lenght skid plate seems to give me better floation and I hardly have any snow build-up in the engine compartment. The plate has major dings and scrapes from logs and boulders. I don't even want to think about the damage that would be happening without one.

BCB

 

[farmboy84]

^^^ i agree with BCB. i would have replaced both a arms and a few nuns without mine on. it is all beat up and torn in one spot but i will not take it off. i hardly ever notice much snow build up either.

 

[justadude]

that doesn't compute!!!

dont waste money on a skid plate. they just build up ice. more money for fuel.

 

[trinitypowder]

I've never put one on a sled. I must not be as hard on my equipment as the rest of you fellas!! I don't go "smashing over logs" and such. If you ride that hard better get a skid plate for your track

 

[Wyoming T/A]

back east we did all the time-but not out here--too many rocks and stumps---6 feet of snow and 5 1/2 foot rocks

 

[quickdraw]

I ride in a volcanic caldera!

That means volcanic boulders This area over the decades has had fires and beatle tree kill which means stumps Then you combine that with over the hood POW which means you can't even see what your riding into 6" below the surface and.....skidplate...priceless.

 

[keller98x]

I am all for them it gives me extra security when i thrash over them 6 inch thick pines when there is no where else to go. You put washers behind your rivets and you wont have that problem of the rivets pulling out

 

[800HMX]

I would maybe ride without a front skid plate but I would never ride without the rear skid plate!

 

[snowcatter]

Theres alot of stumps in N. Idaho, so a skid plate is a must for me!

 

[Powderhound]

100 dollars is way cheap insurance. Wouldn't ride without one

 

[superfly333]

Skid plates will give you better flotation sometimes. But most of the time they will protect you from wrecking alot of stuff. I have had one since i rode sleds and i swear by them i ride in the bighorns were there is many rocks.

 

[H20SKE]

Skidplate=cheap insurance of not replacing belly pans and many other parts.
Out west you never know what is under the snow out here--a must have!!


H20SKE...

 

[NoSecondChances]

I'm with the majority on this one. I use one, they seem to smooth out the lumps and bumps of the bellypan and allow it to float a little better. Most of them form fit to the bellypan now and don't accumulate very much snow at all. They weigh all of 2-3 lbs I think. A few rivets and plastic for $80 is wayyyy cheaper than serious damage. my $0.02

 

[farwest]

In 04 rode without caught a rock,needed new nun and tunnel. Haven't rode without one sence!

Do you feel lucky ? Well do you?

Same here !!!We get rid of the carbides as well and use mild steel runners.Hit a rock outcrop in a big powder day,carbide bit so hard it chucked me over the bars.Bent the right side.If I would have had the mild steel it would have skipped over.We don't ride trails so we don't need carbide,and my drive way looks way better !!!

 

[wjl]

Always had one cheap insurance as the above have said.
I always give mine a good spray of 2001 or armor all and it tends to slide better and not build up any snow on the topside.

 

[justadude]

Good idea, maybe I'll wax it up!!??

Always had one cheap insurance as the above have said.
I always give mine a good spray of 2001 or armor all and it tends to slide better and not build up any snow on the topside.