AMTS Bash plates discussion thread

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

Hi Andrew
If your under body protection plates turn out as neat as the spare wheel spacers, you will be on a winner.
CAD plans are looking the goods. Wondering if some form of bolt protection could be incorporated to save the bolt heads.
I will be watching progress with interest.
Regards Troy

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For bolt protection you can do what we do with the rally car sliders.
Use a countersunk Allen head bolt. Weld a small piece of steel just in front of it on direction of travel, or all the way around the bolt head. This stops rocks being able to damage them even on hi speed impacts.
It basically looks like a small lump just in front of the head. Problem solved.

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Thanks for the kind comments, Troy. As Piggy mentioned, there will be some form of bolt protection through the use of hex socket countersunk screws, welding a ring around the bolt head or something similar to the Nogo security enclosure (just the base and not the tap in insert).

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Andrew, with the sump plate you have shown and have displayed three plates on the sheet, how would the sheets be cut? Guillotine or laser? If you are suggesting Guillotine then the wings will be lost but I am assuming it would probably be laser to make the air holes and sump access cover easy. Were the dog bone spaers all laser cut?. Did my share of sheet metal working as an apprentice over twenty years back (wow is it really that long ago).

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Hi Nick,

The plates should be laser cut or punched out.

The spacers were machined. No one I contacted could laser cut for the price my machinist was charging for the low batch numbers.

[iantz Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close iantz]

Andrew - I like the design and am very keen on this plate. As suggested I think 2 piece is the go for diff access. Is there any difference in mounting in terms of auto v manual? I have manual, so just curious. I think steel with powder coat is plenty to guard against rust. If black, then chips can be dealt with using the old spray can ;-)

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Trawling through the pics on PP, I noticed that the auto transmission has a black rectangular underside. The manual transmission is larger and has the typical ice cream cone shape of a transmission. Both are high enough off the cross member to not impact on the bashplate design. The thing that is closest to the bashplate is the front diff.

The design has evolved in my head and I will get a chance to put it into CAD once I get back to work. With the 2-piece design, there would be a corresponding increase in cost as well. I'm looking to get a more definitive drawing done before approaching the sheetmetal companies any further. Most of them don't want to talk price without a drawing.

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Some further developments from the weekend (click pic to enlarge):


Side view


Still need to determine diff access hole, angles and distances of mounting points. It's a lot harder than it looks, especially when you don't have a hoist. Will be making a cardboard prototype soon.

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

I've got a couple of H/D ramps Andrew if it would make the job easier.


I can make out in the above picture that there is some cross braked folds added into the underguards, I assume to make them stronger or to take out the vibration of a large piece of flat plate.
Regards Troy

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

Looking good there Andrew... Be interested in seeing hoe they come out!
Experience with your spacers tells me that your on a winner!

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I've got a couple of H/D ramps Andrew if it would make the job easier.

Sounds good Troy. Will take you up on that offer.

I can make out in the above picture that there is some cross braked folds added into the underguards, I assume to make them stronger or to take out the vibration of a large piece of flat plate.

Don't you like the songs of Rolf Harris coming from under the car?

don1 suggested adding an extra cross member to enable the transfer case to be protected by a 3rd plate
https://www.budbuilt.com/new/IMG_0541.jpg
Thoughts??

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

[QUOTE=amts;280692]Sounds good Troy. Will take you up on that offer.


Don't you like the songs of Rolf Harris coming from under the car?

I had Rolf in mind when I was thinking about describing the folds, and I try to refrain from the wobble board while driving.

P.M. sent regarding the ramps.

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Assumed you had already looked but anyway, from the BR undergarmets site:
http://www.underguards.com.au/guardinfo.html

Automotive Underbody Protection

Laser cut on high tech machinery, each guard is manufactured from 3mm aluminised steel specially imported by Brown Davis, according to stringent specifications, with circular venting holes being protected from protrusion by 3mm steel mesh. The guards are welded to Australian Standard AS - 1554. All guards come with full fitting kits where applicable, (if factory mounting bolts cannot be retained) and comprise of high tensile grade 8.8 fasteners for a true bolt on item.

http://www.underguards.com.au/guardfeatures.html

Automotive Underbody Protection

All Brown Davis Underguards incorporate several unique and important engineering design features, combining to deliver a superior product. Through years of testing and developmen, Brown Davis has been able to raise the bar in underbody protection.

Circular venting slots:
Often to fully protect vital cooling components, charge air flow would otherwise be affected, however Brown Davis incorporates strategically placed venting holes protected with 3mm steel mesh to ensure proper cooling efficiency is maintained for items like the radiator and intercooler.

Bolt head protection:
Although having a guard bolted up underneath the vehicle offers protection against object deflection, the bolt heads protruding from the guard on mount locations can pose a potential problem if not adequately protected themselves. Where possible Brown Davis recesses mounts into the guard to leave no bolt head protrusion, however where this is not achievable due to vehicle chassis restrictions, Brown Davis strategically weld shields in front of bolt head locations, preventing damage and thus ensuring easy removal of the guard.

Tow hook provision:
One problem often encountered with other aftermarket guards surrounds tow hooks. Brown Davis maintains full tow hook use and fitment to all guards protecting the frontal area of the vehicle. Guards are designed to accept and cater for the factory tow hook.

Cross-break folding:
On larger guards, long flat areas are carefully pressed with a 'X' pattern across the area to increase stiffness and rigidity of the guard, and improve the Underguards' ability to deflect large object deflections.

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Troy,
Rolf Harris is the perfect Aussie icon to accompany you in the great Aussie outback.
But seriously, yes there are plans for cross-break folds but I can't figure out how to do that in the CAD software I'm using.

Nick,
I have seen many pics and features of bashplates. Plan is to incorporate the best features of those I have come across but at the same time, trying to keep the price down. I appreciate any feedback and input, even if it is ridiculously obvious.

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Just a quick bit of information fir consideration. The brown Davis pics above are old. The prado plates above are old. They now incorporate a screw on cover for accessing the diff.