[henno]

I'm looking at the GIZ underbody protection for my shorty GV. This is what it looks like (minus the bit on the left, as that is the fuel tank guard and I already have one):



The thing is, I really want to stop the gearbox crossmember (which looks something like this) from acting like a snow plow but their bash plates only fixes the issue with the front "snow plow" but I really want to protect the gearbox crossmember as well as the front lip is really easy to bend (already been replaced once since I've had it).

Does anyone actually have their underbody kit? I assume the transfer plate does it's job in protecting the transfer case but does nothing for the crossmember is passes over?

Or should I simply get this kit and work around it and make up a custom jobbie for the crossmember, either by welding plates on or by doing something like this?

The biggest problem I have with the car at the moment is getting hung up on rocks or plowing a wave of sand/mud/dirt with the crossmember/s until the chassis is virtually suspended off the ground. I don't want to go stupidly high - I want to keep CVs in tact, plus low is the new lift according to Steve - so I think capability would be greatly improved by simply being able to slide over stuff rather than pushing along a mountain of crap or smashing into a rock.

Ideas?

[henno]

viewtopic.php?p=574905#p574905

Something like this might be a good idea.

[zoukshin]

I wonder of that would help;
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Suzuki-Grand ... 3373cb143c

[henno]

I saw that, but for $300 I could organise for the standard crossmember to be modified with some extra bracing. Or get a skid pan to cover the whole thing.

Strength is not really an issue, moreso that it hangs down too far and a knock from the front bends that lip back and the strength of the overall unit is compromised. As B4T noted in his experiment with a new crossmember, designing a new crossmember that doesn't hang down as far actually exposes the transfer case behind it to more damage.

[Built4thrashing]

Ive been down that rout and replacing the stock cross member for a plate steel one is not worth the effort as it will end up weaker than the factory one.

I think I still have a skid plate here if your interested.

Mines been punished big time and its not bent even tho everyone said it would..... PM me if your interested.

[zoukshin]

Built4thrashing wrote:

Mines been punished big time and its not bent even tho everyone said it would

Any design for a protective plate laying around ?

[Built4thrashing]

I did a thread all about it a while back and got hammered with negativity. Plan was to keep making them and seling them off cheap but after that thread I decided not to bother.

[zoukshin]

Fair enough - It sucks to have great ideas and put them into practice, just to be shot down by negativity.
I've thought about how to make stuff like that with poor man's tools. Cutting would be a pain (angle grinder ?) but bending flat would be the biggest issue I reckon.

[Built4thrashing]

You'd be surprised how cheaply an engineering or metal shop will cut and fold stuff for you. I was selling them cheap but I was still making money on them.