[UBZ]

Does anyone have any pictures of there LJ80 Fuel Tank Bash/Skid plate
I need to make one , as the Tank all ready has a small dent in it

Am try to keep weight down as much as possible , so a 3mm plate anchor is out of the question

I was thinking a steel frame attached to the factory tank mounts , and an alloy plate with a couple of bends to cover the frame .

[tanshi]

we bend 3mm plates under ours all the time. alloy unless its really thick is gonna fold up.

you could use 10mm lexcan though. ive considered this for my next bash plates

[Blkfxx]

What about kitchen cutting board material? HDPE I think it's called.

[henno]

tanshi wrote:

alloy unless its really thick is gonna fold up.

You could use 5083 plate in a decent thickness and weight-for-weight it'd be stronger than the steel. The problem is that it'll "cut up" on rocks more rather than sliding off, it'll be pretty expensive in comparison, and it'll need a rather large radius where you plan to bend it. Also, there is the issue of galvanic corrosion if not separated from the steel parts of the body correctly.

[UBZ]

tanshi wrote:

we bend 3mm plates under ours all the time. alloy unless its really thick is gonna fold up.

mmmmmm food for thought .....
If your bending 3mm plate , id need to go to at least 6mm Marine Alloy . At that thickness, the alloy will near weight the same as steel.

Maybe i will re-look at steel options . I Assume your denting the large surface directly under the tank . Would strategic re-enforcing ribs sort the problem?
maybe attack it with a hole saw Gwagon style.

Blkfxx wrote:

What about kitchen cutting board material? HDPE I think it's called.

good idea , hard to find in big thick pieces though.

[tanshi]

ive bent my 3mm tank guard up about 70-80mm and it was on a fold aswell.

3mm really isnt thick enough.

[3cyl]

I just made the whole tank out of 3mm. Has a few baffles and webs keeping it in shape. There's a few minor dings in it and not too much paint left. By the time you reinforce a 3mm guard it becomes 15mm off your tank. To me that's too low and a mud trap. Maybe a flat bar frame with 3mm stitched on? At least you could replace the 3mm and not the whole thing?
The tank on mine's not that light and only holds 28L.

[got_bar_work]

I have 4 mm on my vit with a 20mm lip all around and all the corners r bent Up from the mounts out