Bash Plates / Armor Question

[Lexo52]

I went with a Big Bend, Mid package with sas. Pretty much everything I would really need and got to stay under 50k, really debated a badlands but came to the conclusion I don't need a sway bar disconnect. Now after some years of owning the bronco, maybe then I will know if I should trade up for a badlands. But Big Bend with SAS was the best bang for my buck. Get the tires I would eventually upgrade too, and both rear and front lockers which I felt were more needed than the sway bar.

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[goatman]

chances are you could fabricate skid plates for much less than purchasing form a dealership (if the parts are even available). unless you are doing serious off roading, bash plates are really not necessary. give it some time, and i am sure some of take-offs will become available on e-bay when more units get delivered and modified..

Not 100% but I believe there are basically 2 bash plates underneath.

1 for the gas tank, which sounds like it may come on 2 doors, but definitely not 4 doors (sans BD,BL)

Then there is a transfer case base plate.

And of course the front skid that is the only one well documented.

When I looked at the accessories guide, unless I saw it wrong, but the Ford Bash kit price was way over the top. I don't recall the exact number but seem to remember it was between $1-2k.

Factory skid plates in the accessory list are $695, not a bad price. Don't know what they are, though. It's weird that the gas tank skid comes on a 2dr but not on a 4dr. With the 4dr the tank is even more exposed than on a 2dr. Looks like possible skids are the front, which comes with the MOD bumper, the t-case, which only comes with BD and BL (not sure on FE), and the gas tank which comes on the 2dr. Don't know if the gas tank skid comes on a 4dr BD or BL. Meant to check that out at the Off Roadeo but forgot.

The thing with skid plates is you never know when you'll need them. Even occasional wheeling and exploring and camping can put you on a rocky and rutted section of trail where they would be a good idea. Better to have them just to be safe.

 

[goatman]

This was my exact same experience at the Las Vegas Off Roadeo. I drove a Wildtrak and went over, around, and through anything that I wanted and never really missed the sway bar disconnect. As da_Jokker said, you get plenty of capability out of the 35-inch tires and SAS. I got a tire suspended in the air a few times, but nothing that stalled me. I also think the front locker is undervalued. There were a couple times going up ledges where it really helped. I’m sure there are situations where the SBD will help, but after my Off Roadeo experience, I quit stressing over my selection of WT over Badlands.

Good perspective. I had a different perspective, though. At Las Vegas I was in a Big Bend, and I was disappointed in how often I had to engage the lockers to get over simple stuff. Even my unlocked daily driver XJ on 30's would have driven right over sections that in the Bronco I had to engage the lockers. So, that made me want the disconnect, even though by engaging the lockers it did go over stuff.

Also, at the Off Roadeo he purposefully spotted folks on lines that lifted tires to give people the experience, when there were lines where the tires didn't need to be lifted as much. The one section where tires REALLY got lifted, like 3-4 ft, I choose a different line and someone was taking video and it hardly lifted a tire at all, even with the Big Bend. I cheated, I used front locker only and Turn Assist to turn much more tightly and avoid the big off camber. (At first he didn't want to let me do it, but I persisted). I really want the sway bar, but I also want a basesquatch. Decisions.........

 

[Bronco Don]

I just climbed under my black diamond four-door I noticed there’s no skid plate under the huge plastic transmission pan am I missing a skid plate or is that how it is.?

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