skid pan

[babycakes]

Hi guys,

this may be a stupid question but, has anyone tried a roll on rhino type cover for a skid plate? I know you can get it smooth and nonstick at Canadian tire cheap, and you could put on several coats, your thoughts???

[kodiak kid]

Do you mean using a Rhino cover instead of a real skid plate? I don't think it would work too well on a flexible surface (I think it would crack), and I doubt it would protect the pan from hard impacts (sharp rocks, etc.). As to applying it to a real skid plate I don't see the advantages--who cares if the skid plate collects a few scratches and dings? That's what it's for.

[spookum]

I think that the prep work would be key. It would be handy to have a product like that that can fill in the deeper gouges. I would paint a small amount on a clean chunk of ply wood, put some weight on the ply wood and drag it aound a trail a bit. If the coating holds up, your good to go. Just make sure it is slick.

The WORST case is that it dosent work, and you end up making or buying a skid plate. You would just be out teh money for trying!

[babycakes]

Thanks for the input. I have somewhat fixed the skid pan for now but I think I'm going to give the durabak a try in the Spring. From what I gather its flexible and nonstick, and you can put it on as thick as you want. Till then I"ll continue to research!

[crowhater]

Just a heads up. I am also an airboat owner and have run airboats for over 20 years. Many airboats are made of fiberglass and they flex when you hit stuff. On many of the air craft engine or smaller car engine airboats they will use various products to coat the bottoms. On big boats we use UHM polly bolted to the bottom of the boats. Anyway you can buy some GATOR GLIDE is just one of the many diffrent products used. Do a search for airboat coatings and you will see what I mean. When you coat your hull you can drive your boat up on concrete, feilds, shells, etc. Yes the product does wear off and yes you must re apply it from time to time. The wear will depend on weight and the ground you are running it across. I figure if an airboat can run all season on this stuff with ease an Argo should be good for life. It should also make running through deep mud easier because of the reduction in drag, this stuff is made to be very slick.

http://www.gatorglide.com/

[Noel Woods]

I think an applied coat will not work on hdpe or uhmw plastics. These materials will not allow chemical etching which is what binds the material to the machine. Fiberglass will etch as does metal. Depends on what machine you plan to applying the material to.

[babycakes]

Gatorglide looks interesting. It says it bonds to most plastics?

[Noel Woods]

Gatorglide looks interesting. It says it bonds to most plastics?

Most is not all. I've never seen any coating that will last on hdpe and uhmw. I took a sample sheet to the local Rhino liner dealer several years ago, and he thought for sure it would adhere. After several tries the technician shook his head and said that he had never encountered that before (it didn't stick). In reading through Gatorglide's e-brochure it didn't address these plastics, so I'm doubtful that it would work.

[babycakes]

Thanks, that's good to know. Its also good to know you had tried the rhino lining also.

[ARGOJIM]

I believe you should use the factory skid plate. It acts in the same way kevlar does with the multiple layer effect which takes shock and flexes as much as wears, it also make the bottom a total of 3/4 thick. One way to think of it is running a 2ply nankang tire and a 4 ply goodyear tire. I know I had found a piece of 1 inch rebar in the water and had I had a skidplate I wouldn't have had to weld the hole I made in the lower.