Aluminum Vs. UHMW -- Skid Plates

Stock=Smart driver. No need for the fluff......

ridepate wrote:

Stock=Smart driver. No need for the fluff......

You need to go rock crawling with us and see how the stock skid holds up

wanted to bring this back up again and just ask why the UHMW skids are so good and is there a big difference in strength of 3/8 vs 1/2 inch? b/c there is a big difference in price atleast 100-125 dollars. thanks

I had aluminum skidplate with 27" tires and got stuck climbing 75 at brimstone. Changed to uhmw and 26" tires and made it up no problem. This all happened within a month.

UHMW works better because its a little flexible so it won't bend and deform like aluminum.. At the same time it glides and slides on rocks much better. It also to me softens the blow some when you come down on a rock.. Metal skid will jar your teeth when it takes a good lick.
I had 3/8 on my 800 and it held up very well. I think 1/2 is probably a little more then is needed for most people.. If you not worried about the weight and you want the most protection nothing wrong with it.

lol guess I should have read the first page before posting.. Just repeated myself...

Tonys Toys is making me one in the morning that will go from front diff to rear diff. All uhmw then from edge of frame out and behind front tires will be aluminum. Good deal at around $400 if anyone might be intrested in those. Just find a popo dealer who sales his stuff or sxs parts dealer.

thanks for the info guys was thinking about buying skids from tusk for around $325 for the 3/8 UHMW full skids just didnt know which was best.

Tusk brand is what I had on my 800. Held up well. They are probably going to be the lowest price. They have went up though. I paid 270 for mine! I just paid 550 for a utv inc one a couple weeks ago for my xp4. Theirs are nice cause its all one piece.

I built my RZR for woods trail riding and this is what I have done. I bought a set of rock guard tree kickers from Rocky Racing in Leichfield KY his own design, and built the rest of my skids around those. The tree kickers wrap around the rear fender flare and are very tough, bolt to the outer and wrap under to next to the inner frame, and also cover the gas tank, can set down on a rock on the outer edge and nothing bends, just some new scrapes on the aluminum, can also lean them into a tree and spin the front end around the tree. 100% satisfied.

Then used Proarmour center skids becasue they fit, about 85% satisfied, have pounded them pretty good because of lack of skill, and they have held up, still debate adding a plastic 3/8 covering on top or actually on the bottom of the aluminum for sliding. Edit: Re-read this entire thread, may add the factory plastic over the aluminum like Bush did.


Using the PRM front a-arm guards .190 thickness, 100% satisfied, provides rock protection without mud buildup. I wished that I had bought these for the rear a-arm also, The rears have a neat v-shape that in my mind would help wash mud out. But I got in a hurry and bought front and back OEM a-arms the day that I bought the rzr. The rears I could live with, the fronts I could not, never made it out of the yard. In the garage and for sale....cheap. (Would not recomend them)

I ordered the EMP fender guards, 100% satisfied. Had a friend get jousted off his Grizzly when a tree came through the fender well, scarry scarry stuff, In the rzr, this would have been bad. This guy was a well experienced rider. Laid out on the ground groaning for 10 minutes, was eventually able to ride out.

Added the Thunderhawk Gas tank shield, 100% satisfied, I had a Grizzly fire one time and the leaves burned through the first gas tank shield, saved my bacon. Actually, probably kept me from turning me into bacon. I was just not comfortable with the Polaris Gas tank sitting exposed out there. I will go find some pics.

this first pic is to see how the rock sliders wrap around the rear fender, and can also see how the gas tank bottom is protected.



I put the kicker on a tree, in the clean spot and spun the front end around to miss the tree in front, I still had to get out and look and see if the fender was still on.....lol. so I took a picture.



Here is a good pic of the EMP fender guards. And the next few are why I had to order them. that crash was just a few weeks before I bought the razr......and uh....yeah...ran out of skill...not enough speed.

Can see the tree through the front fender, and Mudhound still laying in the hole. Now, Mudhound is a camera ham even when in pain, he wanted us to take a few pics....lol Great guy to ride with, knows the Middlesboro offpark ride areas well, says most side by side riders just cannot keep up with him. He was riding 5 mph when this happened.

This is the plastic shield that the gas tank sits on for a grizzly, burned a big hole in it with a leaf fire. I was playing in some mudholes a few weeks before, and had the Grizzl clean except a small amount behind the muffler shield. Caught on fire at Turkey Bay 5 minutes into the next ride. I had a small water squirter that we use to clean radiators when we mud, was ablle to get it out with the help of two dirt bike riders. I always hit water puddles now, soon as I start riding, just in case.


The shield kept the fire from burning through the gas tank, so I felt safer on the RZR adding the Thunderhawk heat/gas shield combo cover.

Front a-arm from PRM. My goal was to protect from rocks, so far, so good, I crash over everything. These mount up really good, zero rattles. Behind them you can see how the tree kickers are made witht he front rolled up, I like that.


I already dinged my frame where they stop. This job would have been the Proarmour center skids, they wrap up some, but not on the corner of the frame, probably will weld a piece of aluminum corner on for protection.


If I could find some plastic that curves up or make some myself, might go that route.

This pic shows a lot, Can see how the tree kicker mates up to the Proarmor skid. can also see how the tree kickers are made and what they cover. can also see a small gap between the tree kickers and the the fender guards that a tree could still go through. The front right corner of the frame, just a little behind the center skid rolled area is what I have already dinged a little, wish that I have a curved wrap.



PRM makes a center skid that has this, but I would need to call them and see if they would cut the tree kicker sections off, might do this one day. I finished the missing spot with Proarmor front and rear cover plates, about 80% satisfied with them, PRM makes a better one, was afraid it would not match up with my center skids.


And for grins, this is maybe one of the mudholes that caused my leaf fire, use too, this was all my son and I did....lol

bush wrote:

i am running aluminum skids with the stock plastic on top of it. best of both.

Bush, I have been eyeballing doing this, front looks like it will fit good and tight, the rear not as tight. My question, does the bolt/washer deal hold up ok? Seems like there may be more strain placed on the bolt?

I am a little nervous that I might shear everything off and leave both plates sitting on the last rock.

they have held up great on mine. its a pain in the to put both on but it works great. would been much easier if you have an extra set of hands. also get you some longer bolts. on mine the stock bolts was to short in a few places.

Running the Factory UTV 3/8" ultimate package on mine. I love rocks (10+years crawling in a Jeep) and have put these skids through their paces. No complaints so far and no unexpected surprises.

DrMud wrote:

I built my RZR for woods trail riding and this is what I have done. I bought a set of rock guard tree kickers from Rocky Racing in Leichfield KY his own design, and built the rest of my skids around those. The tree kickers wrap around the rear fender flare and are very tough, bolt to the outer and wrap under to next to the inner frame, and also cover the gas tank, can set down on a rock on the outer edge and nothing bends, just some new scrapes on the aluminum, can also lean them into a tree and spin the front end around the tree. 100% satisfied.

Then used Proarmour center skids becasue they fit, about 85% satisfied, have pounded them pretty good because of lack of skill, and they have held up, still debate adding a plastic 3/8 covering on top or actually on the bottom of the aluminum for sliding. Edit: Re-read this entire thread, may add the factory plastic over the aluminum like Bush did.


Using the PRM front a-arm guards .190 thickness, 100% satisfied, provides rock protection without mud buildup. I wished that I had bought these for the rear a-arm also, The rears have a neat v-shape that in my mind would help wash mud out. But I got in a hurry and bought front and back OEM a-arms the day that I bought the rzr. The rears I could live with, the fronts I could not, never made it out of the yard. In the garage and for sale....cheap. (Would not recomend them)

I ordered the EMP fender guards, 100% satisfied. Had a friend get jousted off his Grizzly when a tree came through the fender well, scarry scarry stuff, In the rzr, this would have been bad. This guy was a well experienced rider. Laid out on the ground groaning for 10 minutes, was eventually able to ride out.

Added the Thunderhawk Gas tank shield, 100% satisfied, I had a Grizzly fire one time and the leaves burned through the first gas tank shield, saved my bacon. Actually, probably kept me from turning me into bacon. I was just not comfortable with the Polaris Gas tank sitting exposed out there. I will go find some pics.

do you have a pic of these and contact info? if its the ones im thinking i want a set

Rocky Ridge Racing

1107 FLoyd St
Leichfield, KY

270 259-9604


The Reaper, here you go. This is a very nice independent ATV shop. The owner rides too, Great guy, need to get him on some of this sites rides. I put some pics up, not sure if your system opened them, could maybe find some more if needed, just let me know.

I like showing my EMP Skids and A Arm Gurards off on occasions.

Looking at those scrapes and dents in gimpy's skid should be proof enough a skid is important.

I have 3/8"UHMW with aluminum front and read and aluminum rock sliders from HOLZ raceing. Thanks again Mark So far they have been great and have taken alot of abuse.

8ball_99 wrote:

Looking at those scrapes and dents in gimpy's skid should be proof enough a skid is important.

Yeh, the big belly plate's dent was following Mason on a night ride, when I did not have a 2" lift kit, at Brimestone. I gunned it to pull the front up while climbing some rocks and when it landed, the RZRS would only spin a circle on the big rock it was on. I don't think UHMW would of mattered, except maybe breaking.

I put the original plastic skid, back over the aluminun. I bought a bag of stainless bolts from lowes m6x30. I needed the added length a four times,





I used a heat gun to achieve a closer contact.


Gained corner frame protection.


time will tell if this works for me.

i have xp4 2012 umhw 3/8 on 700 miles no problems