Anyone interested in getting a bash/skid plate made?

Hi guys.

As you may have seen from the pics I posted of my poor Tig's underside after a weekend offroading, I sustained some underside cosmetic damage due to a combination of poor clearance and poor driving. It has inspired me to consider getting a skid/bash plate as insurance for future offroad escapades.

I haven't managed to find any readily accessible good looking products yet (though I haven't really tried overly hard to), but reckon I'll probably end up getting one made.

To that end, is anyone else interested in such a product? What I'm thinking is that if there is enough interest, we could save on getting a few made at the same time. Let me know if you are interested.

Have you checked out the ABD-racingworks thread on Vortex?
I believe they are working on Safari mods for the Tiguan.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4618298&page=2

might be interested, depending on cost

Ball park on costs and any warranty complications?

Something like this -
http://www.dieselgeek.com/servlet/Ca...er+Skid+Plates

Although they don't do one for the Tiguan.

It also might be worth considering one for the rear diff as well.

Heck what about a full Dakar style full under body guard:banana:

What warranty issues - an ali sump guard is going to be a lot better than the plastic piece of rubbish currently there. It'll just be bolt on.

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Originally Posted by duncan

Something like this -
http://www.dieselgeek.com/servlet/Ca...er+Skid+Plates

Although they don't do one for the Tiguan.

It also might be worth considering one for the rear diff as well.

Heck what about a full Dakar style full under body guard:banana:

What warranty issues - an ali sump guard is going to be a lot better than the plastic piece of rubbish currently there. It'll just be bolt on.

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Oh yeah, that's the other question... Aluminium or Steel plate? I've heard differing opinions on this question. Steel is heavy, but it's stronger, less likely to bend as much as aluminium, and if it is bent or cracked can be welded easily. Aluminium is likely cheaper and lighter though, and can probably give enough support and protection to prevent shredding the sump. Opinions?

Looking at my pics of the underside, getting a rear diff guard as well would not be easy and given it's position I'm not sure it's entirely necessary. I think I'll stick with the front for now.

Would be interested depending on price and cosmetics...the latter probably just as important.
Thanks Arctra, great initiative!

Depending on the price I guess.

To turn the Tig into an off-road beast, IMO, the priority should be to improve the ground clearance. You may not even need a skid plate once you get higher springs.

OK, so this is proving to be a bit of a challenge. From googling it doesn't appear there is anything on the market that is ready to fit the Tiguan.

I contacted DeiselGeek about the Panzer Plate which appears to fit most of the Golf MkV variants, so I was hoping it'd work on the Tiguan Trend & Fun that we get here in Aus. They got back to me quickly saying that they weren't sure as they hadn't seen a Tig to try it.

I contacted ARB and they don't do anything for the Tig and don't do custom plates either, and they had no suggestions for me.

I have one contact that was luke-warm on the idea of making one up who I will try and meet up with this weekend, but otherwise I'm stumped.

Does anyone have any suggestions/contacts that may be able to help?

OK guys, just an update on this. I met with a guy that does quite a bit of VW fabricating this weekend and he took a look at what he could do.

There are 2 very solid mounting holes at the front, and about 4 at that back of the engine bay for a skid plate to be mounted. He's done a cardboard template and will go about cutting it out when he gets a chance. He'll be using some 6mm smooth aluminium plate which he reckons should be solid enough. Given the size of the plate, steel will be pretty heavy and he was reluctant to go that route. Cosmetically, you won't even be able to see the thing unless you get under the vehicle, but that means you will still need to take care to not damage the front lip of the bumper when offroad. That's fair enough - you always need to drive within the limits of the vehicle anyway. It should look very much like the Panzer Skid Plate from DieselGeek: http://www.dieselgeek.com/servlet/Ca...er+Skid+Plates

He is guestimating that it'll cost around $400 to make and install. Given that price point I think it is worth my while doing, so he's going to go ahead and make mine regardless. I mentioned that there were other members that are interested, to which he said he would be happy to make more up if the damnd was there. I'm not sure if they'll be any cheaper if he does more, so work on $400 as the estimated price point for the moment.

Given that info, can I ask for those of you in/around Sydney that said you were interested to confirm whether you are still interested at $400? For those of you outside of Sydney, it is a big piece of plate which will be awkward and expensive to ship IMO. Obviously you would not pay for the labour of fitting it though, so maybe you would be willing to pay for the shipping. Let me know.

PS: After taking the "noise insulation" plate off the front underside to see where to mount the plate, the guy noticed the flywheel is exposed without any protection (e.g. mesh) to stop small stones and stuff from getting in there. It is fairly protected by the plastic noise insulation plate, but not particularly well if you are going to go offroad. Just made it even clearer to me that a skid plate was necessary for my use.

I'm still not sure that I should get one for my Tig. The thing is I don't go off-roading every weekend. So when I do, I could just stick to the easy treks that do not require much ground clearance.

But I'd reallly like to take a look at yours after you get it installed. And from there I can decide if I want to go ahead.

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Originally Posted by Achtung Tiggy

I'm still not sure that I should get one for my Tig. The thing is I don't go off-roading every weekend. So when I do, I could just stick to the easy treks that do not require much ground clearance.

But I'd reallly like to take a look at yours after you get it installed. And from there I can decide if I want to go ahead.

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Hmm... around $400 is cheap insurance for me, knowing that once or twice a year trip will not cause me a headache when something pokes onto unprotected drivetrain. I will be definitaly looking for more undervehicle shielding incl. diff, fuel tank and CV boots (old Subaru Lseries had something like mudflaps attached to the steering rods protecting all cv boots /easy to make/)

Just my 2c.

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Originally Posted by Transporter

Hmm... around $400 is cheap insurance for me, knowing that once or twice a year trip will not cause me a headache when something pokes onto unprotected drivetrain. I will be definitaly looking for more undervehicle shielding incl. diff, fuel tank and CV boots (old Subaru Lseries had something like mudflaps attached to the steering rods protecting all cv boots /easy to make/)

Just my 2c.

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Good point there. I guess it boils down to how adventurous you are and how far you are willing to push the Tig.

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Originally Posted by Achtung Tiggy

Good point there. I guess it boils down to how adventurous you are and how far you are willing to push the Tig.

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Yeah, especially if it is not only you driving the car. For example in our family, we share the cars and my younger daughter doesn't always say where she is going. So since it is a small SUV and some one could think that it should have some off road capability and lucking the knowledge will put the rock through the engine sump or similar. :)

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Originally Posted by Arctra

Steel is heavy, but it's stronger, less likely to bend as much as aluminium, and if it is bent or cracked can be welded easily. Aluminium is likely cheaper and lighter though, and can probably give enough support and protection to prevent shredding the sump. Opinions?

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For what it's worth, I'd go with aluminium. apart from being much lighter, it will give a little - much more than steel, which can actually be a good thing by not transfering the impact load to the mounting points which could potentially do damage to the vehicle's chassis (particularly over time with numerous 'bashings').

If it was marine grade aluminium, it would be actually quite strong.

So I met with the guy again this morning as he had a bit of spare time to do a quick check of the rough cut. He's taken a few more measurements for making up the cross-member that the plate will be fixed to at the front, and also noted where the plate needs to be bent. He reckons there's about 2 hrs of work left for fabricating, cleaning it up, and fitting. Hopefully we'll get it done next weekend, but both he and I have bigger things going on in our lives that are higher priority at the moment.

Just thought you'd like an update if you were interested. Price is looking to be $400 before fitting. Here's a pic of the rough cut so far....

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...roughcut-1.jpg

The cross-member will be a SOLID structure that will be very strong mounting point for the plate, and probably some good protection if anything ever hits it.

Hi guys.

Well, today I met with Alex G and he finished off the skid plate. For those of you who do not know him, Alex is one of the founding members of this forum and has done a fair amount of work for other forum members. Having seen him work, and seen a couple of his finished product, I can highly recommend him if you want any fabrication work done.

Anyway, there was more work involved in sorting out the prototype than originally anticipated, but the final result is very impressive. Not only does it look awesome, but it is an impressively solid skid plate. Brilliant job by Alex, and a huge thank you. Here are some pics for you...

Underside of Tig with "Noise Insulation removed"
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0034-1.jpg

Steel pipe cross-bar to attach the plate to at the front (work in progress)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0058-1.jpg

Steel pipe cross-bar in place. It attaches either side and protects the bottom of the radiator as well as provide an anchor point for the plate.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0038-1.jpg

Plate with bend in it awaiting welding
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0053-1.jpg

Final bits ready for installation. The steel cross-bar is painted with etching paint to protect it from rust, and the 6mm aluminium plate edges have been cleaned up to remove metal burs and sharp edges. Fine piece of work!
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0068-1.jpg

The final installed plate
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0073-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/foru...102_0074-1.jpg

So, for those of you interested in getting one of these plates, as I said, it takes longer to make than originally anticipated so there isn't much hope in getting the final cheaper than $400. Still, at that price I can tell you it is a solid product and great value for money if you plan on going off the beaten track. If you take a look under your Tig you will see the sump and gearbox are very exposed! Alex will look into getting a batch laser-cut if enough are ordered, which should speed things up a bit. So, at a price of $400, can you please let me know if you want one. Once I have a firm number I will get back to him and see whether he is interested in manufacturing them.

Just to follow up and show you how strong the plate is...

In this video, Alex is trying to bend the plate along a 3mm deep cut across the plate (on the underside), and struggling as you can see. This stuff is STRONG!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGHIUsqtJx0

As for the cost, I did a bit more digging around for the OEM plate while waiting for Alex to make my plate up. I managed to find the part numbers for the OEM bit, and called a dealer in Sydney about it. They determined there are 2 OEM plates sitting in VW Australia's warehouse at present, but the dealer would not order the plate for me as the plate is not a standard part for the Australian model. It was not worth their while "taking the risk" of ordering it for me in case I decided I did not want it after they got it in. Pretty lame reasoning there seeing as there are already 2 in stock in Aus, so it's not like they are taking much of a risk like they would ordering it from Germany or Singapore. :rolleyes:

Anyway, so I then contacted another NSW dealer (from a different parent group) to see what they could do. First the guy in Part said that VW don't make skid plates for the Tiguan. When I said I had found the part number on the internet, I heard him pass a smartarse comment to one of his co-workers, who passed a similar sarcastic comment back. But when he checked the system he found the plate and the fact that there were 2 in stock in Aus, but wasn't humble enough to take his words back. Anyway, he then quoted me some some $800 for the kit (without the labour for fitting it).

So there you are, if you want to deal with arrogant and/or cocky dealers and persevere with getting one of the already available OEM plates, good luck and I hope the extra cost is worth it. This plate from Alex is half the price, and he's a nice, decent, friendly, and helpful guy to deal with.

Not that I need one, but awesome job Arctra!

It would be a worthwhile to see the genuine one any way. Just to compare them, sometimes genuine skid plates aren't strong enough to be a real "skid plate". I guess the plate is asymmetrical because there is a round bushing at the right (someone commented it was not symmetrical).
Great work!

I'll have to see what use our tiggy gets after it arrives but if I find we need a skid plate, I know where I'll be looking first :D

Q: So what does having the plate installed mean for servicing/oil changes etc? Is the plate easy to remove?
A: We did consider cutting a hole in the plate for easy sump plug removal, but to be honest it would have been a pain to do, would have weakened the plate a bit, and in the end the plate wouldn't have looked as nice. Removing the plate is simply a case or removing the front 4 bolts, the back 3 bolts, and the screws holding the mudguard plastics to the plate. Putting it back on is almost as simple, except you need assistance to hold the plate in place while you start the threads of the bolts. You could possibly do it unassisted by only starting the front bolts, then starting the back ones, then alternating between back and front tightening them.

Q: The plate has some specific shaping on the sides, that doesn't seem to mould to anything in particular in your photos? Does that shaping match to anything?
A: Yeah, it actually follows the shape of the underside to give maximum coverage and leave minimal gaps. I guess a more rudimentary plate that just protects the sump and gearbox is possible, but I wanted maximum coverage. On the edges of the plate the plastics of the mud guard actually screw into the plate. I did not take a pic of the plate after the screws were fitted – sorry.

Q: Could you get a ballpark figure of weight and dimensions?
A: I estimate the 2 parts weigh between 12kg's and 15kg's (combined weight). The steel pipe cross bar weighs more than the plate I reckon. The plate is about 1.4m wide, and about 1.2m long if I remember correctly.

Q: Have you noticed the plate when driving at all? Louder engine noise?
A: I've only had the plate a day or two now, and I can't say I have noticed any difference. I'm not particularly sensitive to little noises though to be honest, so maybe I am not the best judge. I doubt there would be any difference though. As your Tig is now, the "noise insulation" plastic plate doesn't cover your sump or gearbox, so other than acting as a stone guard for the underside of the radiator and the flywheel, I'm not sure what it does. With the full aluminium plate there, some engine noise may be reflect back up towards the cab, but I reckon that would be offset by the deflection of road noise back towards the road rather than letting it come through to the cabin.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

I don't need one, but have to say that is a bombproof solution Alex has come up with, you can jack the car off that cross bar. (you should be having an eyelet welded on the cross beam so you can get pulled out when you're bogged next ;) )

funny you say that mik, i did have a vision of a nice tow point off the bar, which would be easy to do, could even incorporate something nice like on my mk1??

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Originally Posted by mikinoz

I don't need one, but have to say that is a bombproof solution Alex has come up with, you can jack the car off that cross bar. (you should be having an eyelet welded on the cross beam so you can get pulled out when you're bogged next ;) )

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Bombproof indeed! The eyelet is a good idea too...

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Originally Posted by alex g

funny you say that mik, i did have a vision of a nice tow point off the bar, which would be easy to do, could even incorporate something nice like on my mk1??

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Hmmmm..... :-)
You reckon the bolts securing the cross bar would handle a snatch retrieval Alex? I'm sure it'll handle normal towing, but not sure about a snatch retrieval.

Arctra or anyone else have you looked into any kind of lift kit or pump up shocks or the like for the Tig. An extra 5cm or more would be handy for rougher stuff.

By the way see my addition to the Rough Roads thread for our experience with sand driving on Moreton island. Tig did well.

I might be interested in the bash plate yet and an eyelet sounds a good idea.

For those that want to spend more money than what Arctra's plate will cost you, here is an Original VW bash/skid plate ....

Volkswagen Tiguan 4 Motion 2.0T > Exterior > Skid Plate > ES#1897141 Genuine VW Steel Skid Plate - 5N0898001

Only USD520 + shipping !!!!

Arctra - having made some preliminary queries on lifting the car for more clearance, your bash plate is looking like a good option, especially if it included an eyelet. Have you checked that out? Only other query I have is whether I can mount it myself? ie does it come with the bolts etc and do they align with existing points or is more work required to mount it as well?

Sounds like changing the oil is a fair hassle with the plate on, but I could live with that and guess still have to remove the plastic cover without it.

Have a few taken up the offer now? - great that you organised it.

Two other quick Q's - does the steel bar mean the plate effectively lowers the clearance or does it sit pretty much where the old plastic over was?
- in your pics, it looks like there is bit of a gap b/w the front lip of the plate and the front dam. Do you reckon sand would pour in thru 'that gap' if you were pushing thru deeper sand or not really?

Did more people get these made or others?

No, I ended up just getting one done for myself coz there was a general lack of interest. A year or so later someone else wanted one and so I took mine back to Alex so he could take the measurements etc from my prototype to do a second one. But to my knowledge those are the only 2 that ever came out of this initiative.

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Originally Posted by Arctra

No, I ended up just getting one done for myself coz there was a general lack of interest. A year or so later someone else wanted one and so I took mine back to Alex so he could take the measurements etc from my prototype to do a second one. But to my knowledge those are the only 2 that ever came out of this initiative.

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Thanks for the reply mate.