4WD on sand dunes

[aleksgavri]

Hey all,

Just wanted to know your thoughts on whether I should buy a an engine underbody protection?

 

[Simeon]

In my opinion it can only be a good thing, if you damage your sump it can be a long walk home and expensive. Ironman sell a kit for $242.

 

[VillageSTX550]

Yeah if the stock one is plastic( If there is one), it will just act as a scoop, and snap off.
Underbody protection is a no brainer, as when bobbing up and down on the dunes, you can very easily smash stuff.
The underbody protection also helps you slides over some dunes where you may have gotten bogged from the sump and crossmember catching and burying.

 

[mike1303]

The very first thing I bought An essential

 

[leo d40]

It was the first thing I bought too. Got the ARB one that covers from sump to transmission. 4 plates if I remember correctly

 

[boostin_7]

First thing i bought to.... ARB ones are awesome!

 

[Nomisbear]

its about 2 on my list, Bull Bar is coming first, sump damage can be avoided by clever wheel placement. and if you don't drive like a cowboy and try to jump the sand dunes you shouldn't have any problems.

but its definitely a good thing to have, just in case

 

[YBOD]

Spent 8 years living in Dubai and did loads of dune driving (boy I miss that) and after having a stick which was sticking out of a sand dune go up between the stock (plastic) "bash plate" and the bullbar and puncture BOTH radiators I got a proper bash plate with no gap between the plate and the bull bar. No way I wanted to that walk out of the desert ever again......long walk and a longer wait on the side of the freeway for a pick up truck.

Bash plate is a must in my book.

 

[k3vin]

I've got a bush skinz bash plate, the only downside I've found is it doesn't have those mounting bars like the ARB ones just below the radiator, I hit a big rock at Stockton before which broken pushed the bash plate into those little nipple things on the bottom of the radiator.

Once I changed the radiator I got a grinder and took those nipples things off.

 

[aleksgavri]

Good advice guys, looks like the ARB one is the way to go. Now that I've finally got weekends off I've been going fishing down at Stockton every weekend and I definitely do not want to get stuck out there.

Cheers

 

[leo d40]

I hit a big rock at Stockton before which broken pushed the bash plate into those little nipple things on the bottom of the radiator.

Once I changed the radiator I got a grinder and took those nipples things off.

Same thing happened to me, hit a rut and hit those stupid tabs on the bottom of the radiator! 2 small cracks = good bye radiator. Had the tabs cut off flush with the new radiator. What's the purpose of these tabs with rubber? Certainly didn't do anything useful!!

 

[Foxtrot16]

I have a second hand one from Brown Davis fitted to my Thai built D40 and I think it is worth its weight. Bit a pain to fit as there are no captive nuts on the drivers side chassis so I had a plate made up and inserted into the chassis and tac welded in place but had to remove the bull bar to do it (well my mechanic did).

Often drive on the sand here in WA and there are lots of sandstone underneath the sand that you can't see so it protects from hitting those.

Karl

 

[k3vin]

Same thing happened to me, hit a rut and hit those stupid tabs on the bottom of the radiator! 2 small cracks = good bye radiator. Had the tabs cut off flush with the new radiator. What's the purpose of these tabs with rubber? Certainly didn't do anything useful!!

I would like to know that also, silly me, I've done it twice .. haha
I didn't learn the first time haha

 

[ericcs]

best insurance you can get. d40 radiators and sand dunes don't mix
i use a brown davis, which is very strong, without a bull bar