Stock Kawasaki Skid Plate
As you can see, the stock skid plates are not only thin, but
also do not protect the area under the seats. If you are going to do an rock
crawling or desert rides, you had better think real hard about getting a new
skid plate.
Factory UTV uses a material called UHMW which stands for
Ultra High Molecular Weight. UHMW is a extremely durable polymer that
is used in many applications where abrasion resistance (the ability to slide
over a rock) and impact resistance is critical. UHMW is much better suited
to skid plate as compared to typical aluminum, because the material does not
stick to rocks and has some amount of give.
Unlike the stock setup, all of the Factory UTV hardware is
recessed, so there is much less likelihood of a bolt hanging up on a rock.
Skid plate is pre-drilled for oil change and drainage and
use existing and supplied hardware for installation. All mounting locations
are recessed so that hardware stays out of harms way.
Factory UTV UHMW Skid Plate
The Factory UTV skid plate not only uses stronger material,
but the skid plate covers a larger area.
If you can find a lift to do this job, do it. It makes
it so much easier to get to all the bolts.
My friend down the street has a lift, and it makes the job so much easier.
All of the bolts are 10mm. You will reuse all of the
dish washers when installing the new skid plate.
We had a few bolts that spun in place. We found that
if you wedged a screwdriver in under the skid plate that you could apply
enough pressure so the insert would stop spinning.
While the old skid plate is removed, you might want to think
about changing your oil & filter since everything is out of the way.
New skid plate all bolted up.
A nice touch with the skid plate where the front skid transitions to the
main skid. The front plate overlaps so there isn't a lip to catch on a
rock.
Including the oil and filter change, the whole process took
us about 1 1/2 hours.
