Skid plate justification

[afadeev]

How about this for justification: The aluminum skid plates are barely more expensive than replacement fiberboard covers.

Sounds like an entirely reasonable assumption about cost of materials.
However, I don't see how it matters in this decision making process, since the motivation for replacing the OEM part is not the cost, by the delta protection potential of the aluminum replacement part.

Tesla is using aluminum covers on Model S's.
I doubt they would have gone with composite ones on Model 3's if they were materially inferior to aluminum.

I get the desire to upgrade protection. For whatever motivation.
But if you really want to upgrade, why not go it right, and go with steel tray!?

It doesn't take something big to rip the heck out of the fiberboard - and a ripped fiberboard cover can easily add 75-100 watts usage PER MILE.

Would you mind sharing where those #s came from?
A 30-45% estimated increase in energy consumption from slight airflow disturbance under the car appears excessive.

Either way, I don't think anyone is arguing in favor of driving without fiberboard trays, or not repairing them if they get damaged.
This looks like a strawman argument, perhaps?

a

 

[Rmchrger]

I haven't seen any aluminum skid plates/aero shiels do this yet...
And yes, I feel better that my coolant lines in front of the battery are more protected by aluminum than plastic and fiberboard.

 

[Petermcg]

The aluminum plates are very sturdy and will definitely protect the car far better than the fiberboard, which I cut with a utility knife to fold into my trash bin. Yeah, and I’ll pit it against those rocks and say it’ll be banged all to #%@! but will still do it’s job.

Damn, who designs a median like that, anyway?

 

[smatthew]

Sounds like an entirely reasonable assumption about cost of materials.
However, I don't see how it matters in this decision making process, since the motivation for replacing the OEM part is not the cost, by the delta protection potential of the aluminum replacement part.

Tesla is using aluminum covers on Model S's.
I doubt they would have gone with composite ones on Model 3's if they were materially inferior to aluminum.

I get the desire to upgrade protection. For whatever motivation.
But if you really want to upgrade, why not go it right, and go with steel tray!?



Would you mind sharing where those #s came from?
A 30-45% estimated increase in energy consumption from slight airflow disturbance under the car appears excessive.

Either way, I don't think anyone is arguing in favor of driving without fiberboard trays, or not repairing them if they get damaged.
This looks like a strawman argument, perhaps?

a

I'm saying, my fiberboard covers were destroyed by a chunk of ice on a road trip. Why would I replace them with more Fiberboard when Aluminum is basically the same price?

The increased wattage comes from my personal experience on that road trip. watts/mile went up to 350 at 65mph on the drive home. Made the drive take FOREVER with extra charging.

 

[SteelClouds]

Aluminum is not THAT much stronger than fiberglass or plastic.

Its all about which alloy you want to talk about. 6061 sheet aluminum will out perform fiberglass and most plastics. This is a very common structural alloy and it can be tempered for increased durability at the cost of mailability ( deforming under load). Here is the important part.. you WANT the skid plate to deform and take the impact vs something too stiff which would send the load to the aluminum frame in the Tesla. The skid plate is much, much cheaper and easier to replace than a sending stress to the frame then bending the frame rail or mounting attachment point. The Whole point is to protect the weak parts like the battery cooling connections, the motors and so on. Just like a kevlar vest is designed to absorb the impact of a bullet and spread the load by deforming, the skid plate needs to do the same thing. It's considered expendable for that reason.

The plates I put are not tin foil.. mine have taken a couple of substantial hits since then while in AZ at 75+ and held up perfectly fine. Which is exactly what they are supposed to do.

Back to your question. I have not seen any steel versions available. Not say there are not, I just have not seen them. I have seen two version of aluminum where one is stamped into the exact pattern of the Teslas fiber board and the other is more flat.. think like an off road plate.

 

[pnwadventures]

I'm saying, my fiberboard covers were destroyed by a chunk of ice on a road trip.

Ice chunks - this is why I installed the MPP aluminum skid plate. Not reactively, but proactively. I had an aftermarket one on my last car (Audi A4) as well, for the same reason.

I drive extensively on snowy roads and potholed icy parking lots in winter, with ice chunks cast off from plows and semis everywhere. Also lots of terribly maintained potholed and wasboarded dirt roads in summer.

The peace of mind that comes from knowing none of these frequently-encountered driving hazards are going to break a coolant line and leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere, is well worth it.

 

[smatthew]

Back to your question. I have not seen any steel versions available. Not say there are not, I just have not seen them. I have seen two version of aluminum where one is stamped into the exact pattern of the Teslas fiber board and the other is more flat.. think like an off road plate.

If I remember correctly I saw magnesium versions on aliexpress.

 

[SteelClouds]

Bad idea.. magnesium burns really well.. even better with water since it breaks it down into O2 and Hydrogen. I made the mistake years and years ago with my chem set at home of lighting magnesium on fire.. had a beaker of water to put it out.. be prepared and all that.. promptly blew it up with glass shards everywhere.. thats what happens when you are 12 and a kick ass chemistry set

In short.. it's a bad idea. Besides, it doesn't bend well.. it will fracture unless it's alloy or it's specially treated. So instead of deforming and absorbing the impact damage, it would fracture.

From 2017
Magnesium is not currently used in the manufacturing of transport vehicles such as cars, because it is intrinsically a brittle metal not known for malleable properties. Usually magnesium is formed at elevated temperatures between 200-400°C; this new technique will reduce energy costs associated with heating magnesium

 

[Rmchrger]

I saw the magnesium version myself. I had a thunderbird with many magnesium engine parts on it, valve covers, oil pan. Magnesium is still being used in many automotive vehicles.

https://www.intlmag.org/page/app_automotive_ima#:~:text=Audi%2C%20Daimler%20(Mercedes%2DBenz,frames%20and%20fuel%20tank%20covers.

The use of magnesium in vehicles can, and does, lower overall weight and improve each of these conditions. Many large automotive companies have already replaced steel and aluminum with magnesium in various parts of their products. Audi, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), Ford, Jaguar, Fiat and Kia Motors Corporation are just a few of these companies. Magnesium is currently being used in gearbox, front end and IP beams, steering column and driver’s air bag housings as well as in steering wheels, seat frames and fuel tank covers.

 

[smatthew]

Bad idea.. magnesium burns really well.. even better with water since it breaks it down into O2 and Hydrogen. I made the mistake years and years ago with my chem set at home of lighting magnesium on fire.. had a beaker of water to put it out.. be prepared and all that.. promptly blew it up with glass shards everywhere.. thats what happens when you are 12 and a kick ass chemistry set

In short.. it's a bad idea. Besides, it doesn't bend well.. it will fracture unless it's alloy or it's specially treated. So instead of deforming and absorbing the impact damage, it would fracture.

From 2017
Magnesium is not currently used in the manufacturing of transport vehicles such as cars, because it is intrinsically a brittle metal not known for malleable properties. Usually magnesium is formed at elevated temperatures between 200-400°C; this new technique will reduce energy costs associated with heating magnesium

I believe it's actually an aluminum magnesium alloy........... Nobody is sticking elemental magnesium on their car.

 

[Pied]

I've been putting this off and waiting for my tray to fall apart. It's slowly deteriorating at the bolts, so I may just replace sooner than later.

The older Model 3's (At least from 2017-2018) have the fiber/cardboard tray. After enough rain/water it eventually starts to fall apart. I think they switched to the plastic ones for 2019 year. If your fiber tray wears out, the aluminum ones are better value. The OEM plastic ones cost just as much to replace anyways. I've also seen someone pay to replace OEM for $275 and was given another fiber one...lol. I sure hope those are all out of stock by now and only the plastic ones can be bought.

 

[SteelClouds]

I believe it's actually an aluminum magnesium alloy........... Nobody is sticking elemental magnesium on their car.

I was poking around and found this.. very interesting reading when you read these threads and look up some information.

Magnesium Wheels FAQ | Are magnesium wheels flammable?

Are magnesium wheels flammable? Are magnesium rims prone to corrosion? There is no clear evidence to support those concerns, and here is why.

magnesiumwheels.com

I did find this which I think someone was referring to earlier in the thread.. I'm not entirely sure how you get cold rolled steel, magnesium and aluminum in one alloy but thats what they say. Their plates look very different the ones I got which matched the factory plates very closely.

3d Aluminum Steel Engine Guard Cover Chassis Shield Bottom Protection Skid Plate For Toyota Land Cruiser Lc300 Accessories - Buy Toyota Land Cruiser Lc300 Aluminum Skid Plate 3d Engine Guard Cover Aluminum Steel Chassis Shield Lc300 Bottom Protection

3d Aluminum Steel Engine Guard Cover Chassis Shield Bottom Protection Skid Plate For Toyota Land Cruiser Lc300 Accessories - Buy Toyota Land Cruiser Lc300 Aluminum Skid Plate 3d Engine Guard Cover Aluminum Steel Chassis Shield Lc300 Bottom Protection,Toyota Land Cruiser Parts Lc300 Aluminum...

www.alibaba.com

 

[Petermcg]

I just drove through a flash flood and for the first time had a solid wave of water flow over the hood onto the windshield. This is coming out the other side. The M3LR handled it like a champ.

So glad I had the aluminum skid plate instead of the fiberboard one.

 

[JSWE]

Has anyone replaced the skid plates on their M3? If so, what brand did you go with and are you happy with the results?

 

[MrFusion4]

Has anyone replaced the skid plates on their M3? If so, what brand did you go with and are you happy with the results?

HPS Black Aluminum Skid Plate Undertray Protection Shield Tesla 2017-2023 Model 3

HPS Front Rear skid plate for 2018-2023 Tesla Model 3 Protect the life line of your Tesla from coolant lines to high voltage cables. Precision cut from 1/8 inch 5052 Aluminum. Stainless Steel Hardware are included. Direct bolt-on installation. Protection Undertray Shield undercarriage made in...

hpsperformanceproducts.com

 

[mmyers300]

It doesn't look like debris impact, to me. That doesn't happen from a pebble or scrap; it would need to be a sizable and memorable impact.

It looks more like pulling up too close to a curb or parking block that was higher than normal.

 

[SteelClouds]

View attachment 862590

This made my day lol

 

[RSpanner]

Here was my justification. Even aluminum may not of stopped one of these but gives it a better chance. How much is a battery if something goes throught the panel and breaks the coolant line off the battery assembly? It has happened and yes there is a non approved fix but thats a different topic.
One of these rocks in this pic took out a wheel and flipped up and damaged the rocker panel, not only the plastic panel but the metal above it thats part of the quarter panel.
Yes, one still could of easily damaged my battery but luckily it didn't. Luck I guess.
A few hundred bucks was worth piece of mind for added protection In an area that I could do my best to improve.
And blue locktite them bolts!!!
View attachment 821318

Many years ago driving at night on a road like that, someone had left a grocery bag with a Large rock inside. I neglected to avoid it. Front cross over member and oil pan ( 924 turbo) and a long wait for a tow. In that case, a skid plate ...not sure it would have helped, but go ahead, bolt on on.

 

[Tee Why]

It surprises me Tesla doesn’t install something more substantial than the fiberboard thing. Seems like an oversight to me.

I installed these the day before I put my car on coilovers. I think these are especially important if lowering your car.

Ps. Who the hell still says “ ‘nuff said “ lol

 

[MrFusion4]

It surprises me Tesla doesn’t install something more substantial than the fiberboard thing. Seems like an oversight to me.

I installed these the day before I put my car on coilovers. I think these are especially important if lowering your car.

Ps. Who the hell still says “ ‘nuff said “ lol

cost cutting im sure