To install skidplates or not?

Simple question. Pls post your experiences.

 

I was scraping the under nose from going up ramps in carports. I put them on and have no negative issues. If it helps protect the bumper, the small amount of loss of available ride height is well worth the trade off.

 

I reckon any damage is more likely to come from the shunting force of impact than scraping and as such I don't think skid plates are likely to be of assistance and might actually help to localise any impact. Just a thought!

 

430, scud and now a 16m, all with skid plates and have scrapped them all. also keep in mind im very careful with taking things slow and at an angle, nothing serious, but enough to hear it.

so if your not going to drive your car, then i would say no, dont put them on
cal

 

Have scraped front on many exotics, tried the skid plates on my cs, my opinion is that while it seems like a good idea it lowers the car to make grounding slightly more likely.

The problem I had was when I hit a driveway incline after the skid plates (pulling off road into a parking lot) the bumper cracked where the screws had been drilled in. Bumper had to be substantially repaired.

For me I've put skid plates in the same category as clear bra - tried both, will not use either again.

 

I say yes. I had them installed on my 09 and, if nothing else, for piece of mind. I would hate to accidently scrape the bottom and do significant damage to the front bumper. The cost to repair/replace is a lot more than the skid plates. See Premier Motorsport for what I think are the best.

 

50/50 right now -

 

They've worked well for me.
Sure they might actually "lower" your car a little, but given the "chin-slaps" I've endured, the front would have hit regardless.
I put them on my 360 (after having the chin repainted twice) and I have them on my 430. My Gallardo, of course, doesn't need them b/c the front end lifts... something every car like these should have.

Frank

 

like the other gentleman said, skid plates are like a clear bra...BOTH ARE MUSTS. His incident on the CS is an anomoly. Clear bras and skid plates help. ANYTHING that helps these cars from being marred by every day driving is a plus in my book

 

Here's my opinion: skid plates take up some room - they have a thickness, that means more and harder impacts on the bumper. I've seen pictures of bumpers that fail from bottom impact and it is a major bursting around the top of the bumper. I have some scrapes on the bottom of my bumper, it might not be a car show candidate, but I could sand and paint the problem pretty easily. A bumper stressed to structure failure is an expensive problem. Of course not having skid plates does not ensure the bumper, just makes fewer and less intensive jolts.

 

hmm, If only the guy that I bought my car from had installed them for me !!

 

I've heard he is a cheap bastard!

 

that evidently doesn't have a camera!!!

 

I say no. Two reasons:

1. Any scrape on the bottom is not visible except when the car is on a lift. Repair, if wanted, is probably cheaper than a skid plate. At some point, the bumper will probably need a respray anyway. I know mine will. What's the difference between the bottom of the bumper being scraped or a skid plate being scraped? By installing a skid plate, you trade light scrapes for a number of screw holes. I don't see how that is better.

2. A skid plate increases the potential for more serious damage by making any contact more severe. It will also lead to more contact incidents than just leaving it stock.

Dave

 

Have the Premier skid plates. Saved my bumper a few times already and I've only had the car a couple months.

 

Its the Question I have been wrestling with for the last couple of days with as well.

 

Here is an interesting testimonial for the use of skid plates.
These are our product, but it's really about how effective they are.
Note in the second picture, there is not a mark anywhere else.
Ciao
Brenden

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=183415&page=2

 

IMO, a necessity. I have skid plates on both my F430 and Scuderia. The skid plates now take all the beating. The full boomerang style skid plates are the best.

 

I never used them on my 355 or 360. Myself, I don't think taking away clearance down there helps matters much. Also, I've seen cases were the bumper cracked or the skid plates caught on something. I'd rather just have a smooth surface. If I need to break out the black spray paint once in a while, that's no big deal.

No skid plates for me.

Ray

 

yes

 

For me it was very necessary.
Most of my scrapes come at very low speeds as I exit my driveway.

BTW, I made my own using 1/4" aluminum stock and double sided emblem tape. Worked better than I imagined!

 

Ferrari's are going down in price so fast it doesn't really matter if the bottom of the front bumper has a few scrapes.

 

You know all those horror stories about young kids who buy 360's and abuse them? I'm guessing your one of them.

Ray

 

I still dont understand the purpose of skid plates. Where you scratch is underneath the car and not visible unless your car is on a lift.I have seen some cars with them and it really doesnt look good.

Is there any other reason to put them ?

 

Spoken like a person who doesn't own one.