RZR S Armor Installation

[Ruff]

I enjoy technical trails in Arizona, and that means rocks and other hard stuff. I added a few goodies to enhance my survival in the harsh Arizona desert.....

Ordered a FUTV Skid and A-Arm Guards and installed them today. Photos and suggestions:

Wish I had a lift:



Add bulletproof steel armor from Irate Customs



Add more armor from FUTV:



Rear Finished:



Front Finished:



Tips and Tricks:

David from FUTV told me to lay the UHMW skid in the sun, as I could not get it to line up. I was skeptical, but he was right on the money. Warm it up, and it fit right on the mark.

I hate Polaris and their self-tapping bolts. I bought a handful of 1/4x20x3/4"and 1/4x20x1" bolts and locknuts. Every location that I could I backed the bolt with a nut, including the front and rear diff skids. A 1/4x20 tap was helpful to thread the holes for the diff skids. Go slow and do it right the first time.

The stainless steel plate fit perfectly. This really backs the UHMW skid up nicely. It will really take a huge hit to do any damage now.

The only area I would like to see improved on is the coverage of the CV joint by the A-arm guards. They are high enough, but stop short on the CV end. I left the factory plastic pieces in place, they might not help much but it makes me feel better. I know they claim most CV damage is from the bottom and they do solve that issue.



Ruff

[Arizona Griz]

NIce. Looks like you did a good job.

[RZingAZ]

Your kit looks pretty good overall. Just want to point out a couple of weak points before you go "blammin" through the rocks/trails.
As you noted, the Polaris mounting design is weak. The cup washers that are used to hold the plate in place are the weakest link. I eliminated these washers by using countersink bolts with allen heads directly into my custom made UHMW skid. Getting the holes in the right places was a trick but I have had very good results using the existing threaded holes. No bent bolts, no stripped threads and nothing to catch on sharp edges of the boulders we traverse.
Looking at your photos, are you sure that the "wings" under the seats are supposed to go under the frame? By bolting the edges of the skid plate to the very bottom, outside edge of the frame, you eliminate hanging up on something when you slide sideways on a rock. It also provides a small amount of protection for the body plastics if it sticks out 3/4" inch past the body. If this is not possible with your kit, then it has a serious flaw.
Before you "test" your new skid plate, remember that UHMW is flexible. It's design is to allow your RZR to slide over rough terrain. It is not "armor plating". A solid hit on an large rock will transfer the energy to the frame. I have a slight bow in the center of my frame to prove it!
Hope you enjoy the addition to your RZR. The full UHMW skid plate has really improved our confidence in going places we would not previously thought possible!!!

[demarko69]

Looks great. I really like the A arm guards.
Your right about the added confidence. Its good to have the added protection

[Ruff]

Looking at your photos, are you sure that the "wings" under the seats are supposed to go under the frame? By bolting the edges of the skid plate to the very bottom, outside edge of the frame, you eliminate hanging up on something when you slide sideways on a rock. It also provides a small amount of protection for the body plastics if it sticks out 3/4" inch past the body. If this is not possible with your kit, then it has a serious flaw.

I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about, but I'll take a stab at it:

The main UHMW piece is bolted exactly per the directions. I think you are looking at the Polaris "Rock Slider" side frames and think they are the RZR frames. The skid is bolted to the bottom of the vehicle frame, not the Rock Sliders. The Rock Sliders are a weak design and you lose ground clearance. If I had not gotten them off Ebay for $75 NIB, I probably would not have bought them.

The main skid does stick out past the frame edge a bit, but since the Rock Sliders are in the way, it will not help. The Rock Sliders will save the side body panels up to the point a rock rips them off, then the skid should take over.

Your right about UHMW transferring force to the vehicle. That was the intent of the 1/4" stainless steel plate covering the vitals in the rear. It won't eliminate that problem, but it will help. It is braced on the topside, which you can't see in my photos but more info is here:

http://www.rzrforums.net/bumpers-ski...mate-skid.html

I joke about tearing off down the rocky trails. In reality, I'm over 40 and those days are long gone. I did put a few small dents on the underside, and I'm sure more will come and these skids should prevent most damage and let me slide on the rocks instead of dragging metal over them.