Well was doing a fitting today and my brother just talked to Honda salesman and they tol him that the motor is designed to fall down on impact. This is for safety reasons. Now a skidplate would void the warranty if this is true and a HUGE liability.
So I have to phone Honda Canada and see if this salesman is telling the truth or he is full of it (as most are). So this has halted my forward road on these plates.
A skidplate would prevent the speed of the motor falling down if this is how it is designed.

On the other end my brothers pretty dissapointed with it after he was told that as he's been on some mud/sticks trails and smacked his tranni.

So tomorrow will let you know if I can get a hold of someone.

Outback,

I was told the same thing by a salesperon. That the engine is designed to roll down and under in a front on collision. That does sound like a deal buster for the skip plate. There has to be an engineering way around it though. Just depends on much it'll cost I guess which will probably price it right outta the market.

It doesn't matter what the salesman says. What matters is what the warranty says. The warranty is your contract and describes what voids the warranty. If a modification such as a skidplate isn't restricted in your warranty, then you should be OK (legally). If you are in an accident bad enough to knock your motor loose, the warranty is the least of your problems. I hope we figure something out because I would like some protection and a couple inches of lift to make up for the additional clearance lost by the platting.

I could see if you welded the skidplate in place, but I just can't imagine that an impact severe enough to crush the motor underneath the frame wouldn't rip the skidplate bolts clean off.

I dont care if it voids the warranty i want skidplates. And when somone makes them i will buy them.

I'm not worried about if it Voids the Warranty I'm worried about Liability if that motor does not roll down on account of the skidplate being there.

I hear you that those bolts would probably bust off due to the weight of the engine, but can I be sure of that?

I really want to make this a go but that's a HUge liability and I would be responsible. I will see what Honda Canada says and go from there.

As I have a new design which will cover the underneath and the front. So no more plastic at all. This will be a 2plate design as the 1pc would cost you guys huge amount on shipping and myself I hate those charges. So that is why the 2pc skidplates (if I make them for production).

Note: I do want to offer skids as I spent allot of time for them to be wasted.

Thanks for the quick replies guys it's appreciated! :)

Just make it a Quick connect skid plate and only use it when off road !! :rolleyes:

Anytime you manufacture something in the USA and sell it, you should be concerned, and protected, against liability.

Disclaimer-For Offroad Use Only ;)

Are you an attorney, arteegee?

No. And I don't play one on TV. But I have retained my fair share of them. :rolleyes:

No. And I don't play one on TV. But I have retained my fair share of them. :rolleyes:


:D :D :D

Its a safety feature the engine drops so it doesn't come through the the firewall and into the front cabin which can cause serious bodily inury, I wouldnt put a skid plate on it will prevent the car from doing what it was designed to do in case of a high speed head on collison

Unless it's 1/2" thick steel with big bolts, a skid plate isn't going to make a whack of difference in an impact strong enough to force the motor down and back.

If you guys are really worried, just make the skid plate stop at the front axle line.

BTW, the engine is forced down by the truck's firewall. And that firewall is thick.

I talked to the honda service manager yesterday he said the engine and tranny are mounted with break away bolts and at a 55mph impact the bolts shear off and everything drops the firewall holds the force of the engine so the bolts can break he said then the motor and tranny are fall

Are you an attorney, arteegee?
I doubt it. He sounds too honest and straight foward.

Maybe you can make a 2 piece seamed plate and find out where the breakaway points are so the plate engine and trannie can all drop if needed? :cool:

i got another idea, just install the skidplate and then dont run into anything. :eek:

see, its simple. actually i need to crawl my fat tail under it and see whats where cuz i used to crawl my steep ditch in my tacoma, just for the hellova it. been gunshy to do it in the ridge...

Maybe you can make a 2 piece seamed plate and find out where the breakaway points are so the plate engine and trannie can all drop if needed? :cool:

That's what I was making the first on my site was just a first proto to get the bends right.

The 2 plate was a go until I talked to Honda and they told me no.

So my brother is now not taking his RL offroad no more as we went out and he got stuck and took him around 10min's to get out and the last time he pulled his boat into a lake, and the trail to the lake is made out of Rocks and he smoked his muffler and dinged another part underneath. So he's not impressed he talked to Honda as well, and they told him no protection in the front or under the front.

I think the dealers should be more honest when people buy these trucks from them instead of telling them one thing at first then another. Just my opinion.

So sorry guys
Talk to you later,
Thanks.

I hear you that those bolts would probably bust off due to the weight of the engine, but can I be sure of that?

Just a quick question concerning that comment. If those bolts busted off due to the weight of the engine , doesnt that defeat the point of a skidplate? In other words, the engine that is designed to drop down weighs maybe 700 lbs. If it only takes 700 lbs of weight to bust the bolts, what good is the skid gonna do when it has more like 3500 lbs sitting on it? :rolleyes: Just a question.
-Harrison

Just a quick question concerning that comment. If those bolts busted off due to the weight of the engine , doesnt that defeat the point of a skidplate? In other words, the engine that is designed to drop down weighs maybe 700 lbs. If it only takes 700 lbs of weight to bust the bolts, what good is the skid gonna do when it has more like 3500 lbs sitting on it? :rolleyes: Just a question.
-Harrison
Well there is the fact that the engine would be pushing down while the plate would be pushed up in the situation you are talking about. And assuming the two pieces are overlapping as you would expect them to be, it would be getting pushed up into the other plate. It would be a matter of engineering the design to be designed to break away in a downward stresser and not in an upward stresser. This would make sense for this type of application anyway.

Just a quick question concerning that comment. If those bolts busted off due to the weight of the engine , doesnt that defeat the point of a skidplate? In other words, the engine that is designed to drop down weighs maybe 700 lbs. If it only takes 700 lbs of weight to bust the bolts, what good is the skid gonna do when it has more like 3500 lbs sitting on it? :rolleyes: Just a question.
-Harrison


The bolts are designed to shear when the inertia of the engine and tranny moving at 55 mph or greater (per a previous post) comes to a stop in the instance of a frontal impact. Force = Mass X Acceleration

That dynamic force far exceeds the static gravitational force of 700 lbs or 3500 lbs you roll your eyes at. Not to mention there is allways a factor of safety built in. According to you the weight of the engine will break the bolts, and God forbid you place a new air filter on the engine before you open things up. . . the engine will fall out on your driveway. :eek:

I take it by your "fullsize" name, you intended to flame, but did not understand the subject being discussed. :cool: It is a matter of understanding the engineering.

Just a little rant about the "lie" Ford shows the public concerning the bolts it uses to hold the box on the frame of the F150. They place a bolt in a connection and lift the truck off the ground. They state that they use 6 bolts like the one shown to hold it on. While it is true that the bolt is most likely the same (for truth in advertising), the way it is used is not. The bolt on the connection to lift the truck is in double shear (you have to break the bolt in 2 places for it to fail), and the bed to frame is in single shear (breaks in one place). To make thier comparrison match what they try and convince the unsuspecting public of, in an engineering sence and not just number of bolts used, they would need 12 bolts.

...
Just a little rant about the "lie" Ford shows the public concerning the bolts it uses to hold the box on the frame of the F150. They place a bolt in a connection and lift the truck off the ground. They state that they use 6 bolts like the one shown to hold it on. While it is true that the bolt is most likely the same (for truth in advertising), the way it is used is not. The bolt on the connection to lift the truck is in double shear (you have to break the bolt in 2 places for it to fail), and the bed to frame is in single shear (breaks in one place). ....

Totally spot on.

Not to mention I bet the farm that there isn't an engine or any fluids in the truck they show hanging in the commercial.

Not to flame, but if you're worried enough about hitting something at 55+ that you can't bolt a skidplate onto your rig, why are you driving? The odds of getting into an impact that severe are...well...steep.

The warranty issue makes a bit more sense to me (ish, my Jeep has 203K on it, so the warranty doesn't really apply), but still. If you want the off-road performance you have to make sacrifices. Maybe the dealer won't change your oil, or even warranty your truck? Jiffy-Lube will change the oil no matter what, and it's a Honda, so it shouldn't have to be warrantied. Honestly, they never break. If it does, then pull the skid plate off if that's big of a deal. To me, the benefits of an undercarriage that hasn't been ravaged by rocks and such outweighs a Honda dealership that doesn't understand the word "truck" telling you that it'll void your warranty if you add stuff to your truck. If they're saying that you can't put some off-road protection on the thing without voiding the warranty, the frankly, they shouldn't sell it as a truck. People modify their trucks for their usage. Period. If Honda doesn't want to deal with it then they chose the wrong class of vehicle to make. They deal with people putting 4" exhausts and CAI's, and 17's, and lowering kits, and body kits, and clear tail lamps, and huge sound systems in their Civics; they can deal with a 1/8" steel plate bolted on the bottom of a RL. Just my .02.

Again, not trying to flame anyone, but part of owning a truck is modifying it meet one's needs. That's part of life...with any product. Manufacturers make a product that's supposed to do a lot of things well so that it appeals to a broad range of customers, and then the customers customize the product to meet their specific needs better. Honda engineers know this...now their marketing people need to be taught this.

I take it by your "fullsize" name, you intended to flame, but did not understand the subject being discussed. :cool: It is a matter of understanding the engineering.

come on, you think there's even a shred of credibility to the math provided by an individual whose name is "fullsize4x4"? hell, i wouldn't trust a guy like that to have all their teeth!

;)

come on, you think there's even a shred of credibility to the math provided by an individual whose name is "fullsize4x4"? hell, i wouldn't trust a guy like that to have all their teeth!

;)

I still read on how you guys are doing over here. Still pondering :)

I don't think fullsize4X4 was trying to flame. He's just a tad confused. No point of jumping on him for that.

But metalry101 has a good point Honda has a great truck out but they just thought about being #1 for safety disregarding the offroad protection they needed on the front end.

I think in the next year or so this will change if more & more people complain about this.

Can you mount the skid to the engine itself so if it moves, the skid does too?

Can you mount the skid to the engine itself so if it moves, the skid does too?

Ya one part has to be mounted to the part that drops it is the front pc that will be mounted to the part that does not drop this will hinder the fact of the engine dropping.

So this is the problem.

Well was doing a fitting today and my brother just talked to Honda salesman and they tol him that the motor is designed to fall down on impact. This is for safety reasons. Now a skidplate would void the warranty if this is true and a HUGE liability.
So I have to phone Honda Canada and see if this salesman is telling the truth or he is full of it (as most are). So this has halted my forward road on these plates.
A skidplate would prevent the speed of the motor falling down if this is how it is designed.

On the other end my brothers pretty dissapointed with it after he was told that as he's been on some mud/sticks trails and smacked his tranni.

So tomorrow will let you know if I can get a hold of someone.
what the heck does having a skid plate have to do with voiding your warranty?
there is no warranty coverage for getting into an accident
it's your insurance coverage that you need to worry about

anyone know anything about the skidplates on the baja competition truck?

or the brush guard?

Adding a skid plate underneath your vehicle will not void your warranty. Honda would have to prove that adding the skid plate caused the failure in a vehicle component. So if your AC goes out, they would have to prove that the skidplate broke the AC.

If the engine went through the firewall because the skidplate prevented it from dropping, it would however, reduce their liability, if they were sued because a VTEC engine went through a loved ones torso. Frankly, a collision that bad would probably kill regardless.

This is all covered in the Magnuson-Moss Act:
http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/magmoss.htm

Interesting thread.

Could be wrong, but it seems to me that the Ridge wasn't designed to be used as a true off-road vehicle. What they did design is a vehicle that would appeal to the most number of people, which translates into more sales...knowing that the vast majority of people wouldn't use the vehicle for off-roading (or at the most off-roading lite). If I wanted a "real" off-road vehicle I'd look at a Rubicon or Defender.

Unfortunately they can't design a vehicle that will be all things to all people.

Unfortunately they can't design a vehicle that will be all things to all people.

Exactly, iROC. I get a real kick outta some of these folks who tell me my RL is not a "real 4x4". Case in point: One of my coworkers just bought a F150 about a year ago and was kinda ribbing me about my RL, how it's not a real truck, and that kinda thing and I was ribbing him about...well, buying a Ford.

Then he said, "Yeah, we won't see you doing major 4x4ing in THAT thing!" and he kinda chuckled to himself....like, "Ha, gotcha there". Knowing he babies his F150 more than I baby my RL, I said, "Oh...reeeallly....and when is the last time you did and "major 4x4ing", in your F150?" He said, "Well....I haven't...but I could if I wanted to...". I said, "Yeah, well, if I wanted to buy a "real" 4x4ing machine, I wouldn't have bought a RL or an F150 for that matter. I would have bought an old beat up Jeep, beefed up the suspension, put big a$$ed grippy tires on it, and I would be all set. Thing is, I didn't buy my RL because I wanted an off-roading vehicle. I bought my RL because it's safer than any pickup on the road today, it rides and handles better than any pickup on the road, and I get almost 23 MPG on the highway...and I can still do what most people do with their pickups...haul a camper from time to time, haul some top soil or mulch from time to time, and I got a place to put 4x8 sheets of drywall and that kinda thing when I take a trip to Home Depot. It's EXACTLY what I wanted".

Yeah, I know the RL is limited in some areas..it's not an off roading machine and it tows about 5000 lbs..less than most pickups out there. The thing is, it EXCELS in the areas I want it to excel....and that is why I bought a RL.

Yeah, I know the RL is limited in some areas..it's not an off roading machine and it tows about 5000 lbs..less than most pickups out there. The thing is, it EXCELS in the areas I want it to excel....and that is why I bought a RL.
Well said, Cdepuydt, well said.

ps: do they still brew "Point" beer?

Point Beer??

Yep still Brewing ...

Going to be at the Ohio meet?? I could bring a 6-pack!!

:D

Point Beer??
Yep still Brewing ...
Going to be at the Ohio meet?? I could bring a 6-pack!!:D
Unfortunately, no. But thank you for the thought!

What about a thick ABS Plastic Plate? That would protect from sticks and stuff hitting up but would not stop motor from dropping???

Your Thoughts???

Well, CU beat me to it, iROC, but as he said, they still do make Point Beer. Not only do they make their signature Point Special, they make a few other beers too...Honey Light, Cascade Pale Ale, White Biere, Point Amber, Spring Bock, Premier Light, not to mention a line of gormet sodas.

Personally, I like the Point Amber. Anyway, if you want to check out their website, it's pointbeer.com.

Thanks, Cdepuydt! I didn't realize they were now brewing so many beers...they all sound good! Maybe you Wisconsin folks could bring some to the meet anyway...show all those other folks what they have been missing. Perhaps some walleye too. :)

Sorry to briefly change the topic of this thread!

What does one mean by off roading?If your talking about your neighbors corn field the Ridge will do fine.If your talking Idaho or Utah stay home as well as bayoo or desert,just stay home or spend money.Been all over this country and 4wheeling is a specialized hobby.Just watch the 4x4 tv shows.4 or 5 thousand dollars in acc.'s might get you there.

The best 4x4 I ever had was a Chevy Tracker,as a hunter that went everywhere,my Pwerstroke f250 crew and my Chev 3500 4x4 dually couldn't get thru the woods and why destroy a 40 grand truck in one afternoon?

I never see new rigs all beat up yet people jaw about "4wheelin" on forums all the time.

Best example of a true 4 wheel guy was the fellow in New Hampshire I hunted with 30 yrs ago.He had bought a new Jeep and took a torch and cut the fenders off after the rear wheel on a brand new rig.

Should he be heralded or called a looney?

I bought the Ridgeline because I wanted a utility vehicle that didn't beat me up while I drove it. This vehicle allows me to carry all my gear neatly stored away. It has all the bells and whistles. And it's a Honda.

My "real 4x4" is this:

http://www.ranchorelaxo.info/geemons20060119a.jpg

My "real 4x4" serves a purpose. Specifically, it's designed to hammer through rough stuff without breaking all the time. It's engineered pretty well, but it still drives like a tank. I DO NOT drive it every day, because I would require back surgery after a couple of months.

If a man can ignore his precious little ego for five minutes and really think through what he needs in a truck, most will find the Ridgeline fits the bill. If you need to trailer horses, you need the big trucks.

Thanks, Cdepuydt! I didn't realize they were now brewing so many beers...they all sound good! Maybe you Wisconsin folks could bring some to the meet anyway...show all those other folks what they have been missing. Perhaps some walleye too. :)

Sorry to briefly change the topic of this thread!

iROC, if I was heading to the meet, I'd bring you some samples of the Point products, but I already had plans for that weekend.

As for the Walleye....you're on your own there. I'm so bad at fishing, I couldn't even catch a cold! :D

I towed cars for three years and seen everything imaginable and never saw a motor fall down it just does'nt happen.

I too do not understand all the discussion of skid plates affecting warranty.
As a previous poster pointed out, crashes do not create warranty claims. Crashes only produce insurance claims.
You may add any accessory item to your truck that you like and it will have no effect on your warranty unless it can be shown to have been the actual cause of a component failure.
To assert that Honda can void your warranty either in part or in whole because you added an accessory or modified something is just not true.
If you believe you have a need for a skid plate, and you can devise one, do it and reward yourself with a cold brew for a job well done.

If you are ever involved in a frontal collision so severe your motor is or would be shoved under the truck you will have much greater pain than any warranty dispute, which would not be relevant anyway.