Please make skidplates

so I can buy them and either put them on myself or take to the dealership to have done. i don't care how it gets done so long as i have them.

SkidPlates idea dead (http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1363&highlight=skidplates)

I too wanted some skid plates but I doubt there will ever be any. :(

so, if the engine is design to fall down on a severe frontal impact, isn't there a way for someone to build a skid plate that will protect the engine and fall down if there's a severe frontal impact? or something to protect what's under like the oil pan and tranny. some one is probably thinking of something that will fall down with the engine but protect it for normal / off road driving.

i read the skidplate thread and the first thought i had was stated almost at the end of the thread itself.

skidplates are made to protect in off-road driving conditions where things can come up into the engine areas or bounce on. since the engine is designed to drop down in the event of a head-on collision the plates can be engineered in such a manner as to drop down with the block.

i find it hard to believe that the bright staff of Honda engineers who came up with this truck and all the options are unable find a solution to this problem.

i was watching some auto show explaining the RL under carrage protection. Certain areas are protected with a bar and plate. You're right, the engineers should have thought it out having a skid plate mouted under the engine and other components to protect it from debris launching up torward the engine bay and components. If a collision occur, like you said, the engine and skid plate should drop. Someone atleast should mention this to other skid plate makers and see what they respond to. Or is it viable to make and sold to honda?

This issue, and this issue alone has me looking at the new Toyota Fj Cruiser instead, as blasphemous as that sounds. I really want a Black Ridge, but I can't pull the trigger, as much as I want a truck bed. :(

This truck was and is not marketed to be an off road animal and the way the undercarriage protection is lacking is proof that the marketing drove the engineering. For me, a skidplate would be a luxury as I do not expect to incur any major damage the way I use the RL, and me and my use is what Honda was hoping to be able to sell the first batch to. Maybe over time and the next batches, we will see an off road package and model to compliment the suburban package we have now.

This issue, and this issue alone has me looking at the new Toyota Fj Cruiser instead, as blasphemous as that sounds. I really want a Black Ridge, but I can't pull the trigger, as much as I want a truck bed. :(
RL is a 4x4 not an off road unit, it was'nt designed to go bouncing over rocks and things:eek: And if thats all thats keeping you from "pulling the trigger" then you don't want the RL that bad:rolleyes:

Why not mount the skid plate TO the engine? That way, when the engine moves, the skid plate moves with it.

I'd be happy with even a plastic skidplate. Ever looked under the truck from the side @ all the crap hanging down? I'm not planning on doing any offroading, but it seems like there's a lot of stuff under there that could be easily damaged-even by a stray rock on the highway.

Jeez, my mercedes Coupe had more protection underneath-one big plate under the engine and two going back on each side to about the rear axle. It was probably more for aerodynamics, but it was at least some protection. And they were thin enough that I am sure they would have come off in a collision.

I'd be happy with even a plastic skidplate.

rubbermaid has done some impressive stuff in the last 10 years. i would settle for that.

i realize the RL was not made for hardcore offroading, but since it is a 4x4 there ought to be at least some aftermarket alternatives for those of us who do plan on hitting the great outdoors. or more to the point, the great outdoors hitting us in the jewels.

i just want a protective cup for my boy is all.

Exactly. I just wouldn't spend time on this site, if I didn't want a Honda truck. I prefer trucks that have an off road option in their repertoire. (does not need to be the singular option) Those that say this truck wasn't designed for that, and have watched the Ridge TV commercials, and test videos, have read about Baja, heard of the upcoming San Felipe challenge--how do you guys reconcile this with yourself? Can't allow it all to marketing can you? :rolleyes: No, this must surely be a corporate decision and not a signifigant engineering problem.

The thing is I want my vehicle to do everything;) , and Honda is pretty close-- Truck bed, and trunk, car-like handeling, towing, safety.. brilliant! I'm thirty, not married and this will be my first "new" vehicle purchase. I do represent a large market segment that currently in the truck world must be satisfied by the poor quality Dodges, Ubiquitous Fords, Chevys, over-compensating Titans/Frontiers out there. Stats on Tacomas look good, but having test driven the Toyota within an hour of the Ridge, I just wasn't that enthused.

The Hondar Ridgeline is a smart unique beast right? People who have already bought their Ridges love it's various incarnations, street rod, work truck, family vehicle etc, why not include one more to the party?:(

Seems to me, with all the engineering Honda put into this truck, they'd be able to come up with a skid plate that would drop down with the block in the event of an accident. Kinda odd, if you ask me. I mean, granted, the RL is not designed for "heavy duty" off-roading, but it would be nice to have that option if one so desired to have one.

With all the brilliant minds here on this forum, you'd think a ROC member could come up with a solution to this. Anybody.....?

to be fair i realize not everyone is buying a RL for off-roading so it wouldn't have to be a standard part on the vehicle. they can offer it as an optional part like the running boards, cargo net, etc etc etc.

Why not mount the skid plate TO the engine? That way, when the engine moves, the skid plate moves with it.

Great idea! And when the skid plate is struck by a rock or other immovable object, the parts underneath will be protected while the engine acts as a stress point for all the vehicle weight and/or is moved through the hood on heavy impact. ;)

What gage (thickness) material would be required to fabricate the skid-plates for the rear diff and engine/trans area?

Great idea! And when the skid plate is struck by a rock or other immovable object, the parts underneath will be protected while the engine acts as a stress point for all the vehicle weight and/or is moved through the hood on heavy impact. ;)


An even better idea would be to avoid casing your Ridgeline on rocks.:D Seriously, no one is going to attempt the Rubicon in an RL. I just figured a small plate would prevent damage for the medium duty debris the RL is engineered to conquer.

The RL is not a rock climber, or heavy duty 4wd vehicle If you need skid plates that bad get a Jeep, or another vehicle designed for true offroading. I have owned Jeeps in the past but at age 36 I didnt want the utilitarian ride and features jeeps offer, so i bought a refined RL.

With that said i do as part of my job take me RL into construction sites often, and it handles great in the mud, ruts, and flooded areas. Never got stuck, or even close.

The RL is not a rock climber, or heavy duty 4wd vehicle If you need skid plates that bad get a Jeep, or another vehicle designed for true offroading. I have owned Jeeps in the past but at age 36 I didnt want the utilitarian ride and features jeeps offer, so i bought a refined RL.

With that said i do as part of my job take me RL into construction sites often, and it handles great in the mud, ruts, and flooded areas. Never got stuck, or even close.

Please show me anyother make that is desinged for "true off roading" for 36 you might be more informed. any rock climbers right off the assembly line? and i don't mean little 12" rocks, that would be stone climbing.

a skid plate makes sense even for light duty off roading. it only takes the wrong move to hit a lone rock or bounce when you don't want to. the oil pan on the truck has no protection really.

the engineers traded off that option for safety first, fine, but why not let individuals decide to change the stock configuation? ok, you have decided at 36 you are no longer a player, but rather going to stay safe and take no chances. sounds rediculous doesn't it. wouldn't you want the added protection for the day you take a chance? maybe you never will, that is fine too. to each his own, you are entitled. but your comments above are sounding more like a judge then a partial minded reasonably prudent person.

stay safe, J

Wrangler Rubicon, ever heard of it?

my point is why try to make an RL something it isnt.. an offroad beats.

also at 36 Im no longer interested in slogging through mud, rocks,.etc.. I have better things to do with my time...

Wrangler Rubicon, ever heard of it?


i have, it is nothing other than a regular jeep with some frills, they did add to it the wrangler M/t tires to it, but no lift or anything that would discern it from the other models other than tires and maybe horspower options, next?

locking rear end, bigger tires, etc..

not a true 4wd drive beast, but nothing off an assembly line is. I used to drive a 1978 Wrangler that had an 8" lift, I think I have seen my share of trails...

Not here to argue, but why spend $$$ converting a 2006 SUT into an offroad beast, why not buy something else and convert it.?

What gage (thickness) material would be required to fabricate the skid-plates for the rear diff and engine/trans area?
on my friend's jeep, he has a quarter inch thick steel plate under his tranny and oil pan. I probably won't go off roading as much but would like to venture somewhere in the mountains when i go camping with friends and follow them with their dodge rams. Like some of you said, even with a rubber maid type material would be something nice to cover certain parts. I've also notice my friends Audi has a rubber maid type material under his engine covering his tranny and oil pan... but it more resembles an under carrage spoiler, but it works the same as a skid plate.

on my friend's jeep, he has a quarter inch thick steel plate under his tranny and oil pan. I probably won't go off roading as much but would like to venture somewhere in the mountains when i go camping with friends and follow them with their dodge rams. Like some of you said, even with a rubber maid type material would be something nice to cover certain parts. I've also notice my friends Audi has a rubber maid type material under his engine covering his tranny and oil pan... but it more resembles an under carrage spoiler, but it works the same as a skid plate.

Wow my machine shop calculator tells me a single 1/4 thick steel plate large enough to cover the engine and trans would be 255 lbs. the skid plate under my dirt bike is only 1/16 thick aluminum but the bike is light as a feather compared to our trucks. I should rephrase my question to “What would be the thinnest we could go on the steel skid plates to offer additional protection without having an adverse weight penalty?” personally I’d like to see three areas of protection. The Engine, Transmission and Rear Differential could all use a little help. I’ve also seen steel tubing utilized running front to back on some off-road race trucks acting as “Skis” under the more delicate components as well.
Any other thoughts on material thickness?

you know .. i've been wondering guys. i'm no engineer and maybe this is just too easy. why can't they go for some sort of trap door configuration with the skidplates?

basically they would bolt up on either side and the middle portion would overlap a little. in the event of a head-on collision the engine would still be able to drop.

Not here to argue, but why spend $$$ converting a 2006 SUT into an offroad beast, why not buy something else and convert it.?

i don't plan to go hog wild with it but it is a 4x4 after all. i would like to at least be able to go where most cars cannot without having to worry about damaging my investment.

most trucks don't come with skid plates stock and they have to be bought/added after the fact. i'm not asking for anything else.

i too would like to see skid plates offered. This topic is (so far) the single quality issue with my RL (built Jan 06). I was surprised to see a AWD, despite not being made for heavy off roading, to have a plastic air dam/cover thing under the front end. How long do I expect that to last??? Not long at all, and to top it off it's held to the bumper covers with plastic snaps. I would have thought Honda to be thoughtful enough to use a lightweight metal/aluminum to build this part, as even some parking curbs are high enough to rub it. As i said it's my only dissapointment, and I hope there is an aftermarket option soon to replace it with something with a bit more structural integrity. It seems very "car-ish" if u know what i mean.

Wow my machine shop calculator tells me a single 1/4 thick steel plate large enough to cover the engine and trans would be 255 lbs. the skid plate under my dirt bike is only 1/16 thick aluminum but the bike is light as a feather compared to our trucks. I should rephrase my question to “What would be the thinnest we could go on the steel skid plates to offer additional protection without having an adverse weight penalty?” personally I’d like to see three areas of protection. The Engine, Transmission and Rear Differential could all use a little help. I’ve also seen steel tubing utilized running front to back on some off-road race trucks acting as “Skis” under the more delicate components as well.
Any other thoughts on material thickness?

To you folks who are looking into finding a skid plate, I would suggest you converse with Mr. 5SDude. I'm sure he could do the same kinda magic for skid plates as he has done for the door sills he has created for ROC members. Seeing what he has done with those sills, it's obvious he is very talented, and could probably whip out some kinda skid plate for you folks who want one, in no time flat.

I think first, if you guys are really serious, you should probably think of what materials you wanna use, first. I'm no engineer but.....Seems to me, some sorta aluminum skid plate would probably work the best. It would be light weight and be just the ticket.

Hey S5....just curious....how much would a 1/4" thick aluminium skid plate weigh?

Thanks.

Actually I’d been thinking of belly protection for my own RL for quite sometime. I’ve been contemplating using 3/16 thick aluminum plate with stainless hardware but just haven’t had any time to investigate the mounting points as yet. I don’t pre run the Baja or fly my Ridge over any man made obstacles mind you, but I do drive off road to get to the good dirt bike riding spots and don’t want anything poking at the underside of my truck. If any of you own a creeper and have checked the underneath of your trucks, you will notice the very expensive looking cast aluminum engine, trans & rear diff have zero protection and if a stray rock were to hit them and the precious fluid leaked out you would be how can I say it………Stranded! Yeah, that’s it you’d be @#%@ Stranded.
Ever happen to you? Happened to me once…….

I have not been able to find squat out there regarding rock protection for our Ridgelines so it may be a good idea to create a poll to actually see how many of us are interested in the different additions not commercially available to us.

Hi cdepuydt
A 30” x 30” piece of ¼” think aluminum is 22.5lbs.

i'm not an engineer or a fabricator, would a stailess steel work for a skid plate? the type of stainless steel that is used on counter tops in food services restaurants? I remember a friend whom has ask a shop to make him a table from that stuff. If anyone doesn't mind getting that stuff scraped up and is less than 1/4 inch thick even 1/8 inch thick. Will that work or is it heavier than the aluminum grade used for aircraft type aluminums? Maybe, something made from a durable plastic composite type like duponts or something?
I too would like some extra peace of mind, i don't really do mud bogging or xtreme off roading. I mostly follow my friends or family to outings that may need to go offroading once and while to get to areas like camping sites and buying land etc. would like that xtra peace of mind that paying a 30k truck isn't going to waste with a piece of pebble disabling me in the middle of no where.

I'm most interested too. I once disabled my Chevy truck at a construction site by hitting a still FROZEN hunk of mud. Knocked the engine off the mounts and creased the pan at 5mph. That's why I always got the Z-71 package after that. I slowly drive thru lots of pastures and cultivation. That's the main reason I got the Westin Bull Bar, the front skid plate. A second of advance warning that I'm driving over a hidden stump or outcropping of rock could save the delicates underneath. BTW, I absolute love my RL and I still have a 6.0 Z-71 when I need to do some heavy duty pulling/towing/muddin' and also when I need to remember what 10 mpg feels like.;)

lgmendez in one of the other threads has them installed on his. i'm figuring in addition to adding some advance warning protection, i really like they way they make the truck look.

Hi cdepuydt
A 30” x 30” piece of ¼” think aluminum is 22.5lbs.

RS5Dude....with your experience with various metals....do you think a 1/4 in sheet of aluminum would be beefy enough to do the job? Seems like that would be an insignificant weight addition and, if it would do the job, wouldn't that be the best way to go? Personally....I don't think I would want a piece of rubber maid stuff protecting the underbelly of my RL because of the heat down there.

Again, I'm no engineer, but a sheet of aluminium seems like that would be the best route.

RS5Dude....with your experience with various metals....do you think a 1/4 in sheet of aluminum would be beefy enough to do the job? Seems like that would be an insignificant weight addition and, if it would do the job, wouldn't that be the best way to go? Personally....I don't think I would want a piece of rubber maid stuff protecting the underbelly of my RL because of the heat down there.

Again, I'm no engineer, but a sheet of aluminium seems like that would be the best route.
1/4" may be more than enough. I was thinking 3/16" for the rear diff first.

Skidplates? We don't need no stinkin' skidplates! :rolleyes:
See the 4th post on this thread: http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7274

If we go on bad roads we take our Subaru Outback as it has a rear diff skid plate and better ground clearance than the Ridgeline

If we go on bad roads we take our Subaru Outback as it has a rear diff skid plate and better ground clearance than the Ridgeline
Honda should take note that when a "glorified station wagon" :D has more clearance & protection than a "truck," then they need to take care of business. BTW, my stepdaughter has an Outback and I can atest that it is a fine vehicle, especially suited for her needs.

I think it would be a great idea for Honda to make some skid plates. Heck, I probably wouldn't mind adding a set to my RL, even though I don't do a lot of off-road type driving. I would just like the piece of mind that a piece of road debris isn't going to do any damage to my undercarriage.

As far as ground clearance goes.....in the grand scheme of things, does 1/2 an inch really make that much of a difference? This not a smart-aleck remark....I'm am not an "off roader" by any means....but 1/2 (RL's 8.2 clearance vs. 8.7 for the SO) an inch seems to be pretty insignificant.

someone posted a picture, forgot who it was, did a little offroading and a rock made a big O dent on his exhaust. right beside the oil pan..Dang, that looked nasty, must have been a large mass rock to put a large dent on the pipe. 1/4" to the right, he might have a cracked oil pan with leaks. Hope some one designes something, i don't mind if its made from a rubbermaid material similar to audi's underbody spoiler that cover all of the engine bay and some parts of the underbody.

anyone know anything about the skid plates and brush guard on the truck prepped for the baja?

skid plates for a Ridgeline???? Why???? like some of the other posters have said, get a "truck-truck" for off-road and keep the ridgeline for city driving. That is adorable that owners think they can take this vehicle off road.

Sierra Joe,

Why are you here? I realize I may be feeding the troll in this instance but I see that so far you have made 4 posts on this board and every one of them is very troll like. This by far is the silliest of the four comments imo though.

skid plates for a Ridgeline???? Why???? like some of the other posters have said, get a "truck-truck" for off-road and keep the ridgeline for city driving. That is adorable that owners think they can take this vehicle off road.

Thats funny. I seem to remember a camping trip last summer that a couple "truck-truck" owners didn't want to drive down a rough mountain road across a small creek. I had to give them and their gear a "ride-ride" down to the "camp-camp". I slide across some "dirt-dirt" and some "rock-rock", no damage done. But most of all IT WAS FUN! O and the "truck-truck" owners loved the RL. ;)
If you don't want one don't get one, no biggie. Your not going to make any of us feel bad about not being able to do rock crawling.:)

I work for a well know survey company/magazine (automotive and other things) and can't say the name...I am visiting many auto-based fan posting sites and seeing how passonate the owners are about their vehicles. I have an article coming up in the national August issue that will be titled either -- "passionate owners defend their purchases" or "how deep does your auto passion run"

my editor hasn't told me which one he perfers yet. I have visited many fan-auto sites, and this one along with Coloradofans.com have been set up the best so far. The worst was the nissan site for the titan and frontier -- hard to navigate and not much fun.

I will include some owners profiles (after getting permission) when my article is published. will be approximately 13pages



thanks for the feedback and fun ribbings. you guys are passonite about your cars -- sorry....trucks.

Well if that is so let us know after it is published so we can check it out.:cool:
The usual trolls from other sites or fans of other trucks come by occasionally and try to make us feel bad about this or that. I think most of us don't have anything bad to say about other trucks. There are a lot of great trucks. My friend just bought a Tundra and it is great. The RL is just better for me.
I don't frequent any other sites. I own a RL so why bother? Time is better spent driving our RL's.:D

In just running through dirt roads in local (Cali) areas I've already broken suspension parts (rear anti-sway bar linkage snapped), destroyed the plastic skids in the front (I’m going to have to take them off because they end up scraping my tire every time I hit some mud) and dented a bracket holding the front swing arm. I have a buddy with a stock Tacoma (has skid plates). He has no such problems and he does some crazy stuff in his truck. I love my RL, but I don't want to feel like I made a mistake buying the first truck from a car company. As for the people talking about the upgrades needed to make even the Rubicon into a 4X4 beast, at least the Rubicon can be upgraded. I can't even put a 32" tire on my "Truck". I just plan on traveling "easy" dirt trails to get out to some good Rock climbing spots or old mines. I will never try to take it rock crawling, but it wouldn't take much to crack the oil pan. This would not only leave me $%*#@^&! stranded, but potentially ruin my engine. I paid enough already I don't want to buy another engine for it. The lack of some type of protection is ridiculous, but making a truck that can never be made to have any off road balls is unforgivable. That FJ looks better each time I take my RL off of paved roads.:(

I'm sorry to have to say this but to all you people that buy a Ridgeline and then post about how bad it is off road, you're just showing the world how stupid you are. What kind of idiot buys a truck WITHOUT a low range transfer case and is then surprised that it won't crawl like a Jeep. You must be clueless to buy a vehicle without doing ANY research period because there is not one review, website, or sale brochure anywhere that says anything other than the Ridgeline was intended for light to medium off road duty at best. It's not like you can claim to be mislead. Why don't you all find a Suburu form and complain about the lack of off road ability of the Baja? I just can't believe anyone would buy a vehicle, use it in a way that it's clearly not designed for, and then pretend to be surprised and disappointed at the results.

Sorry but I had to vent.

It must be nice to have that kind of money. There is no way I can make the payment on my RL and a Rubicon. The hope was to buy a truck with similar or better abilities than my buddy's Tacoma, even if it took a couple of aftermarket parts. I now have the 2" lift from Skyjacker. I didn't scrape one time yesterday in the mountains. Unfortunately, I almost lost some plastic from the front of the truck and god knows what other damage. As you said the ride is great and I enjoy the RL one my 1hr commute to work. It would just be nice if a few improvements could be made to give a bit more off road capabilities. Wouldn't it be sweet to have the nice features of the RL and still be able to keep up with a stock Tacoma off road? Then I could talk about how bad my buddy's truck does on the street rather than my buddy talking about how bad my truck does off road. It would be my dream vehicle, the one I thought I was buying. I’m sorry to keep hounding on this lets get back to the real issue of this thread, skid plates. Does anyone know how the engine is intended to drop? In looking at the bottom of the truck there are 2 large beams that hold the engine mounts as well as the front swing arms. This seems to be a very strong part of the vehicle. The engine sits largely over one of these beams. It would seem difficult to make these beams disappear at impact. I would guess that these beams are pushed down at impact and take the engine with them. If that is the case then a plate could be mounted to these strong structures and still allow the engine to drop in a collision. It would be nice (and somewhat redeeming) if Honda could look into this for us and at least allow us some hope of protecting the undercarriage.

there is not one review, website, or sale brochure anywhere that says anything other than the Ridgeline was intended for light to medium off road duty at best.
Sorry but I had to vent.

Please define "light to medium off road duty." I'm not being a smarta$$, I just want to know if it compares to mine.
Yes, I'm also sorry you felt compelled to "vent."

OK...here's my definitions.

light duty - Snow, gravel, groomed dirt trails

Medium duty - Sand, dirt trails (non groomed), some mud (not to deep), NO ROCKS, pretty much what other STOCK vehicles can do in 4HI.

Heavy duty - anything that you would use 4LO for in another vehicle. Rock crawling. Tight, technical trails where you need to crawl and pick your line. Places where you need lots of ground clearance. River fording.

Nice troll! But ya gotta use that spell check button:eek: , or else your " nationally published article" might be rejected.

I work for a well know survey company/magazine (automotive and other things) and can't say the name...I am visiting many auto-based fan posting sites and seeing how passonate the owners are about their vehicles. I have an article coming up in the national August issue that will be titled either -- "passionate owners defend their purchases" or "how deep does your auto passion run"

my editor hasn't told me which one he perfers yet. I have visited many fan-auto sites, and this one along with Coloradofans.com have been set up the best so far. The worst was the nissan site for the titan and frontier -- hard to navigate and not much fun.

I will include some owners profiles (after getting permission) when my article is published. will be approximately 13pages



thanks for the feedback and fun ribbings. you guys are passonite about your cars -- sorry....trucks.

Mine are similar, in particular the 4HI statement. I expected the Ridge to go everywhere and do anything that my Silverado does in 4HI. That's fair to me, I just wish it would have turned out to be true. That was the impression I, perhaps ignorantly, worked under before I purchased the truck. Or perhaps I was blinded by my loyalty to Honda and was (and still am) so impressed with the ride. Because of my needs, I have made the truck work for me. That's something that I wouldn't even consider for other trucks. I have an understanding of its limitations now. I'd hate to think that the good ol' boy that I tried to get to do some work on the Ridge was right when he said that he wasn't inclined to work on no "G-- D--- yuppie truck." :mad: At my age and lifestyle, I ain't no yuppie!:eek:

OK...here's my definitions.

light duty - Snow, gravel, groomed dirt trails

Medium duty - Sand, dirt trails (non groomed), some mud (not to deep), NO ROCKS, pretty much what other STOCK vehicles can do in 4HI.

Heavy duty - anything that you would use 4LO for in another vehicle. Rock crawling. Tight, technical trails where you need to crawl and pick your line. Places where you need lots of ground clearance. River fording.
I am in complete agreement with you Ruffles, and I'm glad you vented:cool: It just astounds me that people get upset when the RL works as advertised. I have had no problems with mine when I use it for what it was intended for. I have done my share of rock-crawling in the past(been there done that)and the RL fits my needs to a "T". If you want it to act like a Tacoma then you should have bought a Tacoma:rolleyes: Nuff said God I love my "RIDGELINE"

95% of the SUV's and trucks on the road today have never had their tires touch the grass. 97% of the SUV's and trucks on the road have been off the pavement, off the grass and onto a rougher surface. I have had my RL off the pavement and off of the grass even and down through a couple of corn and soybean fields and have had no problem. I even had a couple of Jeep guys comment on how nice it rode through a corn field at 25 mph. This has been less than 1% of my driving and for what it was, I was pretty impressed that it did so well.

If you want to do some "real" off roading, go and spend your money on a $2000 POS truck with a $1200 winch on the front that will pull you out of the holes and over the rocks that another $5000 in suspension upgrades would have allowed you to otherwise drive through. You won't feel half as bad if you scratch it or when you wrinkle the body and you will save yourself a ton of money upgrades and time whining about what your truck won't do on this board. What you will sacrifice is dependability, a lot of comfort, utility, and maybe even a little cargo and towing capacity. It's your choice. Choose wisely.

I'ts amazing what this thread has turned into! Don't need skidplates, then why the heck are you even reading this thread for? Let the people who want them make their desire known. If you never leave the pavement good for you, but don't try and tell me I'm stupid because I have the occasional need to do so. I think ANY four wheel drive truck (not mention one as low as the Ridge) should have skid plates available, so if any Honda market research guys (or girls) are reading I vote to make them available. If anyone else is happy without them, great! Just don't tell me I'm an idiot.

Not sure I want to get into this fracas but here goes anyways.
I look at skidplates as a potential optional item, just like a trailer hitch, running boards etc. If the engineering / safety issues could be overcome then for those that do engage in medium duty off roading might like the extra protection / safety factor offered by skidplates.
I don't know about the rest of the USA/Canada, but here in Texas you can hit a pot hole big enough to hit your undercarriage on.
Ruffles, your definition of "Medium Duty" with "No Rocks", well, out side of the coasts with sand beaches most places I have been have rocks on their trails that you must be aware of and choose your line wisely, especially with an expensive new truck, be it the Ridgeline, Taco or any other.
Now, as far as my purchasing decision, I had no unrealistic thoughts about what the Ridgeline could or couldn't do and after I test drove the Tacoma and the Ridgeline one right after the other, I did the democratic thing and put it up for a vote and my kidneys, spleen and back won.:D

I’m very sorry for getting everybody so riled up. My last entry was written after a day in the mountains that left me a bit frustrated with the plastic pieces under the truck. Did anyone catch my question on how the engine is intended to drop? I think skid plates are very possible if we understand how Honda has intended to drop the engine down. As I said earlier, I think the 2 large beams that hold up the engine are intended to bend down in the front in a head on collision. This would pull the engine down. This gives us a solid place to mount the skid plate without damaging the 5 star crash test rating. If these beams are intended to split like a V, we can mount the plate under these beams for support against upward moving objects, but use several nylon screws to hold the plate that will break away in the case of a severe impact. Does anybody have access to information from Honda? If Honda is monitoring this site, I would hope that they would either answer this question for us or at least answer the call for skid plates.

After more examination, I believe the engine will break away, roll backwards and fall between the beams. If this is the case, all you need is a plate that mounts up against the beams from the bottom (for support against upward moving objects like rocks, etc.) and U channel screw holes on a vertical surface (with the opening of the U towards the top and mounted to the side of the beams) to bolt the plate in place. In an impact the bolts (in the U channel) will have only friction holding against the weight of the engine and will not be able to hold the engine up (fiber washers will ensure that the friction is kept low enough for the plate to slide off). The skid plate will fall with the engine. The beauty of this is that it could be tested and even adjusted to work optimally. You could adjust the torque on the screws so that you could pull off the plate from the bottom by hand. Remember, the screws only need to hold the skid plate up enough so that it doesn't come off if you scrape on a rock. I like this so much I think I’m going to have one made. I will let you guys know how it goes.:D

After damaging the A pipe (before the 2" lift) with a rock, I looked into preventing this. You can see the damage below. A nearby Honda dealer who is going to install the pipe recommended that a steel sleeve be installed around the vulnerable area before his install of a new A pipe. He assured me that this would create no warranty issues. I thought it could have been repaired with a cut-out and then a sleeve, but the pros say no. This prompted my interests in skip plates in the first place.

Mini Skid Plates anyone?
Here's the solution suggested by my local Service Manager. Cheap and I believe effective. Can be done without removing the A pipe.
BTW, it's been a long time since I was treated like a thinking adult by a Service Manager. This was first class treatment. I was taken to my Ridge while it was being serviced to look at some concerns I had with the mechanic, including replacing the front struts. I got my hands dirty! :) None of that "customers do not enter service area due to insurance" crap. Kudos to Sharp Honda of Topeka. :D

As a brand new Ridgeline owner, I definitely agree that skid plates outta be forthcoming. Forget about engineering, this is also a marketing blunder. Let's be honest here... even though 95% of the trucks will never go off-road in rough conditions, we all want to know we could.

Quite honestly, that's the aspect of my purchase that I am least comfortable with... I won't like the feeling of taking my family camping, looking up some dirt road, and thinking "I wonder if my truck will get stranded up there. Better not risk it."

Wrangler Rubicon, ever heard of it?

my point is why try to make an RL something it isnt.. an offroad beats.

also at 36 Im no longer interested in slogging through mud, rocks,.etc.. I have better things to do with my time...

I hear you but I would like to take the Ridge moose hunting with me. I will be going down some rough logging roads with sometime a lot of rocks, branches and stuff on the road. Having a plate for these roads is a must. I have had to pass on small beaver dams and through small creaks at times. Not doing serious off roading just serious on roading.:D

I was driving up Methodist Mountain near Salida, CO last month... on a Forest Service road... and thought I was going to knock holes all through the underbody and engine. When I got back to town to replace my "all-around-great-factory" tire (second one I've replaced in four months), I crawled up underneath and found two scratches, both on the plate beneath the driver's side rear seat. I was amazed but it still doesn't give me that secure feeling a skid plate would.

I am reminded of when the MB ML320 was introduced and Automobile Magazine posted a picture of the undercarriage: no protection! David E. Davis, an outdoor enthusiast, wrote a scathing review complaining the vehicle could not be used for camping, hunting and fishing. The MB salesman did not want me to test drive it on the offroad track that is set up near the dealership "äutomile" for testing 4x4s but I did it anyway to his total chagrin.

Supposedly, to meet that need MB brought over the Gwagen but only the luxury models ($100k) rather than the full $ range and diesels like I have driven in the UK, so the Gwagen didn't sell. Duh. I would have bought a lower $ one in a NY minute. What idiots make these decisions? The grey market importer sold 90% of the less expensive models, what was MB New Jersey looking at? Only "footballers wives" buy the bling model Gwagens in Europe.

I own three vehicles: 94 Acura Legend LS coupe 6 spd daily driver, 03 Acura NSX, and a 99 Tacoma offroad package. I use the last for general utility, hunting and fishing and change the tires in winter to 4 studded snows.

I have deep loyalty to the true Acura (don't like current models) and Honda brand. I want to trade the Tacoma for a RLine. I NEED a full set of underbody/running gear protection. I do not want to walk out 10 miles from a bird cover or a trout pond because I hit a rock on a washed out logging road and took out the rear differential. This not rock-running, it is merely the logical use of an innovative truck that has, e.g., a waterproof trunk where I can lock up my gear. The Rline is such a tease in its current configuration!

Please offer a full set of undercarriage protection as an option or an aftermarket accessory and I will dump the Tacoma. Oh, and while you are at it, make the engine E85 compatible.

Sincerely,
Ivanj
PS
Maybe I'll buy a used Gwagen instead? Should be cheap enough.....since the rap stars are driving Escalades and Hummers now.

I agree. At the very least Honda should offer undercarriage protection of some sort since they decided to go with lower ground clearance vs what this vehicle was shown with as a concept. It's quite possible that there's a huge segment that wants to do things with this vehicle that Honda never designed it for (yet, Honda's marketing materials would have one believe otherwise).

Interesting indeed

I agree. At the very least Honda should offer undercarriage protection of some sort since they decided to go with lower ground clearance vs what this vehicle was shown with as a concept. It's quite possible that there's a huge segment that wants to do things with this vehicle that Honda never designed it for (yet, Honda's marketing materials would have one believe otherwise).

Thanks for your kind words. I agree. Honda's 2006/7 RLine brochures have several pictures with the car on rocks. To which buyer does this appeal? What a tease!

I read the interview on the Forum with the chief designer/program manager with some interest. He spoke about the extensive focus groups that they ran. To paraphrase, he stated that those who do serious off-roading were in a minority market segment and hence were not a signficant factor in final design decisions. In all fairness he did leave the door open for additional options that perhaps would meet our needs. My hope is that this missive may influence those thoughts positively.

I am a business consultant and have engaged in dozens of successful marketing campaigns for Fortune 1000 companies worldwide as well as state and local governments. Many of these were $M projects that often produced $MMMM results. I have two patents in business systems design that include both statistical and preferential marketing. Groups I have managed have 8 others. That being said:

Focus groups and questionaires are a component only of what is called "preferential marketing." (The science of preferential marketing is based on the psychology, etc., of addictive behavior, but I will not explain further.) Even if they are designed correctly, you can't stop with a cursory analysis of a focus group based on a "majority count" or so on. Both my scientific training and my experience demonstrates that stopping here will almost surely lead to incorrect understandings of the market, but it makes most marketing people feel good. Marketing people like to feel good. Then they place articles that make them feel good. (Another story.)

To be successful, the participants in a focus group have to have their status analyzed more deeply than its appears Honda (and Acura) commonly do. One has to classify the participants in terms of multiple dimensions, eg, not just in terms of the size of the group but also in terms of their buyer status (Are they early adopters or economic buyers? Do they actually purchase trucks?) and their ability/proclivity to influence the market.

A truck buyer is not a SAV buyer. To summarize, the off road user, as a general group, has a Very Significant influence on how the general market and the eager buyer views the vehicles and they continue to buy, loyally. I surmise that the casual off road buyer is greater in number but just as significant an influencer.

We may concede that they are small in overall numbers surveyed but their overall influence on actual buyers and their tendency to actually buy is highly significant, probably many times greater than the other surveyed groups. Therefore, a proper analysis reveals that the off road user may seem small in numbers but are what are called a significant subset of the economic buyer, ie, most buyers. They actually buy, are loyal continuing purchasers (I've had 2 Tacoma off Road trucks and 1 Chevy off roader even though I have NEVER done any xtreme rock climbing or trailblazing) and disproportionately influence the buying behaviors of others both positively and negatively.

If Honda had an outside firm conduct these surveys, I'd ask for my money back or applied to a proper preferential study conducted by another.

Peace,
Ivanj
PS
Another example of where focus groups went wrong are hybrid vehicles. In this case hybrids were bought almost soley by what are termed early adopters. Early adopters value whiz bang technology only to solve some special problem ("I know a secret"), do buy early but when they are done they are done. In 20 years we'll see 05 Priuses running around.

The usual marketing manager looks at his early success and extrapolates this as a trend. This conclusion is false historically and in multiple industries. Extrapolately general buyer behavior from that of the early adopter has lead to the failure of many companies and or product lines historically.

Early adopters are very vocal and demanding in their needs but do NOT positively influence the behavior of the "economic buyer" (the majority who actually do and continue to buy significantly.) In fact, early adopters often have a Significant Negative influence on the economic buyer. In this case, they maybe dubbed tree huggers, etc., rightly or wrongly.

Both Honda and Toyota have recognized this, after the fact, and I understand that they will no longer offer 6 and 8 cylinder hybrids, although 4s will still be produced for this market segment and to show that they are innovative, etc. What economic buyer wants to be presented with a $5-10k bill for battery replacement at trade-in time or when their lease is up?

So when are we getting proper skidplates and E85 capability? Honda knows that the majority of gas in CA has >10% ethanol content. What are they waiting for?

Honda rep, PM me if you want more information. I can help. Do you want it?

And since Toyota is now #2 and Honda is #4. We all take you thoughts with a grain of salt!
You must be way smarter than those two!:D :D

And since Toyota is now #2 and Honda is #4. We all take you thoughts with a grain of salt!
You must be way smarter than those two!:D :D

In the land of the blind the one-eyed is king.

Look at who they compete against....

I have owned a few ATV's in my day (most recent a 04 Honda Rubiconn) and skid plates were always an issue. Once the aluminum one Honda put on got hit and bent it was useless because you had to remove it to get at the oil filter. You could never get it back on again without hammering it straight. On a few ATV forums I read some artilcles about guys that used a type of plastic to protect their ATV's. It was made from the same material used to protect Hockey arena boards. Very strong, light and could be bent a little without breaking. I think they are about 1/4 " thick.

This may not be the most ideal solution but I bet you could make some that would greatly improve the protection. At the least a rock would not due any damage to your undercarriage. Well maybe if you fell into a hole onto a rock, but this would certainly keep any flying rocks etc from damaging.

There are a few company's that sell ATV replacement skid plates on line made of this material. I am gonna look into it

After more examination, I believe the engine will break away, roll backwards and fall between the beams. If this is the case, all you need is a plate that mounts up against the beams from the bottom (for support against upward moving objects like rocks, etc.) and U channel screw holes on a vertical surface (with the opening of the U towards the top and mounted to the side of the beams) to bolt the plate in place. In an impact the bolts (in the U channel) will have only friction holding against the weight of the engine and will not be able to hold the engine up (fiber washers will ensure that the friction is kept low enough for the plate to slide off). The skid plate will fall with the engine. The beauty of this is that it could be tested and even adjusted to work optimally. You could adjust the torque on the screws so that you could pull off the plate from the bottom by hand. Remember, the screws only need to hold the skid plate up enough so that it doesn't come off if you scrape on a rock. I like this so much I think I’m going to have one made. I will let you guys know how it goes.:D

I think that you might be onto something here. Like others here I have no intention of doing any serious off-roading with my RL, but I'd certainly like the peace-of-mind protection of skid plates for the possible excursion down some dirt and gravel backroads. Perhaps you and 5S Dude can collaborate on something and, if so, you can certainly count me in for a set.

I can't believe NOBODY makes skid plates for Ridgeline. This is crazy. MY 2000 (!!!) Dakota has composite skid plates, which are fine. Surely in two years somebody from Honda wouldd be paying attention.

Nobody even knows of an aftermarket manufacturer?

NO FREAKIN KIDDING. I have beaten mine off road. and heard some scary bangs. I know it wasnt built to be a beast but come on Honda, seriously.:mad:

I can't believe NOBODY makes skid plates for Ridgeline. This is crazy. MY 2000 (!!!) Dakota has composite skid plates, which are fine. Surely in two years somebody from Honda wouldd be paying attention.

Nobody even knows of an aftermarket manufacturer?
On page 6 of this thread is the home made solution that has worked for me very well. I have had a few "bangs" but no damage so far. This cost me less than $80 to have done. More peace of mind than reality perhaps. I have also learned to straddle obstruction on center rather than 1/3 left or right like rear wheel drive trucks. For those of us that are lightly off road in rock country, protection is vital. Honda should take note or lose a market segment over some thing that would have absolutely no impact on the main market the truck is aimed at. :eek:

I am a perspective buyer and pretty close to pulling the trigger. I have previously owned a 77 Ford Bronco, and most recently a 97 Toyota Landcruiser. My wife has a 00 Subaru Outback. All of which are great vehicles and at least fairly capable off road. I do not spend as much time offroad anymore but I have noticed that vehicles designed for offroad use tend to be built more solidly. I never really got into rock crawling but I absolutely loved my Landcruiser. It was truly built like a tank (a luxury tank) and was capable of trails like the Rubicon - not that I would have taken mine there. However, I never had to wonder if it would make a rough section in a trail/road or that it would leave me stranded somewhere. I know the Ridgeline is not intended to be like the Landcruiser, but I would buy it in a heart beat if it was built like the FJ underneath. Why? Peace of mind. I have an engineering background and the idea of weak/disposible vehicles does not appeal to me.

To those that say the RL is not aimed at offroad use, you all must have missed all the commercials and marketing brochures (it is called a 'Ridgeline' afterall). In fact right in front of me is the 07 brochure and in 2/3rds of the pictures the RL is shown in an offroad situation with large rocks, crossing a river, and sprayed with mud. The last page says "ROUGH IT UP". However, even at 20mph a softball sized rock can do quite a bit of damage to things like an oil pan.

To those that say 'buy something else', the problem is that there really isn't another new vehicle in the price range that is as well thought out and as useful in so many other areas. It is just a shame that the RL is not more upgradeable for those that would want to do so. I am pretty much the target customer according to the stats, but I think it is rediculous that more protection cannot be added to this vehicle if one should choose (for their needs). If someone does fab a skidplate, I would be interested.

They should be coming. Everything takes time but this is wayyyy to long. If someone thinks out a lift, why not skid plates??
I say get the RL. No other truck is this useful. No truck rides this nice or handles this well. IN an emergency manuever this thing will not get all upset so easily. IF you offroad alot get a Tacoma or something like that. But ifits mainly for city driving then get the RL. I love my truck.

ok just saw that fab job. ugly as heck but who sees it anyway... effective so far???

ok just saw that fab job. ugly as heck but who sees it anyway... effective so far???
By that I mean it has done it's job. The A pipe location lends itself to contact with protrusions.

I have never modified any truck I've had for the last 30 years. Never cared enough. The Ridge is different. I'm willing to do whatever needs to be done so that I can drive it full time. That explains the lift and the ugly modification to the A pipe. I have detailed my needs many times in this and other threads. I realize that I'm not the "target of the their market." All Honda needs to do is some minor changes (plates & clearance) and embrace another segment of the market without really affecting their targeted consumer. IMHO

so totally agree. They could give us plates and more clearance pretty easily. nothing major just an inch or to. they could keep the body low so it doesnt affect center of gravity much. But hey, its still the best first attempt at a truck ever done by anyone. Im gonna see about getting them pieces welded on. No one really sees underneath anyway. if i gotta fork out major money id rather be buying a mew part not replacing a stock one.

I realize that I'm not the "target of the their market." All Honda needs to do is some minor changes (plates & clearance) and embrace another segment of the market without really affecting their targeted consumer. IMHO


You said a mouthfull Geotech! I hope Honda is listening.

Skid plate is available:)
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24188

If we can make group-buy at least 5 people I will find a way how to bring it to North America