Many Defender drivers have modified their vehicle extensively and, naturally, fitted a skid plate at the front in the process. Many of these products often protect not only the steering and the like, but also have the drawback that they slow the airflow and can impair engine and transmission cooling. OFFROAD-PARTNER looked for a solution, and the result is an extremely sturdy skid plate for the Defender.
The basic idea is not new. Some of you will recognise the tubular guard, for example from the military Defender or as an accessory. But OFFROAD-PARTNER, as a specialist in custom builds and the sale of travel and rally accessories for genuine off-road use, now has the sturdy skid plate for the Defender in a considerably improved form in its range.
This extremely sturdy skid plate came about while developing rally and long-distance travel vehicles
H.-C. Maurer and Brigitte Reitbauer, the two minds behind OFFROAD-PARTNER and known from numerous desert rallies, developed and tested this skid plate themselves. In terms of design, the guard is based on the accessory available on the market, but built many times sturdier. The protective tube itself is made of seamless drawn steel tube with a 60 mm diameter and 4 mm wall thickness. The brackets are water-jet cut and CNC-folded.
A very significant advantage of this skid plate’s geometry over conventional closed steel or aluminium plates is the considerably better airflow beneath the vehicle. While many of the closed versions barely let the cooling airflow reach the oil pan and transmission, H.-C. Maurer was able to measure a reduction in transmission oil temperatures of up to 20 degrees Celsius on his Defender – fitted with the tubular guard.
Another advantage of the tubular construction, not to be underestimated especially for repairs on the road, is the good access to the steering linkage and the steering damper.
Easy fitting and durability were also considered during development
The extremely sturdy skid plate for the Defender is fitted exclusively at the existing mounting points. This keeps the original lashing and towing eyes in place. An additional bolt needed for the right-hand frame side is included.
The skid plate – which, incidentally, is manufactured in Germany – is fully hot-dip galvanised. That promises durability. OFFROAD-PARTNER has deliberately left it unpainted, since the hot-dip galvanised surface is considerably less vulnerable in off-road use than paint. Painting with suitable paints is of course still possible.
You can get the skid plate for the Defender from OFFROAD-PARTNER in Esslingen. It costs 329.00 euros incl. VAT plus shipping.
About OFFROAD-PARTNER
The owners of OFFROAD-PARTNER, Brigitte Reitbauer and Hans-Christian Maurer, also known in the scene as “H.-C.”, have worked for more than 30 years for various companies in the off-road industry, race rally and travel the deserts of this earth. About three years ago the idea arose to combine their technical and commercial know-how and the experience gathered over the years in the off-road, travel and rally fields, and to found the joint company OFFROAD-PARTNER. OFFROAD-PARTNER in the Matsch&Piste off-road company directory.
© Photos: OFFROAD-PARTNER Maurer u. Reitbauer KFZ-Teile und Service GbR