lightweight armor

[roadkill]

I know some of you here have probably already heard of Savvy Off-Road http://www.savvyoffroad.com/ and may even be running their products. I'm running their gas tank skid and love it. its just a few pounds heavier than the stock skid and lots tougher. I replaced my warn with it and shed about 30lbs. going to run their rocker guards when they come out for the LJ and possibly their Tummy Tuck. going to try and replace all my steel armor with aluminum for the weight savings. they have a proto type bumper and winch mount right now that is lighter than a stock bumper. http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/bumper-guessing-game-899317/ can't wait to see the end product.

I'm surprised there hasn't been any mention of them here yet. I know their target market is the hardcore crawling crowd but it seems their lightweight products might be of interest to the overlanding crowd as well. why not get protection and stay as light as possible? the lighter we keep our rigs the more gear we can take along.

 

[winkosmosis]

So someone is finally making aluminum armor. I'm not sure how well they do considering how much most offroaders are prejudiced against aluminum.

 

[warp10]

I contacted Savvy and they expect the corner guards for the LJ to be out next month. I am looking at them too. Roadkill, if you go that route and I don't, I may be interested in your current corner guards. Right now, all I have are the poison spyder rock sliders and I was looking for some corners.

 

[Jackel18]

ROKMEN also makes aluminum armor

 

[crosbike]

I want my armor to deflect and not bend/dent when hit by something and I don't think Al will stand up to it IMO. I rather have steel and sacrifice weight savings than have my lightweight rocksliders dented up.

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

I thought aluminum deflected better than steel, until a certain point, then steel bends, but aluminum breaks?

 

[roadkill]

I thought aluminum deflected better than steel, until a certain point, then steel bends, but aluminum breaks?

the aluminum they use isn't your standard run of the mill aluminum that most people think of. its 6061 T-6

http://www.savvyoffroad.com/about/about.htm

Aluminum is every bit as strong and resilient to steel. We use 6061-T6 heat treated aluminum alloy. Look at the picture at the right. Those aluminum corners have taken plenty of abuse at Johnson Valley's Hammer trails and have not dented or bent. Of course there are some scratches but you'll find the same ones on the steel corners.

 

[DesertJK]

I wish they were making full under body skids in Aluminum for the JK unlimited. I need them, but don't want to add 200 pounds of stells to an already slow vehicle.

 

[4 play]

next time you have a chance find you a big rig aluminum wheel and try to cut it up with your run of the mill torch. GOOD luck. I take the 6061 aluminum any day.

 

[DesertJK]

And I will take a composite over any metal. No rust, low weight.

 

[crosbike]

Does anybody have any real facts/data? I'd love to see them and I enjoy learning new things everyday

 

[robert j. yates]

Does anybody have any real facts/data? I'd love to see them and I enjoy learning new things everyday

I've been running aluminum suspension links and steering for close to 5 years now with no breakage. I also have an Al engine skid that has stood up quite well. I've wheeled at JV with the guys from Savvy...they know what they are doing with Al. If I had the bux, I'd be swapping their Al armor in place of all my steel as well.