Who's running a skidplate and how do you change your oil?

[mikeythefokker]

I recently started running a heavy duty offroad skidplate. It was long overdue. It has a slot in the bottom where you can pull the drain plug, but I don't really see any way to drain the oil without making a mess. This thing is kind of a pain to take on and off. How are you other offroad guys doing it.

[novotny99]

I used to run a heavy duty plate as you are referring to an had the same prob and had to take it off every time I changed the oil or made a mess. I now run a six days plastic skid plate that is yet to fail me and all it takes is a twist of the retaining clip and it drops down. Haven't even had a problem with it coming lose while riding. I got mine at rockymountainmc.com

[arnego2]

It works, and it is not that messy. I use a big enough pan to catch the oil.

[Greg Y]

I made myown skid plate, and made it simple to remove for that reason. on yours, if you get oil all over.....have some carb cleaner handy to spray it clean.

[bikeride4fun]

I stuff some paper towels around the hole in the skid plate when I change the oil.....it helps to keep the oil from running between the frame and skid plate......

[scalejockey]

Mine didn't come with a oil hole so i made one.

Plus a few others for mud and oil cleaning(escape).

[paulschauer]

I have the skidplate foam so I have to take the skidplate off to change the oil. I use the triangle stand thing in the rear axle to prop the bike up. After doing this enough times I can actually remove, change the oil and put the skidplate back on pretty quickly.

[Dynamic]

My skidplate has a hole....you remove the plug and drain the oil through the hole. Is easy and mess free. If you hole isn't big enough a grinder with a cutting disk can fix that for you.

[kamotors]

my richochet skid plate dumps half the oil threw the hole and the other half fills the plate:), I just wash my bike again after changing the oil.

[donutman126]

I welded tabs onto the frame with nuts welded on the backside instead of the hooks the skid plate comes with. I can take the skid plate on and off a lot faster.

[SoCA_DRZ]

I just take the skid plate off. Gives me a chance to clean out all the crap that builds up in there. If your skid plate uses ths clamps, just use some RTV silicone to hold them in place. Makes reinstalling the plate super simple.

[Yami-Ivan]

This thread got my hamster running in my cage. So I went out and done something about it on my Ricochet skid plate. Not 100% straight, but pretty damn close. JigSaw and a Dremel were my weapons of choice.

[ar2stroke]

I prefer plastic to metal, the beauty of plastic it will slide over objects and metal skid plates will want to drag.

I am going to buy a Cycra plastic skid plate, they just came out with them...

[donutman126]

Thats all the more mud that gets trapped the bigger the hole... Hard to get around removing the skid plate.

[mstyer]

I welded tabs onto the frame with nuts welded on the backside instead of the hooks the skid plate comes with. I can take the skid plate on and off a lot faster.

This has now been added to my winter project list. Thanks for the idea!

[Yami-Ivan]

Thats all the more mud that gets trapped the bigger the hole... Hard to get around removing the skid plate.

The hole isn't my mud trapping problem.

[djmamayek]

I run a WC aluminum glide plate, and the oil flows perfectly out of the hole in the plate. It's not like there is twenty gallons of oil in there under pressure or anything... A little oil on the skid plate will come out eventually. I take mine off once a year for a thorough cleaning before it gets put away for the winter, but I sure as hell wouldn't take it off for every oil change.

[Yami-Ivan]

The WC glide plate that I used to run was the same way. The hole was in the perfect position, not so on the Ricochet skid.

donutman126,

All my mud comes from the front wheel slinging it between the pipe and skid plate. It accumulates quick without foam, but the foam is hard to clean w/o taking the skid plate off. So I just blast the leaves, rocks, mud, grit, sand, and sticks out of there with a pressure washer.

[donutman126]

This has now been added to my winter project list. Thanks for the idea!

I welded tabs on the frame for my frame guards also

[XLR8RR]

Took me about 2 seconds to fix the oil draining onto the skidder issue. A half rolled-up piece of paper stuck in the skidder hole to funnel the oil into the pan. Works every time.