Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 50

Thread: APT Underbody Protection

  1. #1
    LRD414's Avatar
    LRD414 is offline Super Moderator Subscriber
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    3,723
    Total Downloaded
    0

    APT Underbody Protection

    Rather than further hijack >this thread< on Ironman bash plates, I thought I'd start one for APT underbody plates.
    My advice if you're considering getting any plates .... wait until the APT stuff is ready & have a look. I think it's going to be excellent.

    Today we fitted 2 prototypes at APT; a compressor protection plate & front bash plate for a 4 week outback trip starting this weekend.
    Some last minute mods were required ....


    Decided not to show the prototypes because they're a bit rough looking & not representative of the expected final products, at least in looks.
    From discussing details with Ben I am confident the front plate will be a very good thing that will fit nicely with the vehicle aesthetics, as well as obviously being bullet proof.
    And I've seen the CAD file for the final compressor plate design, which has some excellent features too. It's looks to be exactly what I was after.

    I've been pestering Ben for a compressor plate since I got the rock sliders in December and we've discussed a few ideas/features over the months.
    However, it's taken this long because among other things, he's been working on the complete set of underbody protection.

    I didn't see any other plates today but if the existing products are anything to go by, it will be quality stuff.

    Cheers,
    Scott

    PS ... this is not an advert, I am/will be a paying customer
    D4 TDV6 MY14 with Llams, Tuffant Wheels, Traxide DBS, APT sliders & protection plates, Prospeed Winch Mount w/ Carbon 12K, Mitch Hitch & Drifta Drawers
    Link to my D4 Build Thread
    D3 2005 V8 Petrol
    Ex '77 RRC 2 door. Long gone but not forgotten.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    116
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Great stuff! If the quality is anything like his sliders i'll be in

  3. #3
    Tombie Guest
    Glad I'm not the only one pushing him for this gear!!!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    1,319
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I can't wait to see them.

    What are his sliders like?

    I have seen the Prospeed vids where they test theirs over a boulder, pulled by a tractor and pushed along a tree base. Are the APT just as strong?

    Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

  5. #5
    Tombie Guest
    Easily. Just a different design.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    1,319
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Tombie View Post
    Easily. Just a different design.
    Cool.

    Do the APT Sliders protrude past the doors?
    I like my sliders to stick out a little so when people open their car doors and don't have enough courtesy to take precautions, they hit my sliders instead. :EVIL LAUGH:

    Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

  7. #7
    LRD414's Avatar
    LRD414 is offline Super Moderator Subscriber
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    3,723
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Babs View Post
    Do the APT Sliders protrude past the doors?
    I like my sliders to stick out a little so when people open their car doors and don't have enough courtesy to take precautions, they hit my sliders instead.
    Yep they do. Lots of good detail and measurements in this thread:
    http://www.aulro.com/afvb/l319-disco...sliders-6.html


    The skid plate is optional. You can also have a tread plate on the top, or nothing except the bars.


    A couple of the other suppliers of sliders are discussed in the linked thread too.

    Cheers,
    Scott
    D4 TDV6 MY14 with Llams, Tuffant Wheels, Traxide DBS, APT sliders & protection plates, Prospeed Winch Mount w/ Carbon 12K, Mitch Hitch & Drifta Drawers
    Link to my D4 Build Thread
    D3 2005 V8 Petrol
    Ex '77 RRC 2 door. Long gone but not forgotten.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Brisbane West
    Posts
    7,274
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Arghhh... That is why the new D2 rear bar with Jerry Can carrier is taking so long... Cheers

  9. #9
    Tombie Guest
    Hey Scott. The new stuff is a piece of art hey!!!

  10. #10
    LRD414's Avatar
    LRD414 is offline Super Moderator Subscriber
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    3,723
    Total Downloaded
    0
    An update ....

    Compressor Plate
    I was pretty happy with the prototype, which was on the vehicle for our long Red Centre trip and a couple of smaller 4WD track excursions.
    However, I felt that it needed better drainage and slight tweeks to the fitment for easier install/removal.

    Ben was already on to the fitment, coming up with an excellent idea for the inner support to the chassis rail.
    This has to hold the plate but not lock the body to the chassis because they need to have independent movement.

    General fit and alignment to the sill and chassis also needed a couple of minor adjustments to get to the point where it is now on mine, an excellent flush fit both sides. He wanted it to work across both D3 and D4 as well as with or without sliders and these variations produce slight differences in fit.

    Drainage holes have been added & extended on mine but I'm not sure what the final plan is for general production. I'd be quite happy with a couple more as the overall design is that strong the holes make no difference.



    It has already proven to be very strong after copping a couple of solid hits.
    It's frontal protection is confidence inspiring too, prevents large sticks/rocks from getting at the front of the compressor and also would help sliding over obstacles when moving forward by presenting a ramped leading edge.

    The ventilation slots allow plenty of air to flow through, as well as facilitating hosing out mud, sand, etc.
    The air flow is to ensure that the factory plastic cover doesn't get any hotter than it would without a protection plate in place.
    But obviously if the gap between the plate and cover is not kept free of mud/sand then overheating would be a risk.



    It seems pretty much bullet proof to me for anything I'm likely to throw at it.
    Only change I'll be making is to add a self-adhesive rubber pad to the chassis side to avoid any fretting of the chassis surface.

    Front Plate
    I'm still running the prototype and have no significant complaints.
    It is strong and fits well but is a bit ugly, being a non-production sandblasted finish and not quite sized right at the front edges.



    Ben tells me he has been working through many iterations to get it exactly right.
    I'm happy with this approach, although somewhat chomping at the bit to get the end result.

    But it's important to not just be highly functional but also aesthetically sympathetic, being such a visible element to the vehicle's front.
    Obviously this is not a concern to punters who've fitted a bullbar but it is important to me and Ben has the same view.
    From what he's described I think it's going to look great.

    Engine and Transmission Plates
    Haven't seen these yet at all and am holding my decision until I see how they fit and what gets protected.
    I think production version must be getting pretty close.
    Also, the air tank one is already available. This is lower on my list at this stage.

    Cheers,
    Scott
    D4 TDV6 MY14 with Llams, Tuffant Wheels, Traxide DBS, APT sliders & protection plates, Prospeed Winch Mount w/ Carbon 12K, Mitch Hitch & Drifta Drawers
    Link to my D4 Build Thread
    D3 2005 V8 Petrol
    Ex '77 RRC 2 door. Long gone but not forgotten.

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!