skid plate/belly pan (!!!!)

Hi, I was the newbie who mistakenly asked about splash guards, and with the help/guidance of you kind souls learned that I really meant the skid plate/belly pan. My question is this: obviously, the vast majority of posters here are very knowledgeable about their TDI's. If you have a '99 jetta with 101K miles on it, do you spend the big bucks on a steel skid plate? I'm a very careful driver, no off-roading what-so-ever, and my plastic original one lasted quite a long time. I intend to drive the car at least another 100K. I just spent some bucks on a mass air flow sensor, so I'd like to not spend a huge sum, but I want to spend wisely. What do you think?
Robin

Robin,

Regardless of your on/off-road driving habits, more hazards appear on the highways than anywhere else. You can plan for that rock you see ahead of you. You can't always plan for that 2x4 or even worse, the 4x4 piece of lumber coming off the pickup truck in front of you. Something like that would take a nice chunk of metal out of your oil pan and turn your car into a high tech spy machine complete with oil slick deployment...but that's not a good thing!!!

The skid plate, whether it's the new aluminum pan or the older steel skid pan will protect the underside of your engine from road hazards as well as the day to day mess you pass over (puddles, road grime, etc.).

In my personal opinion, it's worth it. Have I bought one, no. I am cheap though and can't swing the finances for the pan and still plan to sleep in the same bed as my wife!!!!

Mikey

You can't imagine or avoid all of the things that fall off the back of 18 wheelers and flatbeds and out the tailgate of pickups today. Our roads are narrow continuous garbage dumps.
Most cars can safely straddle the junk because they have 6" or more in road clearance.
The TDIs are not that fortunate, they have 4" to 4-1/2" of clearance. Don't tell me an extra 1" to 1-1/2" in measurement is not imporatnt.
I have the steel plate and have hit a few things in the last 22k mi that would have wrecked my engine if I had not had it.
Yes I am a careful driver just as you consider yourself.

Thats why they call them accidents.

There are skid plate thread's all over the place!
Hey robinrt, check out this thread or the site of where I bought my skid plate.
Other skid plate thread

Or

www.evolutionimport.com

This would be my choice for you but hey it is your car.

Robin, it's a dangerous world out there! A problem I have recognized with the Mk4 cars is that the springs really start to grow weak by 50k miles and the car is riding lower and lower all the time. These cars have no ground clearance to give up. Plan accordingly.

robinrt, I've got another vehicle for wandering where there is no pavement. The Golf I try to keep on the pavement. With that in mind, let me say this about the steel skid plate: I wouldn't leave home without it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

If you do decide on an OEM, plastic shield I have one that I'll part with at a very reasonable price. There is a tiny crack, no bigger than a quarter in pic 2. It is not at all structural.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/11694Skidplate_1.jpg
http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/11694Skidplate_2-med.jpg

Just fling me an email.

shmcquilkin@verizon.net

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If you have a '99 jetta with 101K miles on it, do you spend the big bucks on a steel skid plate?

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Might I suggest an alternative?

The problem is low ground clearance. You can install a steel or aluminum skid plate, or you can increase the ground clearance.

And there are two ways to do that. Number one is a lift kit that raises the car up to 2 inches. Number two is the option I'm considering: replace the OEM springs in the front with springs for the VR6. Since they are designed to support a much heavier engine, they don't compress as much in a TDI. So it should improve the ground clearance by 3/4 inch or more. And provide better handling. And cost less than the lift kit.

Not sure what if anything I'll do in the rear. VR6 springs there too? Probably a sway bar....