Best aluminum skid plate

[Hiduke73]

Want to get an aluminum skid plate but not sure which one. They all seem much better than the stock plastic. Most of the reviews seem bias. I guess what I’d really like to know is which is the easiest to remove for oil changes etc...

[BDidz]

I run the ECS street shield and its super easy to pull off for oil changes.

[S4James]

I have the evolution import "thor" plate.

It requires modification to the "wings" to clear the S4 bumper properly (you have to grind down the sides)... Its a heavy brute, and a bit annoying to re-install when you are on your back under the car.... Converting the rear bolts to studs might be a good idea.....

The ECS one looks much better frankly.


Also the nutsert installation tool was crap, use a real one.

[hibiscusS4]

I have the evolution import "thor" plate.

It requires modification to the "wings" to clear the S4 bumper properly (you have to grind down the sides)... Its a heavy brute, and a bit annoying to re-install when you are on your back under the car.... Converting the rear bolts to studs might be a good idea.....

The ECS one looks much better frankly.


Also the nutsert installation tool was crap, use a real one.

I have this skid plate as well. Its off the car at the moment so I can get pictures to show how much of a beast it is. This plate over all seems really solid.

Thanks,

Alex.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dr Awesome]

I have the Thor plate as well. There are 5 bolts you need to undo, three towards the bumper and two towards the rear.
The three towards the bumper thread into these clip on retainers that can get lost or can shift when removing the plate. It's not a big deal if they shift but it's another thing you need to square up, otherwise you end up sliding in the plate and can't fit your front bolts through and you have to pull it out and start over.

The back two bolts have spacers that go between the car and the plate, so you need to balance the plate as you put it in to keep the spacers from sliding around.

It sounds bad, but at the end of the day it does it's job very well. I'm not worried about cracking my oil pan on ice or steep speed bumps. After you take it off and on a few times it is not that big of a deal.

S4James, I agree a stud conversion on the back bolts would be sick.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Audizine mobile app

[VR6Bomber]

I too had the THOR, it was god-damn solid, nice and shiny. Looked good.

I don't remember having to trim anything.

[S4James]

It might be that I had to bottom mount my wings, as they came too close to my very large ER intercoolers.

Also the spacers are for the auto transmission cars apperently. You can use em on the 6 speed. But I liked having it up closer.

[Dr Awesome]

It might be that I had to bottom mount my wings, as they came too close to my very large ER intercoolers.

Also the spacers are for the auto transmission cars apperently. You can use em on the 6 speed. But I liked having it up closer.

I didn't know they were for the autos, I have a 6 speed and might have to try it without spacers next time the plate comes off/on.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Audizine mobile app

[MacDaddy]

I got the thor plate and its solid, slammed a few bumps when i was running worn out MTM springs (bought them here on classifieds and realized after they were old tired junk) and the thor plate saved the day for sure. Ive seen the ECS street shield in person, looks nice but it is thinner.

Thor is heavy and cumbersome for oil changes, installation is a bit of a pita too, but it definitley works and would recommend

[OlympicVW]

I too was wondering the same and decided to go with the panzer plate from dieselgeek. My plastic one recently blew up in pieces from the ice storm we got in Toronto a few weeks ago. For me it was the one piece design I preferred over the Thor

[TheRussian]

I don't know which one is the best, or the easiest to take off and on.. but I can tell you that it is one some of the best money I have spent on my car. I have cracked the lower oil pan three or four times and the upper once. I'm now stupid low and live in Detroit, my ecs street shield has saved my motor and tranny more times than I care to count. Whatever the extra weight is you'll deal. How ever shitty the oil change is you'll accept it. You hit that one thing you swear would have killed her, keep on driving, and thank the car gods you bought a sheet of metal and bolted it to your under carriage.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Audizine mobile app

[shepa401]

I too was wondering the same and decided to go with the panzer plate from dieselgeek. My plastic one recently blew up in pieces from the ice storm we got in Toronto a few weeks ago. For me it was the one piece design I preferred over the Thor

Same thing happened to me several years back when I had my A4. I kept it when i bought my S4. I have been running the Panzer plate from Dieselgeek now for probably 7 years and has saved me more times than I can count.

[henri12]

Evolution Thor is a solid skid plate and not difficult to install.

[Hiduke73]

Ended up getting the ecs street shield. Mainly because I found a hella deal on eBay and couldn’t pass it up. Haven’t got around to installing yet. Need to get some M10 rivnuts from work Hopefully in the next week or so.