Over the past few years we have all witnessed an explosion in the recreational use and capabilities of side-by-side vehicles.
Let’s be clear here, however, in the use of the term “recreational.” I am specifically referring to those folks who perhaps play a little harder than the average weekend warrior in machines that were designed with non-agricultural use in mind. These are the same folks who carry tools and tire repair kits and have to use them regularly to repair the “small” mishaps that can and will occur during a normal day’s adventures. As it was stated to me by one of my partners in crime, “Talk to those who ride hard and need to extend the life of their ride.”
With this in mind, we are going to discuss five zones on any stock side-by-side that can be enhanced to provide more adequate protection and thus, less long term repair of costly components all while giving you more confidence behind the wheel knowing your rig’s capabilities over rough terrain. Unfortunately there are no magic tickets to be distributed stating that any of this will stop or prevent 100 percent of the potential damage that can occur to your ride from obstacles or terrain. I wish that there was because then this would be easy.
As my father told me years ago, “It is better to have it than need it because by then it is too late.” At the age of 38 that is a lesson I would’ve done well to have learned sooner in life. In the specific case of what we’re going to talk about in this article—protecting your ride—it is definitely true that there is damage that can be prevented simply by being aware of how and where you ride as well as the type of protection necessary for that use. I have seen everything from simple CV boot damage to bent frames and trust me, it gets ugly and expensive quickly.
There are currently three types of materials that are utilized in today’s market for protection on side-by-sides: aluminum, UHMW (plastics) and steel. All are available in different thicknesses and grades to accommodate your personal preference on how much protection you might need or want to protect your ride.
Aluminum
Aluminum is what most of the aftermarket world began with to upgrade the stock or factory protection. It is lightweight, easy to work with and fairly cost effective. For some, aluminum may be a great option vs. brittle factory plastics, but be aware that the same principles that make it an affordable option carry some downsides for more aggressive drivers. Aluminum is “soft” in its properties and can gouge, causing a drag or binding effect due to friction between your ride and the obstacle. Friction is not our friend in off-roading as it can make any obstacle difficult to traverse. Aluminum also has lower tensile strength and deflection properties which make it subject to bending or stretching on impact. Once bent it is often difficult to re-use after servicing your ride and also reduces the impact resistance in that area should it occur again.
UHMW, or Ultra-High-Molecular Weight Polyethylene, is a step in the right direction as far as strength, deflection and long term use. It is a product that offers more versatility than aluminum in regards to off-road usage and protection. UHMW is available in different thicknesses to suit your needs but I would recommend a half-inch as a minimum for suitable protection and with all the different types available do your research as some types of this material are subject to ambient temperature changes. UHMW has less drag than aluminum and even though it still does flex or stretch under pressure or impact it is less likely to maintain a shape afterward like aluminum so longevity is a bonus here.
Lastly it can, and will, actually tear if caught on a sharp obstacle vs. the leading edge of the skid plate so be smart behind the wheel when going over obstacles. UHMW is typically priced between aluminum and steel, again depending on your personal choices of the actual type of UHMW material available.
Steel is no doubt the more expensive, heavier option. In the long run, however, it can be the most cost effective due to its strength and ability to deflect damage as well as its longevity. Because of the tensile of most steel, friction is not an issue and it glides across even the harshest of obstacles, such as lava rock, with ease and little to no gouging. There are types of steel that perform better than others, however, such as a chromolly, and if you like your differentials to remain in place during serious use, this is the toughest option available.
So if you need a stronger option due to type of terrain you traverse, the way you drive or longevity of use, steel is hard to beat and can literally take a pounding time and time again. The other shining feature of steel is that it carries a high deflection rate so objects glance off of steel vs. digging in or bending like UHMW and aluminum. Steel can surface rust if exposed to the elements so in most cases these types of armor come powdercoated to prevent rust. After a few years of use, the steel may need to be sprayed again.
Choosing What’s Right For You
To choose which material is best for your vehicle, and with the product information provided here, you simply need to determine what kind of riding you do the majority of the time. This is easiest in terms of percentages. For example, 80 percent of the time I ride in trail/off-road areas consisting of rapid environment changes from large rock to sand and widely varying speeds. The other 20 percent I am on mild to moderate trails with a group going at an even, steady pace.
Everyone’s usage will vary to some degree but the components we will discuss below will only vary in their material type and individual engineering per the manufacturers specifications for the product you have chosen. I strongly recommend you research any component you intend to purchase as this story is merely a guideline intended to educate on the principles of keeping your ride running and functioning the way you need and want it to perform.
Each of the materials I discuss will have advantages as well as disadvantages that are usually based on how you use your side-by-side.
For purposes of this article, I have categorized riding terrain in three basic categories that I will rate 1 to 3.
1. ”Hold on Honey.” This is your easy rider, fun-in-the-sun kind of terrain.
2. ”Look! It’s a Stomper!” Perfect for all around riding, this terrain can be almost anything and at times can give you a false sense of “You can do it!”
3. ”OMG are you freaking kidding me!” (Usually screamed out loud by the passenger.) This terrain is for modified rigs and drivers who are comfortable with their machines and driving ability. Usually this terrain is traversed in groups as spotting, winching or pulling over obstacles is commonly practiced and recommended.
With those types of terrains as a basis for determining your riding style and preferences we can now move on to what I consider to be the five most critical areas you need to protect on your side-by-side for each of those terrain types.
5 Critical Areas You Need To Protect On Your Ride
1. Under Carriage – Frame
2. Rocker Panels
3. Inner Fender Protection
4. A-arms
5. Driver and Passenger - Roll Cage and Belts
Terrain Type No. 1
This “easy rider” category means you’re usually driving a 50-inch wide machine as most of this type of riding is done on established trail systems that may be restricted in width. Staying on the trail usually reduces the potential for damage but damage is still a threat and can happen quickly when least expected. For example, rocks fall onto trails from higher ground, then roll into strategically placed spots on the trail. Or melting snow creates runoff and that can result in trail erosion or expose some large rocks that cannot be avoided.
Typically however, terrain No. 1 is pretty general stuff as far as obstacles go and usually nothing like the King of Hammers in California or the Cliffhanger Trail in Moab, UT.
Undercarriage: The undercarriage, or frame, of your rig is probably one of the single most important areas to protect on your ride and one that seems to be an afterthought to most at the time of purchase.
In fact I have had this exact conversation with friends who say, “The stock stuff will be ok.” One bent frame later ... and those words ring hollow. I know that sounds extreme, but catch a big enough obstacle at a high enough rate of speed and well, stuff bends, even frames. That’s why it is one of the most crucial areas to protect in terms of long term use and ownership on your rig. It’s what everything else is attached to and if it goes out of whack, a lot of time is involved to strip and straighten. So even in the “Hold on Honey” category it is still an area that needs attention. Any of the three materials could and should work for this environment, it’s just a matter of how well you want to be prepared and how you drive your rig. Aluminum and UHMW could potentially be too soft for a hard impact and steel might be like hunting squirrels with a .44 magnum in this circumstance.
Rocker Panels: This is another area that gets overlooked at the time of unit purchase. Again, they are exposed to damage in almost any terrain that you can and will be riding in. This one, as stated above, is not going to throw a lot of stuff directly at your rocker panels but could occasionally find you traversing a log or two. Again, any of the three materials are better than stock in this terrain type (most stock rigs have zero rocker panel protection), providing overall protection for the lower sides of your ride against damage. A good set of panel protectors will extend its coverage from the outer edge to the frame or skid plate on the unit adding protection to the driver and passenger compartment area as well.
Inner Fender Protection: This area doesn’t even land on most people’s radar as a potential problem area until either something separates the seamed wall and comes through into the cab or they see a buddy’s ride and then hear an accompanying horror story. My first instance with this was a friend having an old metal fence post kick up behind the front tire as he went over it, piercing the seam and jamming itself into the passenger seat under the passenger’s leg. It could have been a lot worse than it was but it’s a reminder that this is still an area that needs to be addressed because of its potential to harm driver or passenger.
For this terrain type it is something that might occur but because of the absence of many obstacles on most trail systems it is pretty unlikely. Most of us will stop and remove such debris as rebar, old fencing materials or large broken limbs if seen on the trail. All three materials are better than stock protection which again is zero in this area but please look at all your options as mounting in this area is crucial.
A-arms: This area of the vehicle is vulnerable to damage just by its location on the machine as well as its exposure to obstacles. It seems that everyone can find an oversized rock to slam into an A-arm on any trail, maintained or otherwise. It seems the less visible the obstacle, the more damage it will cause and in some cases, you simply don’t have time to set up correctly to traverse the obstacle or perhaps slow down. Instead, you hear it hit, feel it jar the machine, then see it once stopped and then you’re looking at bent or broken A-arms, wondering how you did not see that. A lot of the problem is that the round rod(s) takes the impact at a horizontal angle.
Basically instead of shoving the shock up and the suspension absorbing the impact, it bends the rod(s) back. The better the deflection here the more likely you are to force the shock to work instead of the rod to give and cause problems. Also worth mentioning is the way these protection items are attached to the rods of the A-arm, so again do your research here. I recommend any type of a compression clamping to not only hold the A-arm guard square and in place but to re-enforce the A-arm itself.
Roll Cage and Belts: This is one area that in this type of terrain, and for most folks driving in a trail manner, that is on the lower end of concern. Most trails do not put a person in a position to roll over but there is always the potential of poor positioning and the right “hill” to cause you to tip over but a roll is typically done with speed.
If you are to consider some “beefing up” in these areas there are a few companies that make add-on or gusset kits for the cage to do just that, utilizing bolt-on or weld-in place components. The best choice is cage replacement but it can be expensive to say the least. There are several choices but I think that the most important thing to consider is the wall thickness used in the tube itself.
As far as belts are concerned I would recommend at least a 4-point harness to anyone who would listen and have a personal preference for a 5-point. Whatever is comfortable for you, several designs and widths are available, but look at a better than stock restraint system as you and/or your passenger are the most important “things” involved in your endeavors.
Terrain Type No. 2
This terrain can be mild to wild at the whim of the driver. These rides can, and usually do, start out as a group of folks getting together to go ride and enjoy the day. Then usually what happens is someone in the group gets passed in a straight section or loses the highmark on the hill. That’s when we seem to let go of our inner MacGyver’s and find creative lines to make up ground or time. It’s in these instances that you want to be prepared for any changes in terrain as well as obstacles on the trails or the sides of the trails. With the “Stomper” group, strong is good.
Undercarriage: Again, protection in this area is crucial to your ride and its components, even more so when a rig is being driven a little more aggressively. First off, I will say that aluminum is definitely a little light for most of the impacts sustained in this type of riding and I suggest looking beyond it. UHMW is a good choice for the lighter to mid side of this kind of riding and will offer substantial protection for most moderate users. UHMW can in some cases still allow too much flex, leading to potential damage of components such as the frame and differentials as obstacles can literally push the material upward. Again, I would recommend no less than one-half inch of UHMW material. Steel would be the preferred choice for the wild side of this terrain as it will stand the test of time and terrain. It spreads the impact area out, minimizing the potential to bend or damage components above it upon impact with little to no gouging at all. If mounted correctly, it will offer the most protection in this class of usage across the board. Again, do your research on the type of material utilized as an average steel has a tensile of 36,000 but some have upwards of 110,000 tensile available at only 1/8-inch of thickness. Neither of these solutions again are free passes to do as you will and the best tool is your own common sense. Rocker Panels: Just go ahead and lay down on the ground next to your ride, look up at the exposed areas just below the driver and passenger foot wells. Now imagine not quite lining up your next obstacle correctly, whether it’s you or your spotter, and you can see the potential for damage. The floorboards are not “replaceable” items on your rig and it takes a lot more work than one would think to do it. Labor is expensive unless done on your own. So with that in mind look for protection that covers from the side of the rig to the center skid plate covering this entire area. It will keep you from hanging up on the larger rocks in this terrain as well as the damage away from your feet. Again, with more aggressive driving and “bigger” terrain, the aluminum falls short due to impacts. UHMW again is a solid choice for most drivers and offers good protection against impacts as well as hang ups. To me, however, steel is the best choice for protection as this is a large exposed area and the extra strength is nice to help keep impacts away from this area with literally almost zero flex and gouging. Whatever you choose make sure that the design and mount points are conducive to a higher level of abuse in this area such as leading edges that are actually wrapped up over the frame so as not to snag or hang the machine up on bigger obstacles.
Inner Fender Protection: The potential for damage is mostly subject to odd debris or circumstances, not so much the size of the rocks or terrain being traversed. With such a specific damage type, this area does not seem to increase or decrease the likelihood of an occurrence and would have the same recommendations as Terrain Type No. 1; anything is better than nothing and it is an area that should be addressed.
A-arms: Unlike in Terrain Type No. 1, we usually see these rocks coming. Because of the larger terrain and obstacles and possibly lower speeds due to the size of the obstacles we are usually looking for protection from “walking” wheels up and over obstacles and not so much a high speed impact, although that is still possible. Due to this, the strength is still key but the ability to stay moving across obstacles, especially when going up and over, is crucial. One small hang-up can alter your course and potentially cause a worse scenario than the one you are already in. Also worthy of consideration here again is the manner in which the protection is attached to the A-arm itself. Any type of reinforcement or bracing is preferred as it again adds structural strength to the component itself.
Roll Cage and Belts: With increased opportunity to roll your ride in this category I would definitely recommend looking at your options here and weighing them heavily. Large rocks, unforeseen obstacles, choosing a poor line or exercising poor judgment over an obstacle all lead to that moment where your vehicle can roll over or on its side. With the weight of the rig bearing down on the cage it will bend more easily in the case of a roll vs. a tip. A lot of things come into play here and any number of them can cause a really bad day. My advice, shop around and refer to what I mentioned in the Terrain Type No. 1 section on Roll Cage and Belts. Basically, it’s reinforce and go with harness belts.
Terrain Type No. 3
Remember this one? “OMG are you freaking kidding me!” This terrain is not for everyone, that is for sure. When driving in this type of terrain you are usually going to break something. There is really no telling what, or how severe it is going to be but chances are it will happen. These drivers are typically looking for the path that everyone else shies away from. These are very adventurous people with skill, high tech rigs and a lot of support from likeminded friends and family. It truly is amazing what can be accomplished with a good group of friends and today’s very capable rigs.
The harder we use our vehicles in Terrain Type No. 3, the more wear and tear they see in the long term, so in this category we lose the aluminum product right off the bat. Short bursts of speed into large obstacles does not fare well for the softer, non-flexible material and in the end seems to cause more problems than it will help you avoid. That leaves us with UHMW and steel to compare here for protection. Those two materials are better suited for most anything nasty, i.e., lava rock, granite, shale, tree stumps, logs and all other manner of obstacle.
Undercarriage: No doubt that in this terrain type the undercarriage of your rig will take some serious abuse. It needs to be protected in order to maintain any type of longevity. Using the front wheels to pull you up onto a large incline will leave the bottom subject to impact and drag when the rear of the chassis follows. Again, half-inch UHMW is the bare minimum here and offers good resistance to drag, keeping you moving. But the fact that it does flex and can potentially tear if an edge is hooked on a larger obstacle leaves the possibility for damage to your ride.
Steel is undoubtedly the strongest choice with the best resistance to drag and gouging on the actual material. It is, however, in the strength of the material itself that it will shine here due to its deflection upon impact in these terrain types. Repeatedly using the skid plate, the steel stays in shape with almost zero flex, keeping your momentum headed in the right direction without getting hung up. The mount and design are still crucial, so familiarize yourself with the different grades and designs available.
Rocker Panels: If you want them to stay looking good and protect your outer frame rails these areas need to be covered in extreme terrains. The sides of the machine are used for much more than a pretty exterior in these circumstances and are often the only surface area coming into contact with anything solid beneath you, keeping your rig on its line. In these circumstances we are again protecting the driver and passenger compartment from impact as well as the outer frame rail and the factory plastics which can be destroyed in no time against some rough terrain.
So when you are looking to maximize protection against harder obstacles with so much surface area to cover, steel gives better resistance to flex and gouging than UHMW, keeping the rig sliding freely on your chosen line. It also, if designed correctly, will offer more frontal impact resistance to protect the front-lower frame as well is the inner-rear wheel well from hard impact and these are areas that will see larger impacts. Regardless of which product you choose, make sure it mounts well and covers the outer edge of your rig as well.
Inner Fender Protection: Again because of the specific type of damage here, I give the same advice as I just previously did. Anything is much better than nothing. Even though this terrain is more extreme it still carries the same type of outside the normal damage aspect and it is not more or less likely to occur in this type of terrain.
A-arms: As discussed in Terrain Type No. 2, the most important thing in rough and tumble terrain is deflection and drag. The likelihood of a higher speed impact on an unseen obstacle decreases but the constant banging into obstacles forcefully can be brutal over time. Both UHMW and steel work well here so keep in mind the way the product is attached and designed will make the difference. The UHMW is slightly lighter and thicker whereas the steel is slightly heavier and thinner with better deflection properties.
Roll Cage and Belts: If you are going to ride in terrain that can literally throw the machine around, you should invest in 5-point seat harnesses and a thicker wall roll cage. Not only should the thickness of the cage be evaluated but in this case the design as well. Some are more open at the top and can allow obstacles to literally encroach into the assumed “protected” area of the cage during a tip or roll over.
For some great standard specs I would refer you in the direction of “Race Approved” design and materials allowed in any of today’s UTV racing circuits such as WORCS, GNCC, TQRA or YORR. As usual, common sense is the best tool so try to utilize it to the best of your capabilities.
Almost all of the protection materials discussed are easily installed for most “do it yourself” folks and readily available and on the market. I am convinced that with a little research and the right questions you can find protection that will work for you and your ride for miles of safe, worry free riding.
