lesk,

How long since you repainted the skid plate and how many miles have you covered since doing so?

I'm thinking of doing this but I'm concerned about the prospect of the Smoothrite chipping easily.

Thanks, Arianne.

Put one of these on and then you won't even notice the plate;-)

Hi Arianne - the place in Loanhead (behind Ikea) did mine same day in silver....

Worth doing given that normal paint does not really like sticking to aluminium and powder coating does...

David

I don't think that plate is aluminium. This design document seems to show it as steel......

Hi

I agree - in many docs I have read its stainless - it really is not heavy enough to be stainless, plus the sections would havebeen much thinner if it was....

It is certainly not mild steel.

I may be wrong...but on my MY05 it looked like and was confirmed by the power coating company as aluminium.

D

A test with a magnet says the plate on my wife's US MY07 XC90 is steel. A magnet snapped tightly onto it.

The one reference to that plate is a label on a diagram which describes it as 'hydroformed crossmember' and it is shown connected to a 'crush element' connected to 'reinforced subframe'.

Sounds like steel to me. Probably mild steel. Aluminium would not seem to be an appropriate material for this plate. Of course, some aftermarket engine compartment skid plates are offered in aluminium. I would think steel would be a much better choice for that application.

this is from the safety blurb...

ALUMINIUM ENGINE PROTECTION SHIELD'
Protects the engine, sump and transmission from bottoming when
driving on really rough terrain.

Maybe this is further back from the skid plate?

Thats the one!

The "stuff" further back is plastic on mine...

Yes. I have an ally plate about 3 mm thick, under the engine, sump and transmission. It's listed as an accessory now though. Mine came with it fitted.

The document shows the safety device as being mild steel bolted to high strength steel chassis members if you look at the colour coded diagram. The mild steel parts are shown grey.

Mine definatly isn't aluminium as it's magnetic like Jim314's.