Gas Tank Skid Plate

[66 GMC Truckin]

So today we had a lot of blowing snow here in winterland. Hard snowdrifts on the roads. After hitting who knows how many 1-2 foot drifts across the road I heard my 2009 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 4x4 Z71 truck hit something. I looked in the mirror and saw plastic flying in the air. I stopped and thought maybe I had torn off the front air dam or maybe hit some plastic from someone elses vehicle or something. I started backiing up to pick up the piece of plastic and heard a screeching noise. Didn't think much of it as I was on a gravel road and thought maybe it was a rock in the brakes. Picked up the piece of plastice and started driving forward and heard a bump-bump-bump noise as the tire rotated. Great....thought I picked up a bolt or something. Got out and checked and here it is my gas tank cover that ripped off and blew into about 5 or 6 pieces. Pulled this piece out and no damage seems to be done......other than to the lousy gas tank cover.

Who has pics of their gas tank skid plates/covers? I thought the Z71 package was to have steel skid plates over the fuel tank? I thought this was a steel cover, but found out today that it was just some junk plastic. Help me out if you can. Thanks! I might need to look for a steel one if they even made them.

[Dalaigh]

The skid plates used on trucks have been a composite material for some time, my 2001 ZR2 S10 had composite skid plates. If they aren't, some are aluminum. It's to keep the weight down. The Composite is pretty durable, but in the cold everything has a breaking point.

[66 GMC Truckin]

Thanks Daleigh. I haven't owned any newer trucks than a 1988 GMC so I guess I haven't encountered the composite skid plates. I guess the big question now is whether anyone has built a new steel skid plate or seen somewhere to buy one for these newer trucks?
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