The two plates would stand about 50 mm apart and be equidistant from the centreline of the truck. The left-hand one as demonstrated here will also act as the inner servo mount. I haven't trimmed the top bit yet as there is a wide range of choice when it comes to determining optimal shock and link positioning, the best locations won't become apparent until the whole build is further advanced.
The lower edges of the plates will act both as skids and as protection plates for the gearbox casings, and also mount a lower heavy-duty crossmember to act as a primary bumper, which may itself incorporate some kind of skidplate.
As made in cardboard here, the plate has had a hole cut in it to match the outer diameter of the inner end of the axle housing. Another option would be to actually sandwich the plate between the gearbox assembly and the housing. This would necessitate widening the differential to ensure drive is fully maintained, but would also widen the truck by the corresponding amount. (I intended the final width of the truck to be 12.5 inches in keeping with 2.2 class competition regulations, it is this size already, so doing this would require further modification beyond what I already envisage if I wish to maintain this standard.)
I'm now awaiting delivery of the first pair of aftermarket aluminium (Hot Racing) axle tubes, which are coming from the USA. I have material to make the plates from, but will need the new parts to determine exact dimensions prior to engaging in actual production.
