I was a bit worried about that too, but it seems pretty solid and really doesn't vibrate much at all (surprisingly). I had planned on 3/16" or 1/4" thick to start with, but that seemed like overkill once I was holding the steel in my hand, so I went thinner. Nonetheless, I will certainly take your advice and watch it closely. Will be nervous about the rubber hose for awhile too, but lots of people run these things without issue for many miles, so hopefully it will work out. If I ever do have problems, I'll be sure to post about it.