ok so this is the render with the default render settings.

this is with BagginsBill's VSS and these render settings

Raytrace on
Cast Shadows on
Raytrace Bounces = 2
Irradiance Catching = 100
Pixel Samples = 5
Min Shade Rate = .2
Smooth Polygones on
Displacement Maps on
Bucket Size 64

Dont know why the side plates disappear. this prop will be on a figure once i figure out how to fix this =(

Try switching off "smooth polygons" for the prop, or in the render settings.

The side plates are still there, but they are being hidden by 'ballooning' of the belt.

"If I were a shadow, I know I wouldn't like to be half of what I should be."
Mr Otsuka, the old black tomcat in Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)

sweet it worked, i knew it was something simple. Im a noobie =) thanks