Rock Hard Aluminum Muffler Skid Plate Install

[McGilli]

Heads up - I won't be installing this for a few weeks... But just couldn't wait to start the thread lol

WHY DID I GET THIS - On my very first off-road adventure in my Jeep, I was way up out of reception range on a FSR barreling along... Now nothing's changed in my methods in the last 2 months. I find FSR's on maps, and I just go and follow them until I can't go any further. 1/2 end in precarious ways I've found out...

Ok so, I get to a point where the shrubbery all closes in, and then finally there's a... Ditch? Basically the ground had given out to water running down the mountain.

I was inexperienced - but figured instead of trying to reverse out, I should just try and jump over this

So, Made it, dented my muffler. Then realized it was a dead end lol - had to turn around and go back. Dented the muffler even more. Got home. Panicked and ordered this. Took ~6 weeks to get here.

I'll install it as insurance for the next time I want to Dukes of Hazard over something...

WEIGHT: 15lbs

Here are a few photos. I need to do a little work on my rear suspension first, and as this needs to attach to the sway bar mounts I'm waiting until that's done...

Sorry - that's cat fur, not pubes

Construction and finish are perfect. Nice and light too. Won't hurt to have this and I bet it will actually look great with my RR HD Rear Bumper I'm installing currently..

I'll update this with some before/after etc in a few weeks...

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[McGilli]

Ok.

You might have seen another thread of mine... Kind of a sister thread to this one...

But here's the start of the Muffler Skid Plate install

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...its-stuck-5mm-undone-can-i-still-drive.62751/

 

[McGilli]

And DONE!

Ok, finally with the sway bar bolts sorted out, mount the hangers and let the plate hang loose

Sorry - this will suck from here LOL

Put these bolts through the frame, and use the tabbed nuts on the other side

I'm putting the tabbed nut in the wrong side here - just for the photo thought

Bolted in

I think the sag is an illusion... I literally got the rear springs replaced last week becasue they were factory defective and sagging LOL

And from the sides - but hard to tell treally

DONE TF

 

[MtCamper]

Cheaper, faster and easier to just do the muffler delete. Also sounds better.

 

[McGilli]

Cheaper, faster and easier to just do the muffler delete. Also sounds better.

I'd never even heard of that until now... Looked it up - and would love the increased clearance!

 

[McGilli]

QUESTION:

It appears to me the fitment of the plate isn't ideal.

There's ample room at the front of the plate, and as you get to the back it gets snug - and actually touches the bumper right at the very back.

So, when idling, or especially reverse you can hear the muffler vibrating against the skid plate. Once you're driving with road noise/stereo you can't hear anything.

It's not major, and really - there is only 1 way to install this so it's not that I did anything wrong on the install. Just 4 bolts.

Is there something I can place between the muffler and the plate to deaden that vibration? I'm guessing heat resistant but not too compact to transfer vibrations...

 

[melendez69]

QUESTION:

It appears to me the fitment of the plate isn't ideal.

There's ample room at the front of the plate, and as you get to the back it gets snug - and actually touches the bumper right at the very back.

So, when idling, or especially reverse you can hear the muffler vibrating against the skid plate. Once you're driving with road noise/stereo you can't hear anything.

It's not major, and really - there is only 1 way to install this so it's not that I did anything wrong on the install. Just 4 bolts.

Is there something I can place between the muffler and the plate to deaden that vibration? I'm guessing heat resistant but not too compact to transfer vibrations...

I have no contact with neither the muffler nor the bumper. I don't have the stock bumper; I have an ICI Magnum.

That's odd, and I'd agree it's not the installation since there's no up/down movement...just 2 fixed brackets and 2 mounting tabs.

 

[McGilli]

That's odd, and I'd agree it's not the installation since there's no up/down movement...just 2 fixed brackets and 2 mounting tabs.

Thanks for the post. RH says they haven't seen this issue on a stock muffler before and have offered suggestions - but with no amount of adjustability it's kind of tough to get a different result.

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