Rubicon Armor

[WrangleDangle]

What armor comes on a 2020 JLUR? I am planning on buying one today. The armor on the Rubicon, is it good off-road armor, or will I need to replace all of it with after market good stuff. Appreciate any help.

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[landshark99]

Even though mine came with the factory steel bumpers I have replaced them with aftermarket ones to gain recovery rings instead of the hooks, and have replaced the skid plates with an aluminum full underbelly plate and changed out the rock rails to something more heavy duty, all of that is not to be a rock crawler but for those just in case trails

 

[Headbarcode]

What armor comes on a 2020 JLUR? I am planning on buying one today. The armor on the Rubicon, is it good off-road armor, or will I need to replace all of it with after market good stuff. Appreciate any help.

Welcome to the community

If pictures are worth a thousand words, than I'll do you one better. Check out the video section on the lite brite channel on youtube. Scroll down to their first Rubicon videos and see what they do with it bone stock with temp tags. Compare that with your intended use and go from there. Depending on said use, you may only need simpler and more cost efficient upgrades like stronger differential covers. As their videos progress, they mix in installs to show and explain the evolution of their build.

 

[DanW]

Welcome to the community

If pictures are worth a thousand words, than I'll do you one better. Check out the video section on the lite brite channel on youtube. Scroll down to their first Rubicon videos and see what they do with it bone stock with temp tags. Compare that with your intended use and go from there. Depending on said use, you may only need simpler and more cost efficient upgrades like stronger differential covers. As their videos progress, they mix in installs to show and explain the evolution of their build.

Yep, LiteBrite did a BUNCH of crunching and grinding with really very little damage, considering. I was all set to go with an Artec aluminum skid system but if all I do is crunch a crossmember, it isn't worth $2k. On my Moab trip last year, I ovaled a crossmember, but not badly enough to replace it. That's pretty much all I hit. My understanding is that those are only about 80 bucks if you had to replace one.

I've beaten up my JKUR's stock rock rails pretty good and they've held up. They are about the same as those on the JL. It just depends on how hard you beat on your JL. I don't LiteBrite my Jeep, or I'd armor up the bottom from stem to stern.

Still, it is impressive all they did to their Jeep with no aftermarket armor. It took quite a licking and kept going.

 

[D60]

Yeah I don't think the stock skids are really THAT bad. Really their worst attribute is that they're a compromise between clearance and ease of manufacture....and I'm still truly convinced at some point the designers just said, "Ya know, it's Friday and this is more or less kinda sorta pretty good. Let's call it done and go get Starbucks." Not kidding. And not bashing drinking Starbucks - I drink WAY too much of it.

Truly a lot of the guys on here replacing it with $1000-$2000 systems will never need it or use it, they just buy it 'cause it's available and they see others here do it so ya gotta keep up with the Joneses.

No other vehicle in existence that I know of even has fully belly pan systems available (maybe a couple small indy's are doing Taco systems? Maybe?) so it's just never a consideration. But because guys can click a button online for the JL they think it's a must-have.

The problem with all the aftermarket skids is that they know they gotta be bolt-on or no one will buy it, so they're forced to work with (or even cover up, in the case of the fuel tank and some manufacturers) the factory skids and/or crossmembers, which are already a compromise in ground clearance.

Some here have posted pics of the full systems severely beat up, but for every one of them there's 10 consumers that'll never touch the skids and/or barely kiss them.

It IS your money, spend it as you choose...plus without it MetalCloak, Artec et al couldn't send their kids to college so ultimately you're supporting higher education and I can get behind that!

 

[spurly]

Honestly, the only armor I would suggest anyone get is the front diff skid by Rancho. Putting the drain plug on the bottom was a terrible decision. Otherwise the rest of the armor is does a pretty decent job. Mines pretty beat but I just touch it all up with black paint at the end of the day.

 

[landshark99]

I would rather er on the side protecting the underside than not, while the factory skids and rock rails are ok I would rather be prepared for the unexpected. The factory rock rails and bumpers have a reputation for damaging the tub when hit hard due to the design and how they are attached. Also other vehicles have full underbelly armor available as well, my Landcruiser 100 had an aftermarket full bell pan on it, kept the undersides free of damage for years. Speaking of lite Brite in their latest video two JLs with stock rear bumpers practically ripped them off on the Wild Bill trail. We each spend and waste money the we like there is no absolutely right or wrong way to set up one's jeep.

 

[fat_head]

I would rather er on the side protecting the underside than not, while the factory skids and rock rails are ok I would rather be prepared for the unexpected. The factory rock rails and bumpers have a reputation for damaging the tub when hit hard due to the design and how they are attached. Also other vehicles have full underbelly armor available as well, my Landcruiser 100 had an aftermarket full bell pan on it, kept the undersides free of damage for years. Speaking of lite Brite in their latest video two JLs with stock rear bumpers practically ripped them off on the Wild Bill trail. We each spend and waste money the we like there is no absolutely right or wrong way to set up one's jeep.

I say drive the trails you (you meaning everyone) want to drive and identify your needs based on that. Buying stuff just because a vendor makes it or because the internet says you have to have it is dumb.

 

[landshark99]

Why always assume people buy

I say drive the trails you (you meaning everyone) want to drive and identify your needs based on that. Buying stuff just because a vendor makes it or because the internet says you have to have it is dumb.

Why do we assume that everybody buys stuff because the internet says so. There those that put a lot of research into what they want or need for their vehicle. Everybody has an opinion and this just what it is an opinion

 

[D60]

Yep...bolt on is the bane of my existence. Love this post!

Agree too that a G or more on skids is ridiculous. I can't justify that kind of expense....especially when it doesn't usually gain much in terms of clearance (at least Artec's gives a 3/4" at the tank).

FFS if someone was making a "component" kit that might actually add protection and add ground clearance but required some cutting and welding I'd consider it just for the time savings....kinda like MOVE bumpers has done for a great many vehicles when it comes to bumpers

But sadly that company would struggle to make it financially, if it requires more than a ratchet people don't want to bother and/or don't want to learn how to fab stuff

 

[spurly]

Speaking of lite Brite in their latest video two JLs with stock rear bumpers practically ripped them off on the Wild Bill trail.

Those were both plastic bumpers that were ripped off. I did the same exact thing and that's the exact reason I didn't buy the factory steel rear bumper. The steel bumper will actually damage the tub because it twist on the side brackets whereas the plastic bumper will break away from the mounts. If you tear apart the plastic bumper you realize just how flimsy and cheap it really is. Besides the two side brackets there's only a small 2inch wide bracket the wide of the bumper that's maybe only 7 gauge.

 

[RockyMtJL]

I was originally planning on upgrading the skids but after everything I'd read/heard, I decided to only buy front and rear diff skids as well as the FAD skid. I come from an FJ Cruiser which managed to bottom out on everything even with a 3" lift and 35's... I'll save my $ for some other jeep parts.

 

[MarkY3130]

I’ve wheeled mine quite a bit in the rocks this year. Rock crawling is what I specifically target and there are lots of trails to play on near Denver. I’ll tell you what has sustained damage and you can decide if you need additional protection based on your use case.

Rock sliders - hit them a bunch. I have LOD destroyer step/sliders

Front lower control arm mounts (on front axle, hang low). Hit these several times, usually the passenger side as I aim to not hit the diff.

Rear lower shock mounts. - these hang really low.

Transfer case cross member and skid - don’t hit this much, but I do hit it.

Exhaust pipe forward of the transfer case. I have hit this once.

Fuel tank - lots of scrapes

Rear bumper - came down on a rock once at the underside of passenger corner.

Driver side, frame side upper control arm mount - Not a common place to hit, but I did on a tricky situation.

I have ordered skids for the front lower control arms, rear lower shock mounts, and front and rear diffs.

my Jeep has 1” spacer lift and 35” tires. If you go taller you may fare better.

***Side note, front lower control arm skids will interfere with the metalcloak FAD skid. I will have to modify the FAD skid to get it to work. I think the control arm skid is more critical.

***Second side note, it’s amazing what my Jeep (and yours!) will crawl over with just a few minor modifications. I plan to be on 37’s soon though.

 

[WrangleDangle]

What is an FAD skid?

 

[D60]

What is an FAD skid?

It'll pass, fads always do

Seriously, front axle disconnect

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