392 Skid Plates - Any recommendations and/or advice

[NOIDEAWIAM]

The motobilt are the ones for me. Especially because I plan on taking the stock exhaust off and installing the AFE rock basher. This will get the coverage without restricting the flow. The exhaust skid is something extra that is worth it with aftermarket exhaust. Again, for the same reasoning as having the FULL skid system is hang ups and clearance. Also, I have been toying with the idea of an auxiliary fuel tank in the location of where current muffler is. Something small but useful for long trips. Peace of mind in the middle of nowhere.

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[DonH63]

Still debating, but here are some notes (I am sure I am leaving out a lot!) This got long, sorry, but may be useful to others (for me it is getting thoughts "out loud").

• The need for aftermarket skid plates (skids) is debatable and depends upon your wheeling plans and risk sensitivity. I mostly used stock skids, just a few times I added or upgraded, but am not an extreme wheeler. I am fairly risk-averse as I tend to go solo with wife and family (boys are older now, less likely they'll be along), it was usually my daily driver (not the case now, but...), and the price of skids vs. the price of damage is pretty low (replacing the muffler assembly is ~$4k on my new Jeep, and of course an axle or engine ain't cheap).
  • Skids add weight, cutting into cargo capacity. I've rarely thought about it, but my 392 will carry less than half a ton, and five adults will eat that up (165 lb/person x 5 = 825 lb compared to 850 lb capacity -- we mostly weigh more, and still need to haul recovery gear, tools, and food for the day).
  • It's a pain cleaning above the skids and undercarriage after a romp through the mud or whatever. Not bad, just time with a hose.
  • Extra heat build-up from skids blocking airflow is not a significant concern to me but has been noted. Manufacturers have not seen issues even in dessert testing.
• The Al vs. steel debate is still going. Al is lighter but costs twice as much and there are still tales of it cracking at welds, though I have not read that recently.
  • I have read that steel slides over rocks better than Al. I do not know if that is because Al has higher friction (more "grabby"), steel flexes more allowing it to deform and slip easier, both, or something else. I have rarely had Al skids in the past and do not remember that being a problem but neither have I tried both on the same vehicle.
  • Steel generally has higher tensile strength than Al (around 2x), so less likely to break, though Al's strength-to-weight ratio is greater than steel (also around 2x).
  • Steel corrodes so needs coating (paint or plating) and perhaps more care (touchup) than Al. The Al skid sets I have seen use steel brackets, and of course much of the undercarriage of your Jeep is steel anyway.
  • After some research, as an EE not an ME, 5052 vs. 6061 is not resolved in my mind. Yield strength is greater for 6061, it can be heat-treated, is easier to machine but harder to weld and form (bend into shape) than 5052 (harder to break, harder to work), and costs more. 5052 has higher module of elasticity (harder to deform), is easier to form and weld, but harder to machine. 5052 also has higher fatigue strength, meaning takes longer to break when flexed and such (but 6061 is less likely to flex). 5052 is more corrosion resistant than 6061 but I suspect the real-world difference is negligible. I suspect I would not know the difference for my skids. Manufacturers of steel, 5052, and 6061 are passionate in their choice and make good arguments, natch.

I narrowed down to four companies out of the initial dozens, two steel and two Al. Things that matter to me, like having to paint or coat things, desire for a one-stop solution, corrosion resistance (snow, salt), and reduced weight, may not matter to you. My original plan was Al, backtracked due to cost, but now am leaning that way again. A complete steel set is around 150~200 lbs and about half that for Al. I could not get a good weight comparison because brackets are all steel for any kit, some kits replace stock skids and some do not, etc. Al is about one-half the weight of steel best I could tell (minor variance with alloys). All these companies have been around a while.

Metalcloak (MC, established 2006, steel):

• Roughly 1/2 or less the cost of Al
• Zinc-plated everything for corrosion resistance (and I like the look)
• No exhaust skid, and muffler skid does not protect tips
• Gas tank skid retains factory skid (factory holds tank; easier to install, lose maybe 1" ground clearance under the tank)

Motobilt (established 2012, steel)

• A bit cheaper than Metalcloak and includes the exhaust skid
• No muffler skid
• Bare metal (you must coat everything)
• Gas tank skid retains factory skid (factory holds tank; easier to install, lose maybe 1" ground clearance under the tank)

Next Venture Motorsports (NVM, established 2014, Al 5052)

• More than 2x the cost of steel solutions but skids are ~1/2 the weight
• Complete solution including exhaust skid
• Muffler skid protects tips
• Brackets are bare steel, must coat before install
• Can get special UHMW material for low friction (~$1k option)
• Saves weight and gains ~3/4" ground clearance by replacing stock gas skid (but makes installation harder)

Artec Industries (established 2003, Al 6061)

• More than 2x the cost of steel solutions but skids are ~1/2 the weight
• Most expensive solution (significantly more even comparing recent sale prices, mainly because NVM includes the exhaust skid in their full-belly solution)
• Complete solution including exhaust skid (extra, not part of the full-belly kit)
• Muffler skid protects tips
• Brackets are zinc-coated steel ready to go
• Saves weight and gains ~3/4" ground clearance by replacing stock gas skid (but makes installation harder)

I have not tried to contact Motobilt, no real need, and only a little with NVM. I have a lot of email traffic with Metalcloak and Artec. All three have been very helpful and spent a lot of time and effort answering questions and such. All three appear to have well-engineered solutions and great customer support. I want to decide the next few days to capture the July 4th sales and hopefully get them installed before our August/September trips where I am more likely to need them.

Hope this helps - Don

 

[redbeard]

Hey Don -

My Artec oil/trans skid will be delivered today. If you want to have a look at it this weekend, just let me know.

Take care!

 

[DonH63]

Hey Don -

My Artec oil/trans skid will be delivered today. If you want to have a look at it this weekend, just let me know.

Take care!

Love to if we can work it in! Busy weekend, plan to do some wheeling and have the kids coming down. Drop me a PM after it arrives to see if we can find some decent time windows. If not I will try to get by after the 4th to see it on the Jeep (I dearly hope!)

 

[DonH63]

Looked under the Jeep again figuring maybe I don't need all these skid plates... There's still a coating of dried dirt from my last outing (despite having sprayed it off with a garden hose) but easy enough to see why I started this process.

• The oil pan is actually fairly high but looks like a prime target if you slide off a big rock. My concern is less that I'll actually hit it, but that if I do break it, a new engine will not be cheap and not covered by warranty. In 40+ years of wheeling (off and on) I've never seen anyone manage to shut down the engine in time to save it after the oil pan ruptured (I am sure there must be one, somewhere).
• The exhaust cross-pipe is exposed but for one little loop and hangs even with or a little below the frame. Blah.
• The stock transfer case and gas skids are there, if thin, and good grief is that gas tank long to hold such a small volume of gas! 21.5 gallons goes fast with a 392...
• The exhaust pipes running along the driver's side opposite the gas tank are hanging a little below the frame and look great for smashing against ledges or catching a rock or stump/branch sticking up from the trail.
• The muffler hangs well below the bumper. An expensive target. Blah, again.
• A couple of folk mentioned the stock front axle disconnect skid is pretty lightweight. Very lightweight on mine, as it is not there! Are some holes for it... That area is protected pretty well by other stuff around it so I may pass on it for now.
• The diffs are pretty beefy, and historically I rarely hit them, so I may wait on those or get some cheaper steel ones for now.

Until I looked up the numbers again I had forgotten how much stronger steel is than Al, and of course it is much cheaper. If cost were not a consideration I'd still go Al given I am not likely to be doing extreme wheeling, not running every weekend (sigh), and the weight savings is almost enough for another person (or more tools, what have you). At this point still leaning Al, but torn between NVM and Artec. Both have pros and cons. I was leaning Artec but NVM is currently quite a bit less than Artec even if I go back a couple of weeks and compare NVM's current sale to Artec's last sale prices. I could get NVM with their fancy UHMW sliders for the price of a full Artec set.

 

[DonH63]

Went with the full Artec set after a lot of research and back-and-forth on steel vs. 5052 Al vs. 6061 Al. Just ordered, now the waiting begins...

 

[reddipl]

I have Metalcloak full belly skids with the hitch extension for extra protection and I had zero issues in Moab a few weeks ago on a few major drop offs.

 

[Philip]

I have Metalcloak full belly skids with the hitch extension for extra protection and I had zero issues in Moab a few weeks ago on a few major drop offs.

Your oem bumper is still attached… so it couldn’t have been too major

 

[Philip]

I have 2 392’s. One with Rock Hard skid plate system and the other one is running the NVMS aluminum/ UHMW system.

both systems install about the same EXCEPT the muffler skids… which I found out when I tried installing it on my offroad rig. NVMS’ muffler skid is an absolute beefcake… but installs using the rear body mounts, which were already being used by my bumper-mounted tire carrier… so we swapped muffler skids between the 2 jeeps, and everyone is happy.

Between the 2, The Rock Hard is great and will be perfect for 99.9% of you. But… if you want to run 40s and have a flexible Jeep, I strongly suggest NVMS… a lesson I learned and the only reason both of my Jeeps have full skid plates.

 

[Philip]

A few side notes: The RH system, though perfect for 37’s, didn’t provide enough room for my front driveshaft to cycle (flexing) when I moved to 1-tons and 40’s. Lastly, if it wasn’t already mentioned, aluminum doesn’t slide over obstacles… so UHMW is a must, IMHO.

 

[Bkilby]

TNT Customs out of Wyoming was making 392 skids a couple of months ago. I don't see them on their website but I'd bet they're in production by now. Just mentioning it for those still shopping.

 

[Fast-n-Furious]

TNT Customs out of Wyoming was making 392 skids a couple of months ago. I don't see them on their website but I'd bet they're in production by now. Just mentioning it for those still shopping.

So I reached out to TNT customs today with the following response:


Yes we finished them recently and will have them active on the website next week.

We will offer engine, transfercase, gastank and muffler skid.

 

[Fast-n-Furious]

Got some pics too, and TNT customs gave me the permission to share.

The engine skid is 2 pieces. The black is 1/4 inch steel since it will take a beating. Because of how low the exhaust hangs.

The rest of the skids are 6061 aluminum.

The gas skid goes over top the factory slid plate and mounts to the frame

The factory cross member is retained.

Engine skids will be sold seperately for those that only want them

Gas and transfercase will be sold together

I believe the engine skid is 950 and gas transfercase is 1500. With free shipping

Muffler skid unfortunately i cant remember the price on.

 

[At Risk Ute]

Pulled the trigger with ASFIR and got a 20% discount. ARTEC‘s are gorgeous but couldn’t justify spending roughly 4 times as much.

Didn‘t buy the transfer case or fuel tank skids and plan to rattle can the diff skids something very close to Nutmeg Vegas bronze.

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