Do I need additional skid plates?

[jhackathorne]

I have another thread going on the rock sliders. Getting some good advice there (leaning toward White Knuckle). They are definitely a higher priority than additional skid plates, but I want to cover the bases.

I'm a pretty experienced off-roader, but mostly moderates with a little time on some difficult trails. I just got the Jeep. Been driving a '93 Rodeo manual since 2000 - only upgrade is some K02s. I have driven that thing pretty hard. Without any lockers, I have had to use some speed to get through some tougher stretches. Of course, that has beaten the hell out of my front end, so have had to get various parts there replaced every 2-3 years (front hubs, axles, ball-joints, etc.). Made the mistake of driving it from CB to Marble through Devil's Punchbowl...at night. Fortunate to have only broken the coolant overfill tank. Anyhoo, as far as undercarriage protection, at this point I'm leaning towards the oil-pan and transmission plate from MORE and might add some diff convers. I appreciate everyone's input!

I am running White Knuckle and they have held up great on trails in UT, CO, and SD. I am fan of them not using any body bolts in the mounting. As well as the kickoff at the rear to keep the rear away from boulders. They have the most rash on them.

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[GATORB8]

Any recs for LCA skids that are decent, but not expensive (ie not Artec)? I plan on getting into the "easier" difficult trails in CO. If I start more really hard wheeling, I will evolve the build.

Not RC, I had to break the welds to get one side to bolt on (there was a significant difference in the widths).

Most of the others are in the same range as Artec (Rustys, MC, etc.). Rock Hard is a little cheaper.

Best bang for the buck would be weld on.

 

[jhackathorne]

Not RC, I had to break the welds to get one side to bolt on (there was a significant difference in the widths).

Most of the others are in the same range as Artec (Rustys, MC, etc.). Rock Hard is a little cheaper.

Best bang for the buck would be weld on.

Yeah, the RC rear LCA's did not fit the best for me either. No welds broken, but you can tell they are not a great fit. I did not pay for them so they'll work till I have to replace them. The new(ish) Metalcloak rear LCA's look nice and easier to install.

 

[Terrymo]

I agree with the thoughts of @Zandcwhite
“Finding out after the fact that you needed a winch or skid plates is like finding out after the fact that you needed a condom. Could be an expensive, painful, long, or even deadly lesson. I guess protection only works if it's there before you NEED it?”

 

[Philly_]

Any recs for LCA skids that are decent, but not expensive (ie not Artec)? I plan on getting into the "easier" difficult trails in CO. If I start more really hard wheeling, I will evolve the build.

Metalcloak, Rancho, EVO, Rockhard… honestly I would go with whatever you can get the best deal on if price is the primary concern. They will all do the job, but the mounting, shape, color, and thickness of the steel will vary.

I bought the Artec during a sale, and Northridge 4x4 has a forum discount JLWRANGLERFORUMS that varies depending on the item. I’d start there.

 

[Ratbert]

Metalcloak, Rancho, EVO, Rockhard… honestly I would go with whatever you can get the best deal on if price is the primary concern. They will all do the job, but the mounting, shape, color, and thickness of the steel will vary.

I bought the Artec during a sale, and Northridge 4x4 has a forum discount JLWRANGLERFORUMS that varies depending on the item. I’d start there.

And weight. Massive difference in weight between the various options.

 

[PotterJLUR]

I am planning on a ASFIR engine/trans skid, they seem to be a good price ($474) for an aluminum skid.
https://www.asfir.com/manufacturer/...2704&car_year=12436&product_type_category=174

 

[Philly_]

And weight. Massive difference in weight between the various options.

This is true, but when it comes to such a small part I wasn’t concerned… none the less, I did catalog the weight of my Artec skids being about 5lbs on an ongoing weight tally I have (with both +/-).

I’m being hyper conscious of weight on this build, as I feel you don’t have to go nearly as extreme in suspension with less weight to bog you down.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I run an engine/Trans skid and rear diff skid on both our Jeeps. I have had days where I was just doing easy trails and have dang near knocked my bottom off and then days like yesterday, where I was wheeling hard and never even scrapped anything the entire day.

 

[Ratbert]

This is true, but when it comes to such a small part I wasn’t concerned… none the less, I did catalog the weight of my Artec skids being about 5lbs on an ongoing weight rally I have (with both +/-).

I’m being hyper conscious of weight on this build, as I feel you don’t have to go nearly as extreme in suspension with less weight to bog you down.

For full skids the difference can be a couple hundred pounds.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/summary-of-available-ecodiesel-skid-plates.90479/

 

[JM970]

Cheers from Colorado! You never really need them, 'til you need them. After my rear diff got hung up on a rock doing Mosquito Pass years ago, I ordered some that night. What's worked well for me are the front & rear skids on the diff's and skids on the rear shocks. I got all 3 from MetalCloak.

https://metalcloak.com/jl-wrangler-rear-bolt-on-shock-bracket-skid-plate.html
https://metalcloak.com/jl-wrangler-stock-differential-cover-skid-plate.html
https://metalcloak.com/jl-wrangler-m220-rear-differential-skid-plate-dsp.html

 

[Pat’s Sahara Unlimited]

I have stock under-protection on my 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. I plan on exploring some of the easier difficult trails in CO. Can I get away with the stock skid plates? Somebody told me I should get some additional protection for the oil pan and maybe the transmission. I'm on a budget. Would prefer not to spend over a $1000 since the other items on my list are adding up quickly. Recommendations?

Thanks in advance,

-Peter

OIl pan is a must. You can get Rough Country engine/transmission/transfer case plates for less than $500 on Amazon. They are fairly easy to install especially oif you hav a buddy to help. I did mine alone, on jack stands. took me about 2 hours. It,s a huge peace of mind on trails - I was staining my pants over rock fields thinking about potential oil pan punctures. Here's the amazon link. Those are $CDN prices ($559). It does not cover the gas tank and you are kind of screwed if you want to add that plate later as it is not sold separately. However the tank already has protection.


https://www.amazon.ca/Rough-Country...=rough+country+skid+plate,aps,133&sr=8-8&th=1

 

[BobW]

Stock skids seemed skimpy to me.
I'm very pleased with RH items, readily installed flat on my garage floor. I liked that no other mods (lift etc) were necessary.
Aluminum more expensive yet made handling the big pieces possible.
And dropping the main pan to allow trailer harness routing was pretty easy.

"Made in Nebraska" was a plus for me.

 

[That_Guy]

Rear shock/rear LCA skids (same thing) are the one thing I would recommend before you find yourself in the rocks. If you twist these up, they can cause damage to your shocks.

I added mine after a couple bigger hits, and I think I was already a little twisted on the driver's side. Didn't notice any leaky shocks, but it made the install so difficult I actually ended up enlarging on of the mounting holes with a die grinder after trying to beat it onto the bracket.

I went with Artec specifically because of their snug fit and known quality, so I don't think it was the skid, but just about anything will do and potentially save you a headache later.

Engine skid would be good for peace of mind, and maybe some beefy diff covers to prevent them from peeling off, as the OEM covers are fairly thin. I am replacing with Motobilt when I change my diff oil and am back in Michigan in a couple weeks.

Rubicon rock rails are good for protecting from dragging your rockers, but are mounted to the pinch seem, so not great if you slam down on them. I, personally, think they're fine as a "better than nothing" type of protection, but will eventually replace. I haven't come down hard on them, but I have a two door, so I am less likely to in most situations anyways. They are on my never-ending list of things to replace.

TLDR: I would add rear LCA/shock skids, and maybe an engine skid and diff covers depending on how crazy you're going to go. Most things on the Rubicon are fairly well protected and can handle some mild abuse.

Second that. If you’re crawling slow and not banging your rig hard, I second the recommendation for shock mount and diff skids - they’re cheap and if you’re new to rocks, you’ll hit them often either directly or by sliding off.

I’ve been using the stock rubicon rock sliders for 3 years on blue and black trails at AOAA and Rausch Creek in Pennsylvania with no problem. They’re banged up but holding fine. PA rock can be big and sharp.

 

[newbie5150]

Has anyone tried Asfir skid plates?

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