Huge front end fang?

[billy-buck]

So, you guys with skids down there, do you ever get hung up trying to back out of stuff? Seems like a good spot for a rock to get pinched in. I'm realizing that this rig is either a logging trail explorer or I need to cut and hack.

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[arcticaaron]

I took off the sway bar disco skid, rotated my sway bar motor to tuck it up higher out of the way, then cut half the "fangs/horns" off with a Sawzall.

I have yet to hit my sway bar motor on anything, and if I do, then i'm doing something pretty damn stupid like driving straight into a bolder lol.

^ This. Get a high clearance bumper and do this to clean up the front end.

 

[BDinTX]

I put on an ARB bumper that has its own skid. It doesn’t tie into the frame tusks but lines up perfectly. Makes me wonder why they didn’t… I backed off a ledge, came down on the skid in front of the drivers tire, and it slide back a couple inches before the tire/suspension took the weight off of it.

Another possible benefit of having a skid there is to the cooling system though. It looks like it would behave as an air dam at highway speeds. That should reduce pressure in the engine compartment and allow for better airflow through the radiator.

 

[mdkautzman]

I just cut mine off. Clean look.

 

[Shibadog]

Vampire Jeep? (It IS that time of year.

 

[Headbarcode]

I was planning on trimming my husks after deleting the edisconnect sway assembly and front bumper skid, but ran out of daylight and didn't get to it. Turned out to be a good thing, because a couple days later my Warn winch and mounting plate came in and the winch plate utilizes the tusks for added structural integrity. So, a warning to anyone planning on installing a winch in the mopar steel bumper, make sure the mounting plate doesn't need to tie into those tusks.

As far as them potentially getting hung up on something trail related, I'd be more concerned with what's going on with the tie rod and drag link at that point. And from personal experience, 38's stick out further forward and would be climbing before a tusk had a chance to act as an anchor. Finally, if the tusks weren't there, and the result of a bad line caused something to reach up that far, the sway bar mount/bushing would be left to take the hit and get crushed or sheered off the frame.

Just my humble thoughts.

 

[ChuckQue]

I was planning on trimming my husks after deleting the edisconnect sway assembly and front bumper skid, but ran out of daylight and didn't get to it. Turned out to be a good thing, because a couple days later my Warn winch and mounting plate came in and the winch plate utilizes the tusks for added structural integrity. So, a warning to anyone planning on installing a winch in the mopar steel bumper, make sure the mounting plate doesn't need to tie into those tusks.

As far as them potentially getting hung up on something trail related, I'd be more concerned with what's going on with the tie rod and drag link at that point. And from personal experience, 38's stick out further forward and would be climbing before a tusk had a chance to act as an anchor. Finally, if the tusks weren't there, and the result of a bad line caused something to reach up that far, the sway bar mount/bushing would be left to take the hit and get crushed or sheered off the frame.

Just my humble thoughts.

Is there a compatible skid for the factory bumper?

 

[2019 JLUR]

Those two backets, one on each side, are factory welded to the frame. I imagine a piece of heavy gauge square tube bolted/welded across there would take some hard bashes.

Like this?

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Like this?

Exactly

 

[Headbarcode]

Is there a compatible skid for the factory bumper?

The only skid that I'm aware of for the factory steel bumper, is the factory one that comes with it. I ended up giving mine to a fellow forum member who told me that it costs about $200 to order from a dealer. He was swapping out his factory plastic bumper with a used steel version that didn't come with the matching skid.

Without the Rubicon edisconnect sway assembly to protect, the skid is really only useful with tires smaller than 37's. Since smaller tires don't project as far forward, that skid can help slide across a ledge, that would otherwise snag on the tusks, until the leading edge of the tires start biting and climbing. 37's and up should project further forward and make contact before the tusks, so having a skid wouldn't be as necessary.

At least that's been my experience with my Jeep. Without the front bumper skid, I gained a pinch of approach angle and the bumper can clear a taller ledge before the tires make contact. And with front and rear Antirocks, I don't have to worry about the edisconnect motor hanging lower than the bottom of the bumper and in harms way. Some members rotate their motors upward, but I don't know if that works with the mopar steel bumper, especially if also installing a winch and mounting plate.

 

[Headbarcode]

Like this?

Exactly

Not at all trying to be a pessimist here. The tusks would better serve hard hits by deflecting them with an angled plate bridged between the bumper and tusks. That would put far less stress on the tusks and frame rails.

A run of structural box tubing will fend off a glancing blow from an angled surface, but would also be acting as an extended lever which amplifies stress on the frame rails. Anything beyond a softer angle at the point of contact would be like running into a wall, translating a lot of added force that would be trying to rip or bend the tusks rearward and/or the frame rails downward, depending on the path of least resistance.

To paint a mental picture, envision the difference in resistance between a boat traveling forward vs reverse. The soft angled front of its hull deflects and reduces a given amount of stress. The flat rear absorbs and increases that same stress.

 

[arcticaaron]

I was planning on trimming my husks after deleting the edisconnect sway assembly and front bumper skid, but ran out of daylight and didn't get to it. Turned out to be a good thing, because a couple days later my Warn winch and mounting plate came in and the winch plate utilizes the tusks for added structural integrity. So, a warning to anyone planning on installing a winch in the mopar steel bumper, make sure the mounting plate doesn't need to tie into those tusks.

As far as them potentially getting hung up on something trail related, I'd be more concerned with what's going on with the tie rod and drag link at that point. And from personal experience, 38's stick out further forward and would be climbing before a tusk had a chance to act as an anchor. Finally, if the tusks weren't there, and the result of a bad line caused something to reach up that far, the sway bar mount/bushing would be left to take the hit and get crushed or sheered off the frame.

Just my humble thoughts.

That's really good info. I didn't realize the Warn mounting plate ties into the tusks. "tusk removal" probably only a good idea if a high clearance bumper is installed with a corresponding winch tray that doesn't use the tusks for support.

 

[Headbarcode]

That's really good info. I didn't realize the Warn mounting plate ties into the tusks. "tusk removal" probably only a good idea if a high clearance bumper is installed with a corresponding winch tray that doesn't use the tusks for support.

 

[aeonixx1001]

Cut it off? You can just remove the two bolts and it falls off. I left it there as it does not bother me much.

It has a tack. weld on the side, I tried taking it off, no go without cutting or grinding the weld off, I just put the skid plate on and it looks great.

 

[Nitehawk92]

I can see that the skid comes off easy but the two fangs are welded to the frame. I'll dig for a plate down there

Why does it bother you? Do you spend time under your Jeep just looking at it???

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