JL underbelly

[BostonBilly]

Does anyone have any pics or info about the underbelly armor on the JL Rubi? Just curious what is protected, how thick is protection and will it be possible to do a "flatbelly skid"

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[2stoned]

Look to Jeep.com
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www.jeep.com/content/dam/fca-brands/na/jeep/en_us/2018/wrangler-jl/capability/2018-Jeep-Wrangler-JL-Capability-Protection.jpg.image.2880.jpg

 

[BostonBilly]

Cool. Thanks

 

[BostonBilly]

That pic doesn't make me feel good about the factory protection. Definitely on the top of my mod list

 

[DanW]

That pic doesn't make me feel good about the factory protection. Definitely on the top of my mod list

Well, one thing they did was move the exhaust pipe where it crosses over. (It has moved foreward). It was in a terrible place before, at least on my 08 3.8, right in front of the transfer case skid plate. I've never bumped it, but it has always bothered me where it was located. Other than that, my JK has hit things on the bottom quite a bit, but always right square on a skid plate. I think they have a pretty good idea of where the most likely hits are going to be, and they protect those spots pretty well.

Also, the press fleet that ran the rocks out west did LOTS of rubbing and bumping, and didn't appear to do much harm.

The main reason I'll go with 35's and the lift, though, is to simply get that breakover angle improved and avoid much of the rubbing/scraping in the first place.

It does look like there are some excellent anchor points for aftermarket skid plates, especially around the transfer case.

One more thing...I swore I read that there would be an oil pan skid plate on the Rubi, but I don't see one here. I do see, however, some transmission protection, in the form of a cross member, which is good.

 

[BostonBilly]

Yeah i watched the vids we here the press got to drive the JL and wheeled it up a rock grade. Some of the crunching and banging was loud. We will see once it arrives what it actually has underneath and if the oil pan has any armor. My attitude is better to have and not need than to need and not have. It would suck to put a hole in the oil pan or tranny or just get hung up on a crewmember cause a rock got wedge up in there

 

[DanW]

Yeah i watched the vids we here the press got to drive the JL and wheeled it up a rock grade. Some of the crunching and banging was loud. We will see once it arrives what it actually has underneath and if the oil pan has any armor. My attitude is better to have and not need than to need and not have. It would suck to put a hole in the oil pan or tranny or just get hung up on a crewmember cause a rock got wedge up in there

Yep, first mods on my JK were armor for the oil pan, which on the 3.8 sticks down much further than the 3.6, and a skid for the evaporation cannister, which I don't even see on the bottom of the JL.

 

[BostonBilly]

Yeah the evap can was always an issue. My JKU was a daily driver, this one won' be cause a have a work van now. I held back going places and doing things with my JKU cause I needed to be able to get to work with it. I am looking forward to tackling different places around my area

 

[DanW]

Yeah the evap can was always an issue. My JKU was a daily driver, this one won' be cause a have a work van now. I held back going places and doing things with my JKU cause I needed to be able to get to work with it. I am looking forward to tackling different places around my area

The oil pan, exhaust pipe in front of the skid plate, and the evap can are always my biggest worries, but after trips to Colorado, Moab, a bunch to Windrock, and many, many others, I have to laugh because I've never even scuffed them or their skid plates. My T-case skid has taken the brunt of the action, and has held up well, while my gas tank skid has slid over things many a time. The gas tank skid also took a massive hit in Moab, but the dent wasn't too bad. The peace of mind with the added protection has been well worth it, though.

My buddy's 2013 JKU spent half the trip at Moab on his gas tank skid. That Jeep only had a few thousand miles on it, but that skid plate looked like it had half a million! Lol! Just a 2" lift and 33's kept mine mostly off the skids on the same exact trails. I'll post pics if I get time. The contrast is really something. On one trail, on top of a hill, he got high centered on a big rock and his Jeep pivoted, like a top, 270 degrees, and if it weren't for a spotter, he'd have driven right off a ledge! He couldn't see where he was pointed, and I'm not even sure he knew he had twirrled. That skid did its job, though.

 

[Billy]

Look to Jeep.com
New Wrangler / Features / Capability
Scroll down...
www.jeep.com/content/dam/fca-brands/na/jeep/en_us/2018/wrangler-jl/capability/2018-Jeep-Wrangler-JL-Capability-Protection.jpg.image.2880.jpg

Are we sure that's not a JK?

 

[AZCrawl]

Are we sure that's not a JK?

If it is, the URL is all wrong since it directly references JL.

 

[TTEChris]

That is not a JK in the pictures above. The rear shock mounting and exhaust routing is different on the JK to name a few things.

 

[Billy]

Fair enough

 

[BillyHW]

Look to Jeep.com
New Wrangler / Features / Capability
Scroll down...
www.jeep.com/content/dam/fca-brands/na/jeep/en_us/2018/wrangler-jl/capability/2018-Jeep-Wrangler-JL-Capability-Protection.jpg.image.2880.jpg

Do we know if that's a Rubicon? The Sport and Sahara might not get the same or any skid plates.

 

[2stoned]

May be wrong, but I think the Rubycon gets red shock absorbers or King Shocks.
So this is probably not a Ruby.
Maybe someone can ID the Differential housings?
Selectrac or no?
Engine is Pentastar and gearbox is auto.

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