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Skid Row Exhaust Loop Skid Plate "Improvements"

CarbonSteel

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It is a good intent for a skid, but like many of you have suggested, the cantilever action that could happen when a rock hits the plate would likely just bend the skid into the exhaust loop. I am considering beefing mine up (try not to laugh and the cardboard and tape--it is easier to cut cardboard than plate) with the following enhancements.

I am mindful of not making it too strong because it is also a lever on the control arm mount and the frame and would rather sacrifice the skid versus either of those. The biggest weakness that I see is the frame mounting tab which will absolutely bend so I am going to do a full gusset on it and am connecting the tab back to the control arm mount area to strengthen both of them with 1" x 1/4" flat bar.

I had considered putting two "L" shaped plates made from 1" x 1/4" flat bar from the control arm mount to the opposite flange (across the belly of the skid on the inside), but that would get into the exhaust loop or leave very little clearance. I could use some 1/2" x 1/2" square stock instead of 1" x 1/4" flat bar, but I am thinking what I have laid out in cardboard should seriously strengthen the overall design.

What say you? Anything I am overthinking?

Jeep Wrangler JL Skid Row Exhaust Loop Skid Plate "Improvements" JP-8018_View1_Wi

Jeep Wrangler JL Skid Row Exhaust Loop Skid Plate "Improvements" JP-8018_View2_Wi



Jeep Wrangler JL Skid Row Exhaust Loop Skid Plate "Improvements" fsPxvs

Jeep Wrangler JL Skid Row Exhaust Loop Skid Plate "Improvements" fsPzyG

Jeep Wrangler JL Skid Row Exhaust Loop Skid Plate "Improvements" fsPoan
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Chocolate Thunder

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Did you test fit it yet to see if it actually clears the exhaust loop? Mine doesn’t.

I think you’re over engineering it. It’s a skid. I think it would take quite a hard hit to bend it into the exhaust or damage the control arm mounting ear. That area takes hard hits all the time and isn’t known to be a weakness.
 
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CarbonSteel

CarbonSteel

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Did you test fit it yet to see if it actually clears the exhaust loop? Mine doesn’t.

I think you’re over engineering it. It’s a skid. I think it would take quite a hard hit to bend it into the exhaust or damage the control arm mounting ear. That area takes hard hits all the time and isn’t known to be a weakness.
I mocked it up and it appears that it would fit with no problems.

Agree with the over engineering, but that means it should be fine no matter what I throw at it.:rock:
 
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CarbonSteel

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CarbonSteel

CarbonSteel

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Good luck then. Im eager to see the end result.

I’m not sure why mine doesn’t fit right. :(
Scratch that--I did another mock-up this morning and the heat shield on the exhaust loop hits right where yours is so Skid Row has a bad design and your system is not unique. It looks like it ***may*** fit with the heat shield removed, but I would rather not do that.

So I am back to the drawing board a bit and will likely have a 1" or 1-1/2" strip welded into the middle of it to make it wide enough to go around the loop. I am only doing this because I would be that guy who has some crazy angled rock go right into the middle of the loop--I will never win the lottery, but I will win a damaged "something" every time :LOL:
 

Chocolate Thunder

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I actually called and spoke to the guy at SkidRow who designed it. Name is Eric, nice fellow. He was concerned about it and I offered to send him photos and even a couple of short videos showing the issue. He went out to his JL that he used to design it and says he has room to fit his finger between the shield and the skid. His only explanation is that possibly my MetalCloak control arm joint is slightly narrower than OEM causing the mounting bracket to pinch in maybe 1/8” or so (doubt it) pulling the skid closer; and possibly production variances on the position of the frame and exhaust loop might account for another 1/8” or more (possible) and this added together causes the contact.

I’m going to try placing 2 washers on the control arm bolt between the inner mounting flange and the skid to push it out a bit. That’s about all that I think will work unless I get a longer control arm mounting bolt which I’d rather not do. I could also grind it down a bit where it touches but I’d rather not have to go to that much trouble.
 
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CarbonSteel

CarbonSteel

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I actually called and spoke to the guy at SkidRow who designed it. Name is Eric, nice fellow. He was concerned about it and I offered to send him photos and even a couple of short videos showing the issue. He went out to his JL that he used to design it and says he has room to fit his finger between the shield and the skid. His only explanation is that possibly my MetalCloak control arm joint is slightly narrower than OEM causing the mounting bracket to pinch in maybe 1/8” or so (doubt it) pulling the skid closer; and possibly production variances on the position of the frame and exhaust loop might account for another 1/8” or more (possible) and this added together causes the contact.

I’m going to try placing 2 washers on the control arm bolt between the inner mounting flange and the skid to push it out a bit. That’s about all that I think will work unless I get a longer control arm mounting bolt which I’d rather not do. I could also grind it down a bit where it touches but I’d rather not have to go to that much trouble.
I have the longer Mopar lower control arms so I do not think my mounting point is pinched in. My ROAM step wiring runs through the factory skid bar and I need to move that wiring in preparation to install my new MC skid system.

I plan to do that this weekend and will drop the factory skid bar and do a proper fitting of the Skid Row skid. I will let you know how it fits and I may contact Skid Row myself.
 

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Chocolate Thunder

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I have the longer Mopar lower control arms so I do not think my mounting point is pinched in. My ROAM step wiring runs through the factory skid bar and I need to move that wiring in preparation to install my new MC skid system.

I plan to do that this weekend and will drop the factory skid bar and do a proper fitting of the Skid Row skid. I will let you know how it fits and I may contact Skid Row myself.
I’d say that if you install it and it fits like mine does then definitely give him a call and show him your fitment. I’m sure he’d want to know sooner rather than later if it needs to be redesigned. Simply widening it about 1/2” would be easy and wouldn’t interfere with any other parts.
 
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CarbonSteel

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I’d say that if you install it and it fits like mine does then definitely give him a call and show him your fitment. I’m sure he’d want to know sooner rather than later if it needs to be redesigned. Simply widening it about 1/2” would be easy and wouldn’t interfere with any other parts.
I dropped the OEM skid bar and mocked it up and it looks like it will fit without hitting. I had over an inch of gap between the pipe and the skid with the skid on the control arm bolt against the nut (I did not take the nut off the bolt).

I am going to go ahead with my mods and when I install the MC Game Changer lift, I will confirm 100%>
 

Chocolate Thunder

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I dropped the OEM skid bar and mocked it up and it looks like it will fit without hitting. I had over an inch of gap between the pipe and the skid with the skid on the control arm bolt against the nut (I did not take the nut off the bolt).

I am going to go ahead with my mods and when I install the MC Game Changer lift, I will confirm 100%>
When you mount it you’ll remove that nut and place the skid up against the control arm inner bracket and secure it with the OEM nut. If you’ve got over an inch you might be OK, the nut isn’t that tall. But I’d like to see how much space you end up with when it’s actually mounted in place.
 
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CarbonSteel

CarbonSteel

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When you mount it you’ll remove that nut and place the skid up against the control arm inner bracket and secure it with the OEM nut. If you’ve got over an inch you might be OK, the nut isn’t that tall. But I’d like to see how much space you end up with when it’s actually mounted in place.
Yep; the other thing I noticed is how hard it's going to be to tighten that control arm nut and bolt with the skid in place.
 

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Yep; the other thing I noticed is how hard it's going to be to tighten that control arm nut and bolt with the skid in place.
Not really. I used an adjustable wrench on the nut because my big wrenches weren’t handy (22 I think) and a socket/air impact on the 21 bolt head. You don’t have to remove the bolt, just take the nut off, place the skid, bolt it back up and torque it. Total install time less than 5 minutes.
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