Skid Plate Mods

Jeger · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:01 pm

I am finally going to pick up a set of skid plates this weekend

I was wondering if anyone has beefed up their factory skids, particularly the tranny skid. If not, what would you suggest to accomplish such a thing.

I know...just buy a better one. Well am getting a good deal on these, dont have the money for better ones, and do have access to a welder/materials at work. Plus it will satisfy my need to tinker with something

Also any pics of the usual tranny skid failures/damage would be helpful... so I would know what/where to reinforce

Thanks for any input.

moose · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:42 pm

Jeger wrote:

I am finally going to pick up a set of skid plates this weekend

I was wondering if anyone has beefed up their factory skids, particularly the tranny skid. If not, what would you suggest to accomplish such a thing.

I know...just buy a better one. Well am getting a good deal on these, dont have the money for better ones, and do have access to a welder/materials at work. Plus it will satisfy my need to tinker with something

Also any pics of the usual tranny skid failures/damage would be helpful... so I would know what/where to reinforce

Thanks for any input.

Stop by and take a look, or meet for lunch/after work. Mine took a big hit in KY in November, but held!

Jeephead1977 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:23 pm

Take a camera with you and take pics because I would like to see as well hehe

kjfishman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:45 pm

moose wrote:

Jeger wrote:

I am finally going to pick up a set of skid plates this weekend

I was wondering if anyone has beefed up their factory skids, particularly the tranny skid. If not, what would you suggest to accomplish such a thing.

I know...just buy a better one. Well am getting a good deal on these, dont have the money for better ones, and do have access to a welder/materials at work. Plus it will satisfy my need to tinker with something

Also any pics of the usual tranny skid failures/damage would be helpful... so I would know what/where to reinforce

Thanks for any input.

Stop by and take a look, or meet for lunch/after work. Mine took a big hit in KY in November, but held!

Posting picturers here would be nice along with suggestions to beef them up.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:50 pm

Best pic I have of moose's skid.

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 7:38 pm

Jeger wrote:

I know...just buy a better one. Well am getting a good deal on these, dont have the money for better ones, and do have access to a welder/materials at work. Plus it will satisfy my need to tinker with something

Also any pics of the usual tranny skid failures/damage would be helpful... so I would know what/where to reinforce

Thanks for any input.

Mine bent like a potato chip. Replaced with a super skid. Anyway-here's a failure...

OzLtd · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:06 pm

MY GOD !! That is a catastrophic failure alright !!

That tranny pan is screwed.........I hope the dealer replaced all that under warranty

Jeger, i've beefed up the main front IFS one. I'll get some pics tonight and post up for you.
My tranny / Tcase one is a complete custom flat slider plate that covers everything completely. - Happy with its performance but not impressed with its weight

!! I'm going to re invent that one to save at least 50% of the weight.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:23 pm

haha, looks like its balls took a hit too! What the heck were you doing!?!?! :twisted:

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:45 pm

Look what I just found... you can get a SuperSkid for cheap and do it right the first time. If you add up the cost of a mopar tranny skid plate, your time pounding it out after any serious trips, and then the cost of the inevitable second replacement skid, a new tranny pan, exhaust, or cracked valve body...you'll see the superskid is worth every cent. I got off lucky with just the pan denting. When you see a superskid next to the mopar tranny skid-you'll realize you had a panty liner on your KJ.

I believe this is from the trip it happened on. And my KJ balls have been tucked for quite some time. It was a personal decision that I do not regret. :wink:

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:54 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

haha, looks like its balls took a hit too! What the heck were you doing!?!?! :twisted:

Must have driven in some cold water!

Those are seriously bent. I took mine off (bent). Haven't noticed anything different.

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:37 am

Thanks for the info and pics so far, they will be helpful for me. It kind of worries me about where those things are bending, the CRD's oil filter is right in that area and I believe our tranny pan will sit closer to the skid as well. I am getting all 4 skids for less than half the price of the superskid, so I will be getting them regardless. I will be sure to post up any mods I come up with and maybe I will get a chance to test them out soon.

OzLtd..I would like to see what you have done.
Thanks

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:09 am

You'll need to stiffen up the long axis of the mopar skid. But I don't know if there is room (clearance) between the tranny pan and the crossmember for the simple solution. Which would be to weld two sections of 1x1 square tube stock to the inside of the skid. Then go about mounting the the skid as usual.

Another, less effective, alternative would be to take some flat stock (say 2"x0.25" or 0.5") lay it on it's side and weld right up the middle of the skid. Again on the long axis of course.

The welds will have to be really good too because that skid will be supporting a major portion of the KJ's weight.

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:15 am

sleeve84028 wrote:

You'll need to stiffen up the long axis of the mopar skid. But I don't know if there is room (clearance) between the tranny pan and the crossmember for the simple solution. Which would be to weld two sections of 1x1 square tube stock to the inside of the skid. Then go about mounting the the skid as usual.

Another, less effective, alternative would be to take some flat stock (say 2"x0.25" or 0.5") lay it on it's side and weld right up the middle of the skid. Again on the long axis of course.

The welds will have to be really good too because that skid will be supporting a major portion of the KJ's weight.

I was thinking about taking some angle iron and laying it so that the pointy end is facing the ground "V" on the bottom side of the skid and tapering th ends down so that it wont hang up on anything too bad. I would lose some groung clearance but it would probably be worth it. I would also consider adding some outriggers, but I dont know if that is feasible yet.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:44 am

That could work too... Would you trim down the sides of the angle iron to go from a 'V' to a 'v' ? That corner section of angle iron is pretty darn strong.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:48 am

if you have access to the materials i would just build my own skids out of 1/4" plate and box around the pan,

another thing you could do is "plate" the skids that way you will only loose the thickness of the material. but that will be alot of cutting and grinding of welds.

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:38 pm

CarNutCertifies wrote:

if you have access to the materials i would just build my own skids out of 1/4" plate and box around the pan,

another thing you could do is "plate" the skids that way you will only loose the thickness of the material. but that will be alot of cutting and grinding of welds.

This last option you mentioned has crossed my mind, it may be the route I go. I had thought of cutting slits through the bottom of the factory skid to give me a place to weld through.

Anyone know if stainless will weld to cold roll? I have done it before but im not sure if it makes a strong weld or not.

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:00 pm

What are you going to do up front where it meets up with the engine skid? Thats where it would always bend with any weight on it. The flat area that covered the pan wasnt a problem...till the end.

I still think your polishing a turd with that mopar skid. You'd be better off making your own belly skid from scratch ince you mentioned you can do that.

performancechef · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:11 pm

Maybe slightly off topic but i noticed all aftermarket skids have the bolt heads protruding!? Has anyone had a problem with the heads shearing when sliding on rock or worse yet, the the metal around the threads warping or ripping??? I see this as a major concern. Is there a skid that has recessed bolt heads?

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:51 pm

Switching to a carriage bolt would be the best way to reduce any protrusions.. But then you have to cut a square hole in the skid to keep the bolt from turning while you torque it down.

It would be pretty fun to make your own skid - but the amount of material that you would require will be costly. Probably to the point that it just becomes better to purchase the superskid at $230ish

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:13 pm

sleeve84028 wrote:

Switching to a carriage bolt would be the best way to reduce any protrusions.. But then you have to cut a square hole in the skid to keep the bolt from turning while you torque it down.

It would be pretty fun to make your own skid - but the amount of material that you would require will be costly. Probably to the point that it just becomes better to purchase the superskid at $230ish

But anyone with access to free/scrap metal could do fairly well, Also dont forget to shop the scrap yards, a piece of .250 plate the size we would need shouldnt be outrageous. If I bend my modified stocker I will probably go that route myself.

Skid Plate Mods

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