CRD Unlimited? Skid plate question...

METCRD · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 6:30 pm

I bought a used tranny skid off of one of the members here and it has been sitting in the back of my jeep rattling around for quite some time now. Today it was nice enough out that I crawled underneath to install the skid plate. I remember reading that it bolted in the front under the engine skid and then bolted in the back on the transmission cross member. It bolted up nicely in the front but when I pushed it up to check the fit in the rear this is what I came up with.

My only guess is that either the skid plate for this (off an '02 gasser) is made shorter than an '05 or maybe I have the only factory CRD unlimited?! So I guess on to my question. What do you guys think would be the best fix? If the rear of the skid plate came up to where it was supposed to only one bolt would fit and the other would need a hole drilled for it. And if I did this the front would then be a little shy of fitting. Could I use some 1/4" flat to extend the front in order for it to fit? Should I keep on looking for another one? Or do I need to find an unlimited tranny skid? :ROTFL:

Here are a what the back and front would kind of look like with the rear lined up to the bolts and the front coming up short. Sorry about the sun in the last photo, the skid is in the bottom left quadrant.

huntbuggy · **Joined:** Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:24 pm **Posts:** 91

Just did mine and had to mod a bit - not length as I have the gasser crossmember - tough luck for CRDs I guess!

It looks like from your pics the front holes are smaller and line up correctly?

If so that's the route I'd take then just bolt or weld stock on the back as you're drilling anyway for the trans crossmember right?

:2cents:

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:39 pm

I had 2 'gasser' tranny skids on my CRD before I Got a SuperSkid
They all fit, no length issues.

METCRD · **Posted:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 6:47 pm

ATXKJ: If those skids fit your CRD then I believe that confirms I have the one and only CRD unlimited (all 4 inches more of it) although not quite sure where all that extra space went. :roll:

I headed back out last night and bolted up the skid to the transmission crossmember to see how close the front was to fitting. I bolted the rear of the skid to the forward most bolt on the crossmember and this is what it looked like....

I then checked the front and this is where it came to....

My solution is to bolt the rear of the skid to the crossmember at the middle bolt, drill through the skid for the second bolt so that I have two bolts on each side holding the skid at the crossmember. I think I will then butt the needed length in flat stock to reach the front holes and use another piece of flat stock to join the two. Weld it all up and then paint and install. What type of steel do you guys think I should use? And does anyone think they have a better idea? Thanks all I will keep you posted as I go along.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:01 pm

By the looks of it this is not a MOPAR skid, right? I cannot see the whole thing but it seems there has been some drilling done on the front holes as wel...I think this isn't even a KJ skid.

Because the ASFIR skids I have fit 2002-2005 no problem.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:13 pm

Your "used tranny skid" is not OEM - which my first 2 were - and it's not an All-J's Superskid
like my current one. (for Superskids 02-04 Gassers fit the CRD - but not the 05-06 skid's)

my guess is it's aftermarket where the manufacturer tucked it as close to the engine/tranny as possible with no extra room and there is a difference.

METCRD · **Posted:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:25 pm

Yes, You both are correct as it is not a Mopar skid. The skid was made by Rusty's and is very beefy. One of the front holes was modified slightly but not problem there. I believe that once I weld a piece of 1/4" flat stock on it will give me the length I need and then give me enough strength to withstand encounters with any unscrupulous rocks.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:54 pm

I would say it should work fine,
too bad didn't know

CRD Unlimited? Skid plate question...

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