3 engine skid bolts ok?

callaway · **Posted:** Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:56 pm

I installed my skids and didn't want to do any drilling into the frame so I modified the skids to fit around current holes. On each skid (engine, tranmission, transfercase) I could only get 3 bolts.

Most noticeable is where the engine skid meets the transmission skid ( I know I should put the engine over the other but it was cold and I wasnt really thinking)

Note how far the threaded hole is from where it lines out on the skid. Should I drill and tap a new hole or not be that concerned with it?

Also, the skids make it much nosier (at least inside) whilest driving. I assume this is due to the lack of open air for the sound to dissipate into but can someone confirm for sanity's sake?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:19 pm

Should be ok, just be sure to put that tranny skid between the engine skid and the cross memeber.. It will get torn off like that.

You could drill a hole through the crossmember and put a through bolt in it, no use in tapping threads.

callaway · **Posted:** Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:21 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Should be ok, just be sure to put that tranny skid between the engine skid and the cross memeber.. It will get torn off like that.

You could drill a hole through the crossmember and put a through bolt in it, no use in tapping threads.

I realized I placed them like that after I put everything away and was heading inside. I'll change them around tomorrow

Should I worry about the other skids only using 3 bolts?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:31 pm

callaway wrote:

I realized I placed them like that after I put everything away and was heading inside. I'll change them around tomorrow

Should I worry about the other skids only using 3 bolts?

The only situation that I could see where the third bolt would be needed is if you were backing up and a rock caught the back of the engine skid and pulled it down. For normal offroading where the rocks would be sliding under the skid(front to back), the third bolt would not be needed on the engine skid.

I only have 3 bolts on my tranny skid, but its sandwiched between my engine skid and the cross member, but the engine skid also has that 4th bolt unlike yours.

Edit: Where did you get that skid? Is it 3/16" steel like the other skids? I heard that some libbys came with a lighter duty skid and it wasnt as good as the normal skids.

callaway · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:47 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

The only situation that I could see where the third bolt would be needed is if you were backing up and a rock caught the back of the engine skid and pulled it down. For normal offroading where the rocks would be sliding under the skid(front to back), the third bolt would not be needed on the engine skid.

I only have 3 bolts on my tranny skid, but its sandwiched between my engine skid and the cross member, but the engine skid also has that 4th bolt unlike yours.

for the time being i'll just leave it then and drill into the crossmembers when i get the lift on and have more time to play

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Edit: Where did you get that skid? Is it 3/16" steel like the other skids? I heard that some libbys came with a lighter duty skid and it wasnt as good as the normal skids.

i didnt mic what the steel was but it came from jparts.com so i hope its good stuff

FastTRX · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:05 pm

Them are too shiny.....time to get some scratches and nicks!!! :twisted:

JK...we'll play light.

How heavy were the skids? Lookin' good.

65thKJ · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:19 pm

I didn't think you had to drill for Mopar skids, I thought they went in factory holes.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:27 pm

callaway wrote:

Jeepjeepster wrote:

The only situation that I could see where the third bolt would be needed is if you were backing up and a rock caught the back of the engine skid and pulled it down. For normal offroading where the rocks would be sliding under the skid(front to back), the third bolt would not be needed on the engine skid.

I only have 3 bolts on my tranny skid, but its sandwiched between my engine skid and the cross member, but the engine skid also has that 4th bolt unlike yours.

for the time being i'll just leave it then and drill into the crossmembers when i get the lift on and have more time to play

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Edit: Where did you get that skid? Is it 3/16" steel like the other skids? I heard that some libbys came with a lighter duty skid and it wasnt as good as the normal skids.

i didnt mic what the steel was but it came from jparts.com so i hope its good stuff

They are Mopar ones. Why didn't you use the other hole on the tranny skid? The transfer case one only has 3 bolts if I remember right.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:33 pm

BVCRD wrote:

callaway wrote:

Jeepjeepster wrote:

The only situation that I could see where the third bolt would be needed is if you were backing up and a rock caught the back of the engine skid and pulled it down. For normal offroading where the rocks would be sliding under the skid(front to back), the third bolt would not be needed on the engine skid.

I only have 3 bolts on my tranny skid, but its sandwiched between my engine skid and the cross member, but the engine skid also has that 4th bolt unlike yours.

for the time being i'll just leave it then and drill into the crossmembers when i get the lift on and have more time to play

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Edit: Where did you get that skid? Is it 3/16" steel like the other skids? I heard that some libbys came with a lighter duty skid and it wasnt as good as the normal skids.

i didnt mic what the steel was but it came from jparts.com so i hope its good stuff

They are Mopar ones. Why didn't you use the other hole on the tranny skid? The transfer case one only has 3 bolts if I remember right.

The transfer skid has 4 bolts,actually all my skids(excluding my gas tank skid which is held on with 6 bolts) are held on with 4 bolts,no drilling no nothing they just lined up to the factory holes.Even my aftermarket SkidRow plates lined up perfectly to all the stock holes so I still have 4 bolts holding them on to.DCX did alot of changing over the years on how the skids attached,guess I got lucky.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:06 pm

BVCRD wrote:

They are Mopar ones. Why didn't you use the other hole on the tranny skid? The transfer case one only has 3 bolts if I remember right.

3 holes was all that lined up on the tranny skid since I have an 04 and its for an 05. I believe thats what callaway's problem is, thats for an 05+ libby.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:53 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

BVCRD wrote:

They are Mopar ones. Why didn't you use the other hole on the tranny skid? The transfer case one only has 3 bolts if I remember right.

3 holes was all that lined up on the tranny skid since I have an 04 and its for an 05. I believe thats what callaway's problem is, thats for an 05+ libby.

Yeah he has an '03 ,like mine, the engine skid lined up as well as the t-case and fuel tank easy no problem
that odd hole on the side should be the 4 bolt for the OE engine skid
There was no trany skit option for the '03's this I know the newer model skids CAN be used but problems like this come up
he has the wrong engine skid that is why it does not line up
the trany skid never will you need to drill for it

callaway · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:01 pm

jason thompson wrote:

he has the wrong engine skid that is why it does not line up

theres more than one mopar engine skid?

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:06 pm

callaway wrote:

jason thompson wrote:

he has the wrong engine skid that is why it does not line up

theres more than one mopar engine skid?

Yup they made changes along the way to the front cross member and to the way the skids mount so you need the engine skid for an '03
I can get you some pics of mine tomarow PM but I know that some one else has them easy I will have to take them

this is also why I do not like the funky make it fit trany skid issue that some folks view as OK
I am a perfectionist so when I do somthig like this I need to drill and cut and make it look and work good
this is why it took so long to do the one and only that I did and I said never again

FastTRX · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:07 pm

callaway wrote:

jason thompson wrote:

he has the wrong engine skid that is why it does not line up

theres more than one mopar engine skid?

I believe the engine skid is all the same...as well as the fuel tank skid for all KJs.

I think he meant the Tranny skid...

*Edit: I think the skid is the same...the mounting is different??

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:11 pm

FastTRX wrote:

callaway wrote:

jason thompson wrote:

he has the wrong engine skid that is why it does not line up

theres more than one mopar engine skid?

I believe the engine skid is all the same...as well as the fuel tank skid for all KJs.

I think he meant the Tranny skid...

*Edit: I think the skid is the same...the mounting is different??

no both the mount and skid are different
look at the pic the bolt hole on the right hand side of the pic on the crossmember that is the mounting point for the engine skid
the trany skid never had never will fit correctly you will need to drill for it to work

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:20 pm

The engine skid was the only decent MOPAR skid made, but they changed the design by removing the reinforcement right below the pumkin, and also removing the mounting point on the rear driver corner. To make things worse, now I dont think anybody else makes one for the KJ. I've heard Skid Row stopped making theirs.

callaway · **Posted:** Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:24 pm

would it be wise to drill into the crossmember and bolt, where i circled in red, to account for the redesign and the missing 4th bolt...

if i did that i'd have 4 bolts both the engine and trany skid

BVCRD · **Posted:** Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:04 am

Jeepjeepster wrote:

BVCRD wrote:

They are Mopar ones. Why didn't you use the other hole on the tranny skid? The transfer case one only has 3 bolts if I remember right.

3 holes was all that lined up on the tranny skid since I have an 04 and its for an 05. I believe thats what callaway's problem is, thats for an 05+ libby.

I got you. Mine is an '06 and everything lined up.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:12 pm

callaway wrote:

would it be wise to drill into the crossmember and bolt, where i circled in red, to account for the redesign and the missing 4th bolt...

if i did that i'd have 4 bolts both the engine and trany skid

Yup do that
I did the same thing to mount my trany skid ,the one I made
so the trany skid has 4 bolts and the engine skid has 5
the T-case has the original 3 or 4 what ever it is but it is over laped by 4" from the trany skid wich has 2 5/8" bolts in the cross member
and it still moved some? it works though

Oh yeah take great care not to drill any thing past the cross member like the oil pan or drive shaft
I used a C-clamp and a pcs. of 1/8" steel plate on top of a 1X? pcs. of wood to stop the drill from pulling through

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:31 pm

The KJ has been under the drill plenty, its not the mount point. I was more concerned about the lack of reinforcement exactly where my reinforced one bent (to end up resting right on the diff and vibrating). It's just as flimsy as all the other mopar skids now. Light duty at best.

3 engine skid bolts ok?

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