Confused on skid plates

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:03 am

Now that my engine, engine cradle & various other parts are being replaced for $10,000 (and climbing) due to rock damage, it's a good time to reflect on skid plates. The main damage occurred near the oil filter and included a bent engine cradle/cross member.

I'm seeing two main options:

1) Skid Row
2) Mopar

But the cost differences and what they cover are a bit baffling to me.
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1) Skid Row (From http://jeepinbyal.com/cat-Skid_Plate-99.aspx):

*Front (JP 4000) - I'm not sure this covers as much as my current stock Mopar plate covers, and may be lower to the ground.
Cost = $200
*Engine/Transmission (JP 4001) - Appears to extend back from the front plate. I believe this one would have saved me last week as the engine was damaged behind the cradle when I hit a huge boulder hard while backing up in the dark/rain.
Cost = $260
*Fuel tank (JP 4002)
Cost = $290
*Transfer case (JP 4003)
Cost = $150

TOTAL: $900 plus shipping
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2) Mopar (From http://www.justforjeeps.com/fueltank.html)
* Front - I have this already. Not sure if it is meaningfully better or worse than the Skid Row. It looks wider and may protect the axles better. (???)
Cost = $0
* Transmission - Not called "Engine/Transmission" as the Skid Row product, but it looks narrower. Not sure if it protects the vulnerable oil filter area or help brace the cross beam that was damaged.
Cost = $55
* Transfer case
Cost = $55
* Fuel tank - These all look similar
Cost = $127

TOTAL: $237 plus shipping

Here is what the Mopar skid plates cover:

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$663 difference! :dizzy:

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What I don't know is if the Mopar "Transmission" skid plate would have prevented the damage as it appears to be narrower than Skid Row....but I can't tell very well. The others look similar enough. Does anyone have experience with both of these?

papaindigo · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:17 am

The after market skids are going to be thicker/heavier duty and maybe cover a slightly/somewhat larger area. I can tell you that the Mopar transmission skid is right at 12" wide and that the picture is ok for the front 3 skids but totally wrong for the KJ fuel tank skid which is essentially a box around the fuel tank and the fuel tank is located where the spare tire shows in this picture.

IMHO if you drive paved roads and light off road (sand, daylight, if rocks slowly with a spotter) and want protection for road debris fly up or light rock scrapes then the Mopar skids are ok but if you want serious protection go after market. For my type of driving I went Mopar.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:30 am

The skid row plates are over twice as thick as the OE plates and will take more then one major hit.OEM plates are almost a one hit and replace.Skip the skid row gas tank plate and get a Kilby gas tank plate,much better but are built to order now and a little cheaper.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:27 am

The Mopar skids are at best sacrificial - one good hit and they're dead - but you'll generally get back home.
Skid Row is if you expect to play more than once.

The Jeep 05-06 engine skids are thinner than the 02-04 (and thinner than the replacements Jeep now sells) - also the width is mainly the sound deadening plastic - the steel is in the center (mine bent from an overzealous tire tech who used it as a jacking point - the replacement is ~ twice as thick - not as good as a Skid Row - but better than it was stock)

The Tranny skid is the one I'd be most worried about - my Jeep skid at Moab - bend enough to bend the tranny pan - but I made it back to Texas - JL Rockies - the Jeep skid bent enough to tear the oil filter - he made it back to town with an extra gallon of engine oil.. (I now have a used SuperSkid - it's stronger than Skid Row - but they stopped making them)

so if you're in the rocks on a regular basis - Skid Row is the best out there. If you're just looking for occasional protection - Jeep skids will work.

(pretty sure tjkj had all Skid Row before he did the lift - and he did a lot of trails)

I still have the Jeep gas tank skid - if I could make Moab more than once ever 3-4 years - I'd spend the money on a Kilby

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:38 pm

Thanks for the good info.
Most of what I do is logging roads & trails in the Cascades of Washington - and a lot of snow driving. The top soil & vegetation is so thick it doesn't involve driving on rock like you might in Moab. I tend to hit boulders in washouts, avalanches, dry creeks etc.. They can surprise you because they can shift around making it tough to predict. The one I hit last week was on the side of a river. I tried crossing but it was way too swift & I didn't have a winch, so I backed up fast to get out of a potentially bad situation. For some reason, even following my exact track in where I didn't hit anything, I hit a huge boulder that stopped me completely with a horrific bam. I tried repositioning the car but hit it again before finally skidding over it and making it back up the hill backward & on to the logging road. Upon checking the underside I noticed I was losing oil fast & the engine was making nasty noises. Since I was 25 miles from any cell reception, my satellite transmitter service had not yet been activated, it was midnight, raining, and nobody knew where I was, I drove as far as possible & then walked until I could call for a tow. I finally got home (and got into trouble) at 6am.

However, I've never damaged it from rocks before. Dented it up, yes, but not damaged to the point of $. I'm usually by myself, it's often nighttime, snowing or raining, and therefore I'm usually fairly cautious about what I try. Usually.
This is fairly typical of the boulders I might hit:

I'm leaning toward the front & tranny skid plates from Skid Row, and the tank and transfer case from Mopar. The vast majority of the hits are on the front plate - which admittedly is quite beat up on mine. Occasionally I hit near the tranny. I don't have any major dents or big scrape marks on the tank or transfer case (other than from brush) indicating that would be a rare strike.

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:21 pm

I went ahead with the Skid Row for the front and tranny covers. Here's why:

* I talked to a person at Jeepinbyal.com and he measured the tranny cover at 20" wide......whereas the Mopar is 12" wide. I'm not convinced the Mopar would have prevented last week's river boulder damage because it isn't wide enough.
* The Skid Row front plate is smoother than the Mopar. When put together, the bottom of the Jeep is a smoother more contiguous piece less likely to hang. It may also be better in deep snow.

FYI: The person at Jeepinbyal.com said he was working on a 32" wide version of the tranny plate as well - ready for market in a month or so. (I'm imagining it will be a fair bit more expensive.)

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:01 pm

I approve of skid row plates besides the gas tank skid.

arengant · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:17 am

I would also want to get rock rails. I think I hit mine the FIRST time out (up at Evan's Creek by Bonney Lake) They will add to cost, but well worth it for preventing body damage. Boulders are NOT friends

METCRD · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:21 pm

Engine skid, tranny skid and rock rails were all purchased and put on my jeep for pastafari and of course "the hook". The first time I dropped hard on my rock rails my wife finally understood why they are needed. I have the mopar gas tank skid which is good enough to protect against most bumps, but I know....a serious enthusiast would go thicker.

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:05 pm

arengant wrote:

I would also want to get rock rails. I think I hit mine the FIRST time out (up at Evan's Creek by Bonney Lake) They will add to cost, but well worth it for preventing body damage. Boulders are NOT friends

Arengant, Evan's Creek is a loooong way from Missouri! About as different as one could possibly get in terms of geography, flora, fauna, weather etc..... What the heck were you doing in my neck of the boulder?

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:07 pm

METCRD wrote:

Engine skid, tranny skid and rock rails were all purchased and put on my jeep for pastafari and of course "the hook". The first time I dropped hard on my rock rails my wife finally understood why they are needed. I have the mopar gas tank skid which is good enough to protect against most bumps, but I know....a serious enthusiast would go thicker.

...And that is what it will take.... the wife understanding why it is important. Of course, she NEVER goes with me. She hates 4X4ing....it makers her puke. My son & daughter love it....

arengant · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:23 pm

KeighJeigh wrote:

arengant wrote:

I would also want to get rock rails. I think I hit mine the FIRST time out (up at Evan's Creek by Bonney Lake) They will add to cost, but well worth it for preventing body damage. Boulders are NOT friends

Arengant, Evan's Creek is a loooong way from Missouri! About as different as one could possibly get in terms of geography, flora, fauna, weather etc..... What the heck were you doing in my neck of the boulder?

Washingtonian born and raised! I was stationed at Lewis before I ended up out here. Man the sunshine is nice though :BANANA:

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 3:03 am

arengant wrote:

KeighJeigh wrote:

arengant wrote:

I would also want to get rock rails. I think I hit mine the FIRST time out (up at Evan's Creek by Bonney Lake) They will add to cost, but well worth it for preventing body damage. Boulders are NOT friends

Arengant, Evan's Creek is a loooong way from Missouri! About as different as one could possibly get in terms of geography, flora, fauna, weather etc..... What the heck were you doing in my neck of the boulder?

Washingtonian born and raised! I was stationed at Lewis before I ended up out here. Man the sunshine is nice though :BANANA:

Right on!
It must have been quite a challenge to deal with the lack of geographic relief. Every time I travel on business, I wonder how people survive where it's flat and hot. My house is on the side of a mountain & nearly all my recreating is in the mountains....even when it's stormy.
It does indeed precipitate a lot here, but then it makes for world record snowfalls.....and when the sun does shine, it's hard to beat the views! Here is a pic I took yesterday morning (7/7/12) upon waking up after summiting Bare Mtn. To get to the trailhead, I went right past the spot where I destroyed my Jeep engine last week.....only this time in a F350 Dually 4x4 diesel with about 3 ft of clearance.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:24 pm

Beautiful view - that's the reason I take vacations in Colorado if I can.

although I've been through Washington state/Oregon several times - and I've never seen mountains - only rain clouds - not hard rain - but always there......

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:38 pm

You are forgetting one complete set of skid Asfir the make skid specifically for the CRD. They are 1/4 thick aluminum and more then strong enough to take the whole wieght of the CRD plus no rusting or painting needed. I would also suggest the kilby or boiler gas tank skid one steel or aluminum.

arengant · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:25 pm

audiboy86 wrote:

You are forgetting one complete set of skid Asfir the make skid specifically for the CRD. They are 1/4 thick aluminum and more then strong enough to take the whole wieght of the CRD plus no rusting or painting needed. I would also suggest the kilby or boiler gas tank skid one steel or aluminum.

Where did you end up getting these from again?

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:11 pm

They have a US distributor now in AZ but mine came from Israel. Here is their website http://store.asfir4x4.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc

KeighJeigh · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:22 am

audiboy86 wrote:

They have a US distributor now in AZ but mine came from Israel. Here is their website http://store.asfir4x4.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc

I read through the thread where you mention those Israeli made skids when I was researching skids last week. I already ordered the Skid Row plates because I couldn't find anything else available besides Mopar. The Skid Row are no doubt heavy...but look pretty beefy & a lot of people in here seem to do OK with them....

Confused on skid plates

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