Hello and good morning from CA (Don't make fun of me and yes gas is expensive its not a myth....)

Since we're on the subject, if anyone has the part number for a front skid plate and or has a front skid plate they are willing to part with let me know and I will gladly pay you the dollars.

Thank you,

 

Ebay is your friend:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&customid=

 

Shiny ! Thank you, looks like it is metal, I thought they only made plastic ones?

 

all of my skid plates are very much metal. and factory.

 

"Skid plate" = Metal
"Splash guard" = Plastic
As far as I know all Cherokees came from the factory with a plastic splash guard under the engine and a plastic shield under the gas tank. Then as stated above higher trim levels or custom ordered Jeeps had the metal skid plates.

 

There is a "transfer skid plate" that is separate from the trans crossmember, it connects to the crossmember and the unibody directly underneath the transfer case. It's pretty rare from my understanding, they can go for hundreds on eBay, just looked.

 

Wow. I paid $85 for one here ~2 1/2 years ago.

 

Everybody listen up here.
For starters $150 for that front skid is crazy.
It is heavy. But not really sure how much it would protect.
$85 for the transfer case skid is nuts too IMO.
Not really sure how much good that does either. Guys like to refer to it as the mud scooper. LOL.
Guys say the gas skid is not worth squat either. Not so sure about that. I think the factory one is pretty heavy but....
Sourced all three from different places. Paid $50 for the gas tank skid. $25 for the transfer case. $50 for the front one.
I think I over payed on the front but that was brand new, still had the label on it, and the guy delivered it to me so......
I need skid plates on my DD like I need a whole in my head but it is part of my "clone" build so...... MLOL.
They pop up from time to time at very reasonable prices if you really want them.
You just have to be vigilant. Quick 30 second search yielded this for a front one:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...83292985342399

Of course what might be a decent deal could turn out not to be when shipping gets tacked on so.....
Oh and just so everybody knows. When it comes to the gas tank skid '96 and down is different then '97 and up.
I think I have read that you can get them to work but you need to mod them a bit.

 

OK..my dumbass stupidity...what EZEARL has pictured is what is bolted up in all 3 of my 96...I just went and looked..all nicely painted by me

To make amends, here is a way to modify for extra clearance, but not quite sure how it works tbh

http://gojeep.willyshotrod.com/HowtoSkidPlate.htm

 

That is something at least to take care of the mud scooping part.
My '00 did not come with one. Looks like quite a gap between it and my 231 TC.
To this day still not 100% sure I have it on right.
But I do have theory. I think the 242 TC might hang lower. The TC skid is made to go either way.
Just a theory though.

 

I have that TC plate, but one end was held in by self tapping screws that have since pulled out. Are there some nuts welded inside that it should be bolted to? Too much mud under there to tell so far while I've been fixing more serious problems.

 

As I said I am not really sure I have mine on right.
Plus my Jeep did not come with one.
I have two bolts at the crossmember and one at the uni-body.
I would have to look to refresh my memory but I think I used rivnuts everywhere, definitely at the uni-body side, but might be nuts and bolts on the crossmember.
The hole that I put the rivnut in at the unibody was already there. Same with the crossmember side too.

 

Since that thing is a bash plate and not a mount for the TC I can do a rivnut. If it were a mount I would want something a lot stronger. Thanks for the info.

 

My 2000 XJ came with a metal shield over the fuel tank, but it was only around 1/16" thick and rotted away before I bought it at 125K miles. Of course this jeep was NOT even washed very often and used in the Adirondack mountains in the winter.

 

They use that crap on the roads where I live but the used one that I bought was in good shape rust wise.
Also I drilled a couple extra holes in it.
Jeeps with out one only come with the nutstrip in the passenger side. At least my '00 did.
The exhaust hanger uses it.
But there was nuts in the nutstrip but not the corresponding holes in the gas skid.
I had extra hardware so figured why not.
Sure it was not necessary though. LOL.