Does anyone know of a cheap alternator skid plate or cover to protect it from mud and water? I'm nervous that mud is gonna splash up there and ruin it.

 

Haha I'd hope not.

 

An engine slid plate, front end skid, can help also I've seen people fab one themselves. I was gonna make up a metal one for half my undercarriage and bedline it, just got lazy. To be honest the alternator can take some abuse. I've driven through flooded waters up to my flares and my alternator hasn't dies yet. Do you have the cheap stock rubber protector down there still...

 

He can have Lift&Tire thread; I'll take this one lol
I've learned half of what I know from him, anyway

 

Hmm. I don't think that I have the stock rubber one? I've heard of people taking mud flaps off of trucks and rigging them up to fit under the alternator some how. So you think as long as I'm not just drowning the alternator, just some mud/water splashes up there, then I should be fine?

 

U get a 'splash guard' out of the factory..usually falls off after a while. A lot of people don't have anything and they say it works just fine

Edit: you can also buy a new oem splash guard for about 50 bucks i think

 

For me, I'm always looking for mud puddles and deep water puddles to make splashes in. On long trips everything is fine but if I shut down right afterwards my alternator bi**es a lil upon restart and then gets back to work. My advice get creative and fab up a lil protector for her. Eventually I'm gonna get some sheet metal Down there for added water protection until I get a skid plate

 

Lol I'm happy you posted this, I keep having to put self tappers to keep that garbage in place until I can upgrade. It really tears easily

 

Zip ties to the rescue

 

thanks for the suggestion I will see if that is the issue

 

If you were wheeling, I would pull the wheels and make sure there is no dirt trapped between the wheel and rotor/drum.

 

Best advice - PREP PREP PREP

If you prep it correctly, doesn't matter what you use, it'll hold up. I always use a flap disk on my angle grinder to get the metal nice and shiny, then wipe it down with mineral spirits and let it dry, then paint. Above all do NOT touch it with your bare hands beforehand - a LOT of oil is in your skin and will totally screw a paint job.

I've been using the Rustoleum Pro satin black for damn near everything, and it looks great and coverage is excellent.

 

the studs might be shot. Once the threads get stretched from over-tightening, or screwed up from being loose, they're pretty much useless and you'll never keep them tight. I'd look into replacing them with new ones - an hour with a big hammer will take care of that.

 

 

mmmm?