Eh you can always wrap the cat in some heat tape. I have a stock transfer case skid now and i'm not a huge fan of how low it hangs, also want one skid that goes all the way across to protect the connection between the down pipe and cat that has come apart on the trail before.

 

I have the cross member for my long arm kit guarding that connection. It will still be all flush with the frame rail. Honestly dont remember what that looked like stock but I didn't have any factory skids to start with.

 

It's the only skid plate I want to replace, mine came with all plates but I'm getting rid of the front and the tcase skid will do for now.

 

Didn't get lot accomplished the last couple days. Every time I'd start the phone would ring. I did get the finish welds on the holes drilled in the t-case plate and cut out the main piece of the tranny/engine skid. Then I started working on a jig to bend metal in the press and the phone rang again. LOL

Hope to have the skids wrapped up this weekend and maybe on to the sliders. After I cut off the mounting brackets so I could hold them in place I realized the set I had built for the Xterra aren't going to work quite as well as I thought so they'll take a lot more modifying to make them fit but at least I don't have to bend any tubing and all of that again. At least I hope.





I did pick these up too so I can get some heat out of the engine bay. Especially with the skid plates going on the underside there won't be anywhere to go. This thing cooked my feet on the trail last time with heat off in about 40 degree weather.




Has anyone ever tried to remove the drop you get from a Rusty's long arm cross member? It says on their site that it has drop built in but I'm not sure how much. I'm getting some fluid out of the front output seal which was just installed with the Tera-Low kit a few months back and I'm wondering if it's because the front is in a bit of a bind. Looking at the shaft it actually has to turn down hill at the CV back into the case. Doesn't seem like there's a lot of room to go back up but I don't know. Fluid isn't low so it's just seepage but I hate to put a skid on and ignore it.

So to remove the drop I guess I'm thinking I'll have to build a spacer to sit it on and bolt it to the cross member. I just cringe at the thought of unbolting the cross member to get it in. It was not fun to get it the first time.

 

Making some more progress in my spare time. Never enough of that these days.

Engine, tranny and t-case skids ready to be cleaned up and painted. Then on to the sliders.





Improvised a quick press brake with some more scrap in the shop. It's rough but it was a bit of a proof of concept build more than anything. Works great on 3/16" up to 11" wide. I was really getting tired of cutting almost all the way through with the plasma cutter, bending and then welding it back together and grinding smooth. Things look much better this way and it is so much more efficient.

I'll build a better version when I get more time. In other words, in 5 years when I really get tired of the limitations of this one, I'l finally get around to making a better one.

 

Got the skids done today. Now I need to get on the sliders.





Got out to play a bit yesterday at the VA 4WD Association annual meeting. Stretched its legs real good for the first time. Need to get some more bumpstop to keep the front tire out of the fenders. Need to get the louvers in too. Had the good old vapor lock and had to sit for a while with the hood up to get it to start again.

 

Well the sliders turned out decent. It may of been easier to start from scratch but I had them laying there and it saved me from having to bend the tube again. If you look at the earlier pictures you'll see that the tops were tapered to go under the Xterra body lines. I actually still had the wedges I cut out to form that so I welded them back in and then cut them to length.





Now it's on to the front bumper. I hope to get a good start on that today. Right now I've just made it to the set the winch where I want it and stare for a while stage. Still debating cutting out the cross member to sink the winch in deeper. I really want it tucked under the grill and I don't want it to stick out too far from the front but I don't really want to have to build that structure back into the front end. We'll see.

 

Front bumper is taking shape. I hope to get it all roughed out this week and maybe have some primer on it at least by this weekend.

Trying to decide between a small stinger, a wider flat top grill guard style or just leave it off completely since the winch is already inside the bumper. I've always liked a little baby stinger style but I may go with the flat top so I can add lights later.

 

looking good and nice work!

 

That jeep looks awesome undercarriage work looks sweet

 

Looking awesome man!

 

Thanks guys. Can't wait to get it all pretty so I can go grind it up on the rocks.

Only have a couple weeks left before it has to be ready for two events in a row here in VA so I'm working at it as much as possible without letting the website sit idle too much.

 

Getting closer. Need to get some bed liner on it and mount it up so I'll finally have a winch on her. I was back and forth on a little stinger and finally just went with the flat top bar.

Still need to install my hood louvers and I picked up some hockey pucks for bump stop extensions in the front end.

 

Happy you went with the push bar than little stinger

 

Me too. The stinger was just a peice of pipe I bent when I bought the bender a couple years ago. It just happened to be about the right size so I held it up to see but I just didn't like it.
Looked to bare with the winch inside though so I wanted something there. Figured this gave me a place for a light bar down the road.