hey all, so i really need skid plates..i punctured my gas tank in AVF and im probably gonna have to end up replacing it. well, my jeep is no longer a daily driver, so i can have it down to make stuff for it. so im in a dilema, should i fabricate my own skids or look for em for cheap.. all the junkyards dont have any anymore and i found an engine skid online for $50 plus shipping. dunno if a regular tcase skid will work with my tcase drop. any advice?

thanks in advance!!

 

im not exactly sure on how a tcase drop works but i think you could just put some spacer nuts to account for the drop. but i think it'd be easy to fab up a gas tank skid

 

your about to hit the 1000 mark!!

dont miss it

 

haha doesnt help with the skids but ok..i think i just might get some 16 gauge steel soon and start making some..ive seen people use self tappers to mount them... thoughts?

 

I think self tappers would not be suitable. I think they would be your weak link, like if you came down on something hard they might shear off. I guess if you put enough of them in it may stay put.

 

I would use something heavier than 16 ga. The factory skids are not much heavier, but they have been shaped and stamped with structural ridges. You will need 3?16 if you are just using enough plate to span the gas tank. There are aftermarket gas tank skids available. Personally, the factory t case skids leave something to be desired, but better than nothing.

 

Yeah, go with 3/16" plate at least. I would also weld in some angle iron to beef it up over longer spans.

 

thanks all, i will have to see i dont have access to a welder so id have to just bend everything. maybe i will just go ahead and buy some. ugh well atleast this thing has taught me what spending money i will have left over when i become a dad some day hahahaha thats a joke

 

Warn makes a nice t-case skid which is around 100 bucks... not really worth the effort to fab that by the time you put a price on your time and buy the materials and consumables.


Gas tank skid is not bad to make. Get a set of nut sert strips from a trailer hitch, and that will give you the lay out of the bolts. the rest is just taking measurements and doing work.


While you are at it.. I suggest you make some LCA skids.

 

Jcr offroad makes some great stuff..... and they have a huge sale going on rite now

 

I work @ a sheetmetal shop in DE. I cant take everyone telling you to go with heavy matierial. The Cherokee is a unibody made with 16 ga. The tranny is the weak link. Why do people insist on adding more weight? Make it out of 16ga, secure it with as many self tappers as you can. If you dent it bad you can take it off ant straighten it. Put the next size up in screw when you put it back. Have you ever tried to straighten thick steel? No fun.

 

not trying to bash you or anything but, if someone is concerned about weight, they shouldnt bother about adding massive tires, protective bumpers, armor, roof racks...etc etc. The unibody may be 16ga but its been reiforced with strengthening bends (not sure what they're called).

But if you go with a thin size metal for your skid, your not really putting any protection under the body, just another thin barrier to the part you dont want damaged. Your doing yourself an injustice. It'll get damaged anyway. and the whole point in a thick piece of armor is to just roll over it, not crunch and crumple with the possibility of it cumpling into a vital driveline componet and damaging/destroying something.

I could possibly see using 16ga sheet as a possible way to put armor as. But it would have to be EXTREMELY strengthened by whatever. But i wouldnt trust it.

As for the whole screw thing you mentioned. Thats a bad idea. If you bash it a crap load of times what are you going to do? end up using a massivly thick screw. I think not.

Just my $.02

 

HVAC by chance?

 

I'd start with the factory skids,it's some protection.You could always add to them or beat the **** out of them and see where refinements can be made.

 

hey Grant, I wouldnt go cheap/weak on these parts if you really want good protection. Take your time and continually check ebay and craigslist or craigshelper for some super good deals on great brand name products. eventually you will find some killer deals on them.