Good Morning,

Looking for some input. I'd dropped the fuel tank ('92 Laredo) to replace the fuel pump assembly et all. In that process I'd pulled off the metal clips that attach the plastic shield to the tank and dropped them in some evapo-rust to clean them up. Monday night a storm came along and there was apparently a mini tornado embedded in it. Just light tree damage for me (6" diameter and smaller limbs knocked down), but as close a 250 feet away a large pecan tree was completely uprooted and took out the power lines. The fuel tank itself got blown under the vehicle, but the plastic shield was blown off and as of yet I haven't found it yet. I can't find that they are still available. Would it be best to try and find one at a pick & pull or would some weather stripping or a strip of rubber to act as an isolator between the tank and the straps be sufficient for a short term fix?

Thanks

 

I've never seen a plastic shield, but after market "up-country" metal gas tank shields are available from several sources. You can see one between my bumper and diff cover in this image:

 

Thanks Red,

In time, when I get to do what I want to do with this, that's probably what I should end up doing. However, from what I'm seeing the plastic shield goes between the straps and the fuel tank kind of like an isolator. Then the skid plate goes over all of it. My concern (whether justified or not) is that the metal straps having direct contact with the metal tank will cause abrasion from vibrations. At one point I had an Adel clamp between the fuel spider and injector on my Comanche had some of the rubber cushioning wear off and the fuel line was rubbing against the clamp metal to metal. It hadn't worn completely thru, but it wouldn't have been good to have fuel being sprayed all over a hot engine. While the XJ may want to mark it's territory, I don't want it to be highly flammable!

 

I believe if I were in your situation I would be comfortable using a bicycle inner tube to achieve the desired effect. Like you I would not be comfortable with just the metal straps against the tank. What is your location I have a 95 parts rig in the yard and the tank is in the cargo area of it with the shield still on it.

 

Thanks Phydeaux,

The bicycle inner tube is a good thought! I haven't been around a bike for quite a while, I'll see if I can track one or two of those down.

And I'm in Kansas, so not a quick trip to pick it up from you. I tried to go to a Pick & Pull in Omaha over the weekend, but with more storms that got delayed as well.

 

Thanks, On my '99 Chrysler simply rapped the straps - looks like you could thread the your straps through a a bike inter tube and get the same effect