Next Venture fully belly skid install

[Jaxmax]

So it starts today! After the long wait my Next Venture fully belly 7000 Mod series skid has arrived. Going to weigh everything going on and coming off. I went Next Venture after getting their old series oil pan skid and their HD crossmember. The HD cross member sold me on their system it weighs more then twice what factory weighs and when removing my factory cross member this old man poser found it dented pretty good, their crossmember beats everyone else’s and you should start with that as it is the base of any skid system! I upgraded my old series oil pan skid with a seven pound steel skeleton brace , and think it is better then anything else. BUT the biggest difference is the perfectly flat bottom with more clearance (I am going to measure that difference)then factory and it is covered in UHMW plastic slippery board, followed by removing gas tank skid and all factory skids for a hopefully huge weight loss…….Jack

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[Jaxmax]

Well, as I said I weighed everything going on….164.3 pounds including the extra 13 lbs. for cross member and the upgraded oil pan skid at 27 pounds. There will be a huge number of weight removed at end….Jack

 

[Jaxmax]

Was hopeful Dan the “Wild Hobo” would have showed up to help this old guy as he is the one that turned me onto the Next Venture stuff, but oh well just cause he got up late today no show, what the hell Dan it’s only a couple day drive to Pa. from Colorado!…..Jack

 

[Sandman 4x4]

Wow that is quite the assembly of under belly protection armor. We really appreciate the pictures and especially weighing everything, after the removal of the factory parts you will have lost hopefully a decent amount. At least all that weight is carried down low.

 

[Alx63]

Wow!!

 

[Jaxmax]

Fuel tank sections put together earlier takes awhile!…..Jack
Also takes a long time to get the fuel gauge to 20 miles until empty, to help with removing factory skid. Factory tank skid is 2 1/4”below frame.

 

[Sandman 4x4]

Other than the simplification of manufacturing piece by piece and bolting together, that take a lot of time and precision cutting and design. Is there any advantage over the huge investment for a huge press, to form a single sheet of steel, like the boron plates from AEV, or even regular steel? I’m sure there are applications in areas that require assembly as installation is performed, but seems so much easier to mount one piece.

 

[Jaxmax]

They are using a 7075 grade of aluminum, does not bend, does not weld well, but it does not. bend, they did test dropping weights on various thing like steel skids, their older version, they all deformed and bent, they have to work this aluminum flat.
One big benefit they have is all the factory skids including the tank skid come off, those skids weigh all together 72 pounds, the tank skid is 48 pounds alone so, using the 164 minus 72 ends up with 92 pounds for a skid system with UHMW surface on bottom that slides easily, and looks like at least a 1/2" more clearance, and a smooth flat surface ,no bumps or bolt heads sticking down to hit. I'm unlifted for the most part and run 33.3" tires I use my skids and a 1/2" inch more clearance is huge. That said ya get what ya pay for and it's expensive but they have good sales 20% every so often, I think it is the best and spent the money......Jack

Edited, had a typo on weight off 5 lbs. corrected!

 

[Jaxmax]

Skid is all done just in time for Thursday’s Jericho Mountain trip. I usually paint everything under the Jeep no bling needed , all the steel
Is galvanized, but rattle canned everything you see except their bling badge, even put reflective orange tape behind it. Clearance is not as much as I was hoping for but the UHMW adds 1/2” to the bottom if the skid, but all in all still have 1/4” more clearance gain, sticks down 2” from bottom of frame compared to factory at 2 1/4” at the same point measurement. After taking off factory skids comes in at 92 pounds added weigh, worth it’s weight in UHMW!……..Jack

 

[arosen1997]

Skid is all done just in time for Thursday’s Jericho Mountain trip. I usually paint everything under the Jeep no bling needed , all the steel
Is galvanized, but rattle canned everything you see except their bling badge, even put reflective orange tape behind it. Clearance is not as much as I was hoping for but the UHMW adds 1/2” to the bottom if the skid, but all in all still have 1/4” more clearance gain, sticks down 2” from bottom of frame compared to factory at 2 1/4” at the same point measurement. After taking off factory skids comes in at 92 pounds added weigh, worth it’s weight in UHMW!……..Jack

I just ordered this today and I'm hoping it gets here before I run the Rubicon trail at the end of September. Their website said 9 week lead time, how long was your wait?

 

[WILDHOBO]

Was hopeful Dan the “Wild Hobo” would have showed up to help this old guy as he is the one that turned me onto the Next Venture stuff, but oh well just cause he got up late today no show, what the hell Dan it’s only a couple day drive to Pa. from Colorado!…..Jack

You should have asked. I absolutely would have gotten on a plane.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Fuel tank sections put together earlier takes awhile!…..Jack
Also takes a long time to get the fuel gauge to 20 miles until empty, to help with removing factory skid. Factory tank skid is 2 1/4”below frame.

Getting that Oem fuel tank skid off is almost the worst part I think. That new 7075 system is so much nicer than my lowly gen1 action.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Other than the simplification of manufacturing piece by piece and bolting together, that take a lot of time and precision cutting and design. Is there any advantage over the huge investment for a huge press, to form a single sheet of steel, like the boron plates from AEV, or even regular steel? I’m sure there are applications in areas that require assembly as installation is performed, but seems so much easier to mount one piece.

Those are 7075 aluminum. They don’t bend or weld well, but bounce back when hit, instead of holding the deformation like 5000 series aluminum.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I just ordered this today and I'm hoping it gets here before I run the Rubicon trail at the end of September. Their website said 9 week lead time, how long was your wait?

I was ultra happy having them when I did the rubicon. Especially when I got bellied on little sluice. I want another shot at it.

 

[Jaxmax]

I just ordered this today and I'm hoping it gets here before I run the Rubicon trail at the end of September. Their website said 9 week lead time, how long was your wait?

Aaron I ordered end of March, lot more then the time frame they gave you, don't e-mail or message, call and ask for Tyler, let him know you need them for a trip, they came through for me. Thery had delays in the plating and had caught up, have your order number and tell Tyler the nut case from Pa. named Jack told ya to call. The skid system is awesome I can hardly wait to see how it works, which will be Saturday 10 hours away!.....Jack

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