At what point are additional skids needed?

[JoseQ_80]

No leaks when I did the rear diff skid plate.

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[YayMud!]

No leaks when I did the rear diff skid plate.

Am I seeing that right that you need to pull a few of the bolts out of the differential cover to mount the skid plate?

 

[Renegade]

When you say "real rock sliders" are you referring to the differentials, rear of the box, hitch, pinch seams under the doors or something else? I am trying to picture the control arm mounts you are talking about, but I think the right ones get covered up with the Rock Hard front and rear LCA skid plates, don't they?



Well, that is really good news. Those Extreme Terrain guys don't know what they are talking about. It looks like part of the skid plates require you to remove bolts from the diff cover and re-use them. Does any oil leak out or do you have to reseal or drain the fluid?

Rock sliders protect the rocker panel/pinch seam. The bracket I’m referring to needing protection is on the frame, where the rear control arms mount. The axle brackets are fairly heavy and much less susceptible to damage than prior generation Jeeps.

 

[JoseQ_80]

Am I seeing that right that you need to pull a few of the bolts out of the differential cover to mount the skid plate?

4 bolts, 2 on the left 2 on the right of the bottom 2 which are not touched.

 

[mx5red]

When you say "real rock sliders" are you referring to the differentials, rear of the box, hitch, pinch seams under the doors or something else? I am trying to picture the control arm mounts you are talking about, but I think the right ones get covered up with the Rock Hard front and rear LCA skid plates, don't they?



Well, that is really good news. Those Extreme Terrain guys don't know what they are talking about. It looks like part of the skid plates require you to remove bolts from the diff cover and re-use them. Does any oil leak out or do you have to reseal or drain the fluid?

I agree with @Renegade
The gladiator is so long that break over angle is what will get you first usually, so rock sliders to protect your body/pinch seam or whatever and the Rusty’s rear frame LCA skids are covering the most susceptible and weakest parts.
To be fair, I’ve also bought shock skids and diff skids and the like because I thought I needed them, haven’t installed them in a year, and haven’t had any scrapes on rocky SoCal forest roads. My scrapes were on my factory crossmembers and tranny/transfer skids and rear LCA brackets.
I do plan on putting the skids on anyway but I really haven’t needed them.

 

[Blue Ridge]

Did anybody's Rusty’s rear frame LCA skid fit? All I've seen were drilled out wrong like mine. Can't decide if I should return for another brand, return for another Rusty's, or try to drill it out and hope it doesn't rattle.

 

[brianinca]

If you look at how it mounts, the LCA bolt and the rear bolt are more than sufficient to keep the skids in place. The front bolt at the mis-aligned hole adds little or nothing to the equation, I left them out.

I've scraped the skids but good and they haven't shifted a bit. The front axle LCA skids DO get a little loose and clunk and they are a booger to torque, but that's a different matter.

Did anybody's Rusty’s rear frame LCA skid fit? All I've seen were drilled out wrong like mine. Can't decide if I should return for another brand, return for another Rusty's, or try to drill it out and hope it doesn't rattle.

 

[YayMud!]

Does anyone have the torque spec on the differential bolts you have to remove to install the Rancho front and rear differential skid plates? Thanks!

 

[JoseQ_80]

It's in the instructions, I think 20 ft-lbs.

 

[JoseQ_80]

This past weekend at Rausch Creek I hit every stock skid plate plus the rear diff and hitch skid plates I bought. Frame side lower control arm mounts took a beating, rusty's skid plates next on my list.

 

[JoseQ_80]

 

[JoseQ_80]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ow-first-time-out-w-my-jtrd.47504/post-768384

 

[Blue Ridge]

Thought I'd update that I contacted Rusty's and sent the photo of their skid holes not lining up and they're going to double check specs and send out a new one. If it works, bravo on them. The difference in customer service I've received regarding Jeep parts has been night and day. Some have been great (BAK tonneau, Rancho, Rustys) and others have basically told me to go pound sand.

 

[CFLgladiator]

Well good job guys, mine has barely seen dirt so far and I already have some Rusty's rear LCA frame side skids headed my way. Just in case ya know

 

[Axeman]

Thought I'd update that I contacted Rusty's and sent the photo of their skid holes not lining up and they're going to double check specs and send out a new one. If it works, bravo on them. The difference in customer service I've received regarding Jeep parts has been night and day. Some have been great (BAK tonneau, Rancho, Rustys) and others have basically told me to go pound sand.

Contacting manufacturers directly usually has a good outcome. Its the large middle man vendors like Quadratec, 4WP, and Morris4x4 that are awful to deal with. There are some real good companies like Rustys, RockHard, MORE, Core4x4, etc. that I have dealt with and no to go straight to them for orders.

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