Quadratec aluminum engine bay skid plate installed

[MrClortho]

I spent a week wheeling in the Colorado mountains and did end up smacking the skid plate on a rock. After that, when I hit a harsh bump, I got a metal on metal clunk noise. After spending time crawling around trying to diagnose it, I cannot seem to locate the source. I have to assume it is the skid plate because that was the only modification I had, but am having no luck determining where and why it is making noise. I also had my Jeep shop guys check it out, and they could not find the reason either.

I am wondering the brackets are binding up or something because they extend pretty far up on the front mounts. Maybe the frame is flexing a little?

Has anyone else had this issue with the skid plate setup?

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[AmishMike]

I just installed my engine skid. Received wrong pitch M12 bolts, so had to track down the correct M12x1.5 40mm. NAPA had them, no luck at oreilly or Ace hardware.

I’m kinda bummed at the ground clearance cost of this skid. I have manual transmission, so didn’t have the stock brace that automatics come with (was the reason I went with QT as theirs is compatible with a manual). Looks like I lost 2 inches of clearance in the middle. Everything above the skid has plenty of room, seems like they could have tucked it up a bit more without hitting anything. Just FYI for others looking at this system.

Let me drive it, I can get your clearance back…….

 

[Geoarch]

I spent a week wheeling in the Colorado mountains and did end up smacking the skid plate on a rock. After that, when I hit a harsh bump, I got a metal on metal clunk noise. After spending time crawling around trying to diagnose it, I cannot seem to locate the source. I have to assume it is the skid plate because that was the only modification I had, but am having no luck determining where and why it is making noise. I also had my Jeep shop guys check it out, and they could not find the reason either.

I am wondering the brackets are binding up or something because they extend pretty far up on the front mounts. Maybe the frame is flexing a little?

Has anyone else had this issue with the skid plate setup?

I haven't and have been over some rocks, but haven't hit it yet. I can't think of what it would be. If the clearance remains the same perhaps it was somewhere else. I did some pretty good articulation and didn't hear anything suspicious.

 

[KQL]

Let me drive it, I can get your clearance back…….

I like it. Custom-fit skid plates, or even better special one of a kind trail editions!

 

[mx5red]

I have a transfer case skid to sell if someone wants it. I never got my engine skid (what I really wanted) so ended up going a different direction.
I bolted it on and took it off next week. No marks.
I bought it for $250 back then, will sell for $200. That’s $100 cheaper than what you pay now from QT.

 

[bd100]

Finally got the engine and transfer case skid plates installed.

All hardware was correct. They taped and sealed the hardware inside the layers of wrap for the skid plates, so nothing fell out even though the boxes were beat up pretty well.

The cross braces are heavier than the skid plates! Another thread somewhere (Wrangler forum, probably) said they actually improved them after the first version braces weren't strong enough. And the brackets which bolt up to the engine mounts seems pretty stout as well.

Everything bolted on well enough. If installing both skids, keep all hardware loose until both skids are mounted. I had to loosen the engine skid to shift it forward enough for the transfer case skid. Then tighten everything.

I needed a 3/8" drive with U-joint to get to one of the engine mount nuts. The 1/2" stuff was too fat to fit above the control arm.

My truck has a small nut which connects the fuel tank skid to the transfer case brace. The new brace is too thick and the nut/washer cannot get threads to go back on. I'll try a nut w/o washer.

The skids stick down about one inch below the factory skids. It looks like they could have made it a half inch and still cleared everything, such as the exhaust crossover. I will keep the stock transfer case skid around and may put it back if ground clearance becomes a recurring issue. The new one has better coverage, and a much stronger brace. In fact, the new brace is heavier than the old transfer case skid and brace.

It may be possible to modify the exhaust loop skid to work with the Quadratec stuff, but I wish Quadratec would come up with their own solution to work with their current brace. The new brace comes down lower than the exhaust loop, and may help protect from a vertical drop, but the loop is ahead of the brace and in a horizontal direction it would hit a rock before the brace.

The exhaust crossover is well protected, and the Quadratec skid has a very strong brace just behind the exhaust crossover where other company's steel skids have no brace at all.

Rockhard 4x4 talks about adding some braces to help reduce frame flex, and the Quadratec braces may do likewise.

Finally, after hauling the loaded truck plus trailer up the passes out of Denver, I'm glad to have aluminum instead of steel skids. I stick to "easy" or "moderate" trails, since we're going to be far from home to get to any trail at all.

 

[Geoarch]

I have a transfer case skid to sell if someone wants it. I never got my engine skid (what I really wanted) so ended up going a different direction.
I bolted it on and took it off next week. No marks.
I bought it for $250 back then, will sell for $200. That’s $100 cheaper than what you pay now from QT.

I used the OEM transfer case skid even though the instructions said to dispose of it.

 

[Geoarch]

I spent a week wheeling in the Colorado mountains and did end up smacking the skid plate on a rock. After that, when I hit a harsh bump, I got a metal on metal clunk noise. After spending time crawling around trying to diagnose it, I cannot seem to locate the source. I have to assume it is the skid plate because that was the only modification I had, but am having no luck determining where and why it is making noise. I also had my Jeep shop guys check it out, and they could not find the reason either.

I am wondering the brackets are binding up or something because they extend pretty far up on the front mounts. Maybe the frame is flexing a little?

Has anyone else had this issue with the skid plate setup?

Not that issue, but a fairly large rock about three inches in diameter was thrown up and lodged between the crossover pipe and the plate causing an odd vibration. I couldn’t place it until I found it. How it got thrown up there remains a mystery. I was wheeling in mixed snow and rock so not too surprising.

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