Skid plates shouldn't just be something that you wish had come with your Jeep. Consider them to be vital equipment - they are that important, and could mean the difference between having a great time and towing your Jeep home in need of hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of work.
For those of you that don't know, skid plates are heavy-duty armor "plates" that bolt up under your Jeep, and can help protect the vital under-components of your Jeep, like your:
- Exhaust
- Transfer case
- Oil pan
- Transmission
- Fuel tank
- Drive shaft(s)
- Radiator
- Steering gear box
- And more...
They derive their name by the way they protect your Jeep - by allowing the vehicle to "skid" or slide over rocks and other obstacles. And as important as skid plates are, most companies do not include them as OEM equipment. Go figure.
While there may be numerous companies manufacturing skid plates, only a few seem to know how to do it right, such as SkidRow Automotive & Rusty's Offroad. Tough, well-designed armor is what it takes to distinguish the men from the boys, and in this game the boys get to walk home.
To get to the point of this article, one of the very first upgrades we performed on our '99 JGC Project was - you guessed it! - skid plates. This is especially important as an early upgrade, when your vehicle is close to the ground (pre-lift) and can really use the extra protection against low obstacles that a lifted vehicle might miss.
Since our Grand Cherokee was delivered from the dealer with NO skid plates at all - way to go, Jeep - we added the full array from JPARTS.COM - front,
transfer-case, and fuel tank skid plates - sorry, that flimsy piece of steel that was over the gas tank when you bought your Jeep doesn't count as a skid plate, replace it! Since the WJ is still fairly new to the market, we decided to use discounted Mopar parts from JPARTS.COM to insure a good fit and assured quality - we may choose to replace these with better products as they become available from aftermarket sources.
All parts and hardware arrived in great condition from JPARTS.COM within days of ordering. The instructions provided by Mopar were
awful, but luckily installation is pretty straightforward and intuitive. Total time spent on this endeavor was less than 2 hours, but the end result could just save my life someday when I'm a hundred miles from the highway and nail that rock I just didn't see in time that otherwise would have ripped a hole in my oil pan or transfer case...
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Dirt Road Magazine is sponsored by Turner 4WD Parts Co.
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