Building a Skidplate

[gavin]

updating a bit my 3 yr old post

I fixed the bends so that the skidplate no longer hangs down below the x-member.

I also drilled 3 holes, using a hole-saw on my drill, to allow more air to the oil/transmission coolers and a bit more to the radiator.

I did all this way back when, but figured I should update my thread

 

[wisekise]

good job
mine was just like that. one thing i would suggest, if you wheel alot, is to add bracing to the frame rails
here is why

before my obx beach trip

after my trip

happy trails

 

[CCr]

how are these bolting to the crossmember? my bolts are kinda sunken in and I'm not sure what else they bold to. any help would be awesome!

 

[gavin]

well... I had parts left over from my body lift.
namely, a ground-wire drop bracket or something?
can't remember what it was for, but I didn't need it.

it's basically a ~3" long bar with a stud at one end. I placed that into the x-member, and then drilled a hole in the skidplate, and put on the nut and lock-washer.

 

[CCr]

did you drill into the cross member? and this was from the pa 883? that's the one I have. I have all the spare parts too.

 

[CrazyAlaskan]

Gavin ,hey didnt you use to get on TheRangerStation.com alot and had a BII if so I know who you are lol. My nick is AK_Ranger on TRS and I bought a FLowmaster 40 series muffler from you cause you ordered more than 1 on accident (This was like 5 or 6 years ago by the way ). lol Sorry If i sound like a nut if you arnt the same guy but thought I would ask lol.

 

[gavin]

no, I didn't need to do any drilling in the x-member, because there are already holes in it.

and CrazyAlaskan.... haha, yup, that's me.

 

[CrazyAlaskan]

Glad I found your post. I want to build a skid plate for my 95, from the looks of it its not to hard to do.

Good to run into ya again

 

[mynameisaric]

i need to take some good shots of my skid plate... i use the hell out of it. glad i made it out of 1/4" aluminum or it would have been destroyed by now. only down side was i had to wait a while, since i dont have the capability to bend 1/4" AL. once it was bent, i welded on some brackets to the front crossmember to bolt it to and the top bolts to my custom bumper, and i can slide around on that thing all day. it acts as a mud collector though.

 

[CCr]

yeah I think I gotta weld a few tabs to do it too.