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Skidplate enhancement pics.

Maniak

Moderator-Stock 91-94
Elite Explorer
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
February 9, 1999
Messages
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City, State
Vail, Arizona
Year, Model & Trim Level
1992 XLT 4x4
I got tired of the xfercase skid plate bending. Last time it bent it was rubbing on the xfercase and was actually wearing down the case of the transfer case and almost broke the dampening weight right off the case.

I had some 5" by 1/4" or so flat steel lying around.

We bent the skid plate back to normal (as best we could) and then used the thick flat steel to reinforce the factory plate.

Here are a few pics.. Its been on for about a month so its not exactly clean.. Hey.. Something else I can get powder coated.

Here are some pics..

~Mark
 

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this mod is a must for me
 












I was wondering about that.. The skid plate now looks stronger than the frame.. I may make a plate to put in the channel of the frame to spread the load out over 12" or so..

~Mark
 






Nice neon lighting :)
 






Ahh.. you mean my rocklights. Those are 12V drop lights.. So far, rocks/dirt/mud/water (I sealed some with RTV, others with liquid nails) haven't bother them... Other than the light is dimmer when its covered with mud.

All 4 (one per side, and one up front and one where the spare used to be) combined pull < 2 amps of power and do a good job of lighting under the truck without blinding you when you need to look under.

Here is a pic of one (pitch black night, no flash, long shutter)..
attachment.php


~Mark
 






So ya had that on at the last truckhaven and did'nt show it off?:(

Any that is a burly looking piece:thumbsup::D

Done any other mods latlely ***cough locker cough lift cough***
:D
 






So ya had that on at the last truckhaven and did'nt show it off?:(

Any that is a burly looking piece:thumbsup::D

Done any other mods latlely ***cough locker cough lift cough***
:D

Yea.. It was on last time.. and it got used on Shows hill.. but I kept hitting the spring hanger/shock mount more more than that skid plate.. I know I was using that skid plate when I was cresting some of those hills..

It just so happens that there is a Trac-Loc sitting next to me here at work.. I'm going to re-stack it put it in the front (have the detroit in the rear already). I need to find someone to teach me how to do gears and install it in the front.. I'll end up paying them, but I want to learn too.

~Mark
 






Yea.. It was on last time.. and it got used on Shows hill.. but I kept hitting the spring hanger/shock mount more more than that skid plate.. I know I was using that skid plate when I was cresting some of those hills..

It just so happens that there is a Trac-Loc sitting next to me here at work.. I'm going to re-stack it put it in the front (have the detroit in the rear already). I need to find someone to teach me how to do gears and install it in the front.. I'll end up paying them, but I want to learn too.

~Mark

Yea i remember since i had a front row seat for it:D

Talk to Tbars he did his gears not long ago on his X

Sigh this is something else i need to learn too:(
 






trac loc in front and detroit in rear? thats the same as me!!!! i love it. i can tell the l/s doesn't grab as much as my old locker did, but i think it works great! (i did make it up show's hill and that rock thing) gives good traction but still rides nice and u-turns are no problem. i think you'll like it
 






...i think you need to make one of those plates for your bottom radiator hose...:p:
 






yea, I still can't figure out how I managed to rip off the lower hose. A skid plate for that may be in order.

RJ,
did you re stack you trac-loc or are you running the factory clutch configuration?

~Mark
 






pshhhhh i wouldn't know. we showed up at the shop and the guy said he put a trac-loc in. thats all i know. im sure if i wanted to, the guy is cool enough, he would probably let me get in and watch him work on it and prolly show me how to do it. he loves sharing his knowledge :D
 






Careful, I remember mrboyle reinforced his skid and then it bent the frame. So you might want to also reinforce the frame in that area or figure out how to spread the load over more area on the frame.

X2 I bent the crap out of my frame on my 86 at the skidplate.
 






After bending my RA brackets a bunch I decided to put a plate on my replacement RA brackets..

its made from the same stuff my other skid plate is made from..

I painted it a bright color so I could see if I hit it.. I only got one hit on it from the Truckhaven redemption run...

We cut holes in the plate so the bolts that hold the RA brackets together would be protected.

To hold it on we drilled holes in the plate and put/welded bolts on the skid plate (facing up). I then drilled holes in the RA brackets for the studs to go up through and bolted it on from there.. that way there are no bolts/nuts hanging under the plate.

2471841011_af7190c192_b.jpg


~Mark
 






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