Description
Skid plates are an integral part of your Jeeps' protection. Designed for the Jeep Wrangler JLU 4 door, the Next Venture heavy duty skid plate provides advanced protection for important components like your engine, transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank while you're tackling tough terrain on the trail.
The Next Venture skid plate is necessary if you want to be ready for any trial with confidence in your vehicle's continued performance.
PRODUCT DETAILS
These skids are built from 1/4" thick 5052 Aluminum for its superior formability and strength, compared to many other alloys. The design and shape of the skids largely determine how rigid they will stay overtime. We've designed these belly skids to tuck bolt heads up and out of the way, where possible (as can be seen on the rear crossmember and fuel tank skids).
Removal of the factory gas tank skid is required and nets you a 3/4" gain in ground clearance; in addition, you also lose the weight of the factory steel gas tank skid and some of the other steel underbody protection that is replaced with this system. The weight of our system is 104 lbs (110 lbs with the optional e-torque skid) however the total weight gain is offset by the removal of the factory steel gas tank skid etc as mentioned above.
We also designed these pieces with compatibility in mind for popular aftermarket suspension kits (such as the Rock Krawler Long Arm Suspension), larger axles, and multiple engine choices (such as the Hemi 6.4 seen in these photos.)
UHMW - THE ULTRA HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT OPTION
Want to make these skid plates slippery and even more impact-resistant? Select the UHMW Option! UHMW stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight. It's the 3/8" thick black cutting board like material that can be optioned onto these skids; it is more abrasion resistance than carbon steel, and it's fairly light weight. It helps to better distribute and absorb impacts, and keep you sliding along rather than getting stuck or hanging up on an obstacle since it's slippery and self lubricating. If you select this option, the UHMW will come pre-installed on the bottom of the aluminum skids.
*If you completed an engine swap on your JLU, please contact us before ordering so we can get everything right! We are working on JL 2 Door models, however don't have them yet. Keep an eye out for an update on our website for those soon!*
FAQ:
Is a lift required for clearance to suspension components?
A 1.5" lift (or just 1.5" bump stop extensions on the front) is recommended for clearance to the motor mounting brackets on 3.6 V6 models. No lift or bumpstop extension is required for the 2.0 I4 engine.
Will this system work with my long arm suspension kit?
These belly skids will work with Rock Krawler, EVO, and Teraflex* Long Arm kits.
*Teraflex long arm kits do require slight modification to the fuel tank skid as this suspension kit relocates the rear lower control arms underneath the frame rail where the fuel tank skid would otherwise interfere. 5 minutes with a cutoff wheel prior to installation resolves this issue.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Products are shipped bare metal, unless otherwise specified by the customer. Bare metal products may have scratches or surface imperfections as a result of raw material handling, manufacturing, and fabrication. However, these imperfections are easily covered up with a textured powder coat finish. Additional finishing, sanding, and prep work may be required if you wish to also have them finished with a smooth powder coat or paint.
All Next Venture Motorsports products are laser cut, CNC formed and hand-welded with pride in the USA.
