Description
Want to be ready for any trail, any time? Next Venture Jeep Gladiator Aluminum skid plates provide advanced protection for your JT's most critical components- your engine, transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank, while you're tackling tough terrain, technical obstacles, and of course for the ride home.
When you're looking to save weight, given the added protection these skids offer over factory pieces, full belly skids become the largest piece of real estate to consider on or under your Jeep. Similar steel skid plates can increase weight by as much as 150 lbs over the factory skids; whereas aluminum belly skids net only a 10-20 lb increase in weight as 85 lbs of factory skid plate material is removed during installation.
We build these skids out of 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 fuel tank skid is required for install, netting you a 3/4" gain in ground clearance; in addition, you will lose the weight of the factory steel gas tank skid.
We also designed these pieces to be compatible with popular aftermarket suspension kits (such as the Rock Krawler and other similar Long Arm Suspension systems), larger axles, and multiple engine choices.
OPTIONAL:
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 resistant than carbon steel, and it's fairly lightweight. 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. JT 3.6 V6 UHMW kits weigh in at 28 lbs.
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-weld with pride in the USA. We are a Colorado-based business, and welcome visitors by appointment at our Grand Junction, CO headquarters. We hope to see you out there on the trail soon!
