Description
When you want to be ready for any trail any time, skid plates are important. They protect your Bronco's most critical components -- and you want your engine, transmission, transfer case and fuel tank in good shape while you're tackling tough terrain, technical obstacles, and of course for the ride home.
Given all of the added protection these offer over factory pieces, full belly skids whether they're made of aluminum or steel become the largest piece of real estate to consider on or under your Bronco when you're looking to save weight. We chose to build these out of 5052 Aluminum for it's superior formability and fatigue strength compared to many other alloys -- as the design and shape of the skids largely determines how rigid they will stay over time. We designed these belly skids to locate 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 so you lose the weight of the factory steel gas tank skid. The fuel tank itself remains in place during installation.
Net Weight Gain: 45 lbs
Net Weight Gain with UHMW: 80 lbs
FEATURES
This skid system is intentionally designed with as few gaps and openings to catch your skid plates on rocks/obstacles. Each skid fits very tightly up against the next. The skid plate system consists of the following separate components:
- Engine and Differential Skid
- Transmission and Sway Bar Skid
- Transfer Case Skid
- Fuel Tank Skid
- Additional Crossmember at rear of Transfer Case Skid that extends beneath Fuel Tank Skid
OPTIONAL BRACES FROM TRANSMISSION CROSSMEMBER TO FRAME RAILS
Your vehicle may be equipped with or without optional braces that extend from the transmission crossmember (near the center of the vehicle) to each frame rail. This is not something easily changed as it's configured this way at the factory. Please see our image in the photo gallery above to see a diagram/3D scan with these braces highlighted to determine how your vehicle is equipped.
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. The UHMW option will add approximately 35 lbs to your skid configuration.
This system will not fit Bronco "Sport" vehicles -- as it's entirely different platform.
