MOPAR Skid Plates Questions

[ekj]

I ran a search on this subject and found some answers, but I still have some more questions.

My KJ is my commute and 25% family car. At this point, I am not sure I want to commit it to off-roading, but I would still like to make it more off-road safe/capable. With this in mind:

1. Are MOPAR skid plates good enough for a beginner? I don't think I can justify going with the more expensive options at this point unless there is something fundamentally wrong with the MOPAR plates' design. Are they large enough to offer sufficient protection? Any weaknesses in design?
2. How long should I expect them to last provided I don't damage them heavily in some unusual accident? (sorry for the vague question)
3. Are there negative effects from having them from an everyday perspective (accumulate dirt, salt from the road, rust quickly, prevent salt from being washed from the parts they are meant to protect or keep moisture in that area)?
4. From what I see, there are four plates available, but I am confused about their description:
a. Front Suspension Skid Plate (82210769)
b. Fuel Tank Skid Plate (82206122)
c. Transfer Case Skid Plate (82209455)
d. Transmissio*n (82210003 ) bridges the gap between front and transfer case skid plates, front skid plate (82209026) must also be installed
There are four plates, but five part numbers. Are there five plates? Or have they mistakenly listed a wrong part number on their Web site?

Thanks in advance.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

1. There are great for moderate wheeling.
2. They should last a great while, more so if you keep them painted.
3. Only thing is mud can collect in the front skid.
4. There are 4....engine, ******, t case, and gas tank...

Hope I cleared it up a bit!

 

[RageOfFury]

Good luck finding them though. Dealer told me that Mopar stopped making the fuel tank and t-case skids. The others were on limited order...

 

[ekj]

So it sounds like the front plate they say must be mounted with the transmission plate is the engine plate. Thanks. By the way, my dealer said today that two of them are in back order, but not discontinued; the other two are available.

Sorry, more questions:

5. In a thread that came up in the search, I saw that the plates are mounted from the rear making the way to the front. Is this because they overlap each other? I don't assume that the fuel tank plate overlaps with another, correct?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

The front skid can be installed seperately. The trans and the t case ones are the only ones that overlap I think...

 

[JLRockies]

Have I ever told you my story about how my MOPAR ****** skid folded on a dirt road leading to all of the oil in my engine bleeding out and leaving me stranded on a mountain in MOAB during a blizzard while friends continued into town to get me replacement oil and filter? If you have not heard it, it's a great story.

Cheap is expensive and being stranded on a mountain in MOAB while your friends continue into town to get you replacement oil and filter because your MOPAR ****** skid folded on a dirt road causing all your engine oil to bleed out is no fun at all let me tell you.

I mean you can't run the engine for heat since the engine oil bled out when the MOPAR ****** skid folded on a dirt road during a blizzard on the side of a mountain in MOAB.

And let this be a lesson to you as a noob; never go wheeling alone! After all, who would go into town for you to buy replacement oil and filter when your MOPAR ****** skid folds causing all your engine oil to bleed out on a dirt road on the side of a mountain during a blizzard; perhaps even in MOAB?

 

[Ry' N Jen]

I always Carry an additional 12 litres of engine oil, three engine oil filters, and at least twelve litres of transmission fluid, spare heater hoses, power steering hoses, etc., with me regardless of whether I go with others or by myself!
Oh, and a tool box with tools to repair/replace stuff on the trail!

 

[eyehatetofu]

I heard this guy once folded his MOPAR ****** skid on a dirt road and he lost all his oil, and something about Moab.

I would rather have the MOPAR skids than nothing at all. For the price it beats nothing. He said he can't afford $1000 worth of skids. I have the MOPAR skids and have put them through their paces and they have held up fine; my pinch welds, shock mounts, and Renegade "rock rails" haven't been as lucky. If you are gonna do some light wheeling, I think the MOPAR skids are a great investment.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Ry' N Jen]

I heard this guy once folded his MOPAR ****** skid on a dirt road and he lost all his oil, and something about Moab.

I would rather have the MOPAR skids than nothing at all. For the price it beats nothing. He said he can't afford $1000 worth of skids. I have the MOPAR skids and have put them through their paces and they have held up fine; my pinch welds, shock mounts, and Renegade "rock rails" haven't been as lucky. If you are gonna do some light wheeling, I think the MOPAR skids are a great investment.

Just my 2 cents

I would of been happy with those as well!

 

[JLRockies]

Did I mention that it was a dirt road? It doesn't get much more light wheeling than a dirt road.

 

[ridenby]

Did I mention that it was a dirt road? It doesn't get much more light wheeling than a dirt road.

Would you have been better off with no skids? I go with some is better than none.

 

[ekj]

JLRockies, I would love to hear that story. Was it during a blizzard?

I appreciate everyone's input. I seem to recall seeing picture of MOPAR skids with some serious scratches, but none seemed like they had folded. Is what happened to JLRockies a trend or was it more of a Murphy's Law thing (to which I am not immune, by the way)?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I think it was a freak thing...anything is possible, but that's one of the very few I've heard of a skid plate failure.

 

[JLRockies]

Would you have been better off with no skids? I go with some is better than none.

In this case, yes. If there were NO skid, there wouldn't have been a skid to fold and crush the oil filter causing the oil to bleed out on a dirt road leaving me stranded on the side of a mountain during a blizzard while friends drove on to MOAB to get me replacement oil and filters.

You can save even more cash by making your own skids from cardboard but it will not instill much confidence.

Weigh the cost of anything the skid is supposed to protect vs the cost of the skid vs still being able to drive to work the next day and you'll find the most expensive skids available are the cheapest.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Idk about all of that. Ive seen the mopar ****** skid take some decent hits and while it did bend it didnt just fold. Whom ever was driving was the one that hit whatever 'folded' the skid on the dirt road in moab while it was snowing in moab on a mountain in moab while it was snowing in moab at a place called moab of which it was snowing.

 

[JLRockies]

Bend=fold. The skid "bended" enough to crush the ****** pan too. Luckily, it held fluid.

Did I mention cheap is expensive?

 

[JeepJeepster]

What exectly did you hit to cause the skid to bend that much? Were there some benches in the road for drainage or what? Ive slid over my ****** skid with most of the weight on it and nothing bent. It will only bend if you drop down on it.

And we all know the ****** skid is one of the weakest skids out of the 4. Its by all means a mild skid.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Another thing that crossed my mind is if the skid was bolted on nice and tight...

 

[LibertyFever]

Good luck finding them though. Dealer told me that Mopar stopped making the fuel tank and t-case skids. The others were on limited order...

I don't know about the availability of skidplates for the 06 Liberty's, there should be plenty still in stock.

On my 04 Liberty I couldn't find specific 04 Liberty skidplates but made some from other years fit. Plus you should shop around if you can. I found quite a difference in prices.

They are worth the investment, one hit to your thin engine oil or transmission pan can really ruin your day.

 

[kskj]

I've been on that dirt road in moab, although it was not snowing at the time. It is a few little ruff in spots and there is just a few little rocks that like to sneek up on you and bend factory skid plates.