tech
Protecting
Your Jeep's Underside - Driveline and Engine
The driveline of
a Jeep is typically the lowest points and will generally
take the most abuse.
Differential Covers
The stock
differential covers are usually constructed of thin stamped
steel. The front axle on a Jeep is the lowest point
and acts as a bumper usually to rocks, gullies, and other
trail hazards. A strong impact on a differential cover
can shove the cover back into the ring gear causing
potential gear damage and worse a oil leak leaving your
entire gear assembly at risk.
unprotected differential
cover |
4XDoctor protected
differential cover
note the carnage, image what the cover would have
looked like without protection! |
Several
manufacturers make differential guards and stronger covers.
Personally, I prefer the guard. It is easily
replaceable and acts as a skid to aid the differential in
overcoming the obstacle.
Engine and Bellhousing
The lowest point
on a Jeep's engine is the oil pan. Rupturing the oil
pan will put the brakes on any Jeeping day. An engine
can only survive moments when starving for oil.
Protecting the pan is essential. Several manufacturers
make skid plates to beef up the engine area under your Jeep.
These are insurance in protecting the vital underside of the
engine.
If you are like
most of us, you like to make your own solutions to problems.
Ralph from
www.offroaders.com came up with an oil pan skid for his
AMC V8 in Project CJ-7. He fabricated a piece of steel
to precisely fit the oil pan and attached it to the pan
using silicone. Click
here to see the process.
homemade skid plate for a V8
oilpan
On vehicles with a manual
transmission the bellhousing if often not protected by the
transmission skid plate and is exposed. Bellhousings
are most always constructed of aluminum and can break with
contact with an obstacle. Some manufacturers make
aftermarket thick steel bellhousings. These might work
for CJ's but usually are not available for YJ and TJ Jeeps.
Some of these aftermarket housings are available with bolt
patterns that make swapping engines easier.
SkidRow skid plates makes a
Engine/Transmission skid that protects all components from
the transmission skid plate to the oil pan.
Skid Row TJ Transmission/Engine
Skid
Fabricating a
skid to aid in saving your bellhousing is an option too.
These skids can usually be attached to the existing
transmission skid and attached to the bottom of the engine
in a manner that is removable if service is needed.
Transmission
Jeep
transmissions are usually protected by a skid plate from the
factory. On a mild trail Jeep this skid can be
sufficient but on a Jeep that sees a lot of large rocks
something beefier is needed. Many Jeep owners replace
the stock skid plate with a heavier, aftermarket skid that
features thicker steel and heavier mounting areas.
Another option is a "belly-up" skid plate that allows the
transmission and transfer case to raised increasing the
under clearance and raising the Jeeps break-over angle.
TeraFlex TJ Belly-Up skid plate
Some transmission conversions
require fabrication or enhancement of the original skidplate.
See
Project CJ-7
-
Armoring the Skid Plate - Converting
a Dana 300 skidplate for a Dana
20 for reference on this
project.
Transfer Case
As with the
transmission, these are usually covered by the transmission
skid plate if not, finding a pre-made skid is
practically impossible. Fabrication is usually the
only option. Some Jeep owners weld a thick piece of
steel to the transfer case oil pan to help protect the
threaded drain plug and keep the oil in.
Drive Shafts
A jeeps drive shaft is a very vulnerable part
of the driveline. They are typically unable to support
the weight of the Jeep plus a driveshaft turns. They
can look like a bad day on the lathe very quickly when
jammed up against an obstacle and turning. Tom Woods
and Six States make heavy duty drive shafts that can be
custom ordered in varying thicknesses and lengths.
Ground clearance and/or high pinion differentials are the
only real options for protecting driveshafts. Keeping
them out of harms way whenever possible is the safest bet.
Back to
Protecting
Your Jeep's Underside
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Protecting
Your Jeep's Underside
- The Suspension, Steering, and Exhaust |