Commander Skids and Armor

[hoaxci5]

I've hit my diff, I haven't hit my front bumper. I figure in a "crawling" mode I'm not going to damage the radiator.. Once I'm on an obstacle all the other stuff is in harms way and I don't have as much control over speed as I do for first getting the front end up on top of it. Just some more justification for how I wheel and my reasoning.

I don't forsee anyone saying "I'm right you are wrong" but just in case this is going to be different for everyone and they should just read examples of what others have encountered and make their own judgment call on what is right for them.

[Matt]

I look at benefit/cost ratio.

I agree, the stock skids + belly guard is #1.

Next in my book is the front guard. It's very affordable and it prevents damage to radiator/condenser. In places i offroad where you have to drive through some water/mud, you're very prone to a large stick or something popping up and getting caught in that area (i've seen it happen).

Rock rails and rear sliders are 50/50 in my book.. depends on where you wheel and if you have a factory hitch. If you don't have a factory hitch, then the rear sliders double as recovery points and they take the lead.

That's my $02 anyway

[hoaxci5]

Next in my book is the front guard. It's very affordable and it prevents damage to radiator/condenser. In places i offroad where you have to drive through some water/mud, you're very prone to a large stick or something popping up and getting caught in that area (i've seen it happen).

Ah I haven't seen much water/mud in the offroading I've done so I don't think about that. I'm in the rocks/desert so I drive up and know what I'm getting into. Slow drive up to a rock to crawl over it not a whole lot is going to happen to the front end as long as I'm taking it slow.

[Sal-XK]

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong here bro don't misunderstand me. Like you said its good to get everyones input on the subject because we also wheel in different environments so we have different needs. I can see your point a view as well but covering all the mechanical parts for me was important because you never know when you going to slip off that rock or how you will land when it happens. In Uwharrie I did just that but landed on a tree instead LOL no armor on the B pillar I've landed on the diff as well and after inspecting the damage or lack of damage I can say its real solid and has a lip to help prevent the cover from getting peeled back. Rock rails are next for me I have the 5 skids for underneath now and the rails are where I take a lot hits or where my running boards take a lot of hits

[hoaxci5]

I didn't mean to imply you were saying that Sal, I just wanted to nip it before it did happen to/from anyone since there is so many variables in location of offroading.

When I hit my diff I did manage to cause a leak, it was minor so I drove it without a problem but it did leak.

[Sal-XK]

I didn't mean to imply you were saying that Sal, I just wanted to nip it before it did happen to/from anyone since there is so many variables in location of offroading.

When I hit my diff I did manage to cause a leak, it was minor so I drove it without a problem but it did leak.

Man you must of come down on that thing pretty hard to cause a leak. I landed on mine and dragged it down a rock and had no issues. I'm not sure but by looking at the pictures from 4xguard it just looks like the guard only protects the cover from being smashed into the gears not from peeling it back we might need to get some feed back on this from them. I would think you could just weld a piece of steel to the bottom of the diff that over hung past the cover a little bit so you could just slide right off. I'm just brain storming I guess.

[hoaxci5]

Man you must of come down on that thing pretty hard to cause a leak. I landed on mine and dragged it down a rock and had no issues. I'm not sure but by looking at the pictures from 4xguard it just looks like the guard only protects the cover from being smashed into the gears not from peeling it back we might need to get some feed back on this from them. I would think you could just weld a piece of steel to the bottom of the diff that over hung past the cover a little bit so you could just slide right off. I'm just brain storming I guess.

I didn't come down on it, I dragged it across a rock and then backed up. It didn't peel it back, but it was enough to break the silicone gasket and cause the leak. That is why I'm anxiously awaiting someone to make a yoke/diff slider more than anything else, I expect it to be $150ish and then it only takes 3 of my opps to pay for itself since synthetic gear oil is so much.

I asked 4x and they apparently have a model no plans to make a diff slider. I'm sure I could fab something up, but I'm hoping for a quality product from someone

[Sal-XK]

I think a diff slider can be way easy to fab up bro. I bet since its your rig you will probably end up with something more functional then what someone will make and charge us $200 for. A solid piece of metal 12" long curved on both ends so you get on and off of it smoothly. Same can be said really for the rear sliders as well. You could weld some metal to the rails back there.

[hoaxci5]

I'm not a good enough fabricator to make something easily removable to still be able to change the fluid. Believe me I've looked, as soon as someone else makes it I might be able to replicated, but I haven't figure it out yet.

Same goes for rear sliders, I could make something nasty looking I'm sure for about half the price of 4x sliders, but for as nasty as it would look and my time, I'd just pay for a quality product.