Skidplates and Safety - Bolt-Ons

As with all other off-road TrailVoys, I have been trying to beef up the undercarriage to handle the bumping and grinding that happens on the trails.

The "underbody shield package" that we can get definitely leaves a lot to be desired. For those who have not followed here are the problems:

• Radiator shield is metal, but entire radiator mount can be pushed back under certain conditions (snow, deep water, etc.). When this happens the fan assembly is pushed back as well and catastrophic engine failure can occur!
  
  
• Oil pan shield is composite (plastic) but woefully thin and easily damaged
  
  
• Gas tank shield is also composite, and even though fairly thick and sturdy towards the rear (1/4" thick), the front is thin and weak

So in general, everything can stand some improvement!

Luckily we have people in the TrailVoy community who are willing to provide excellent solutions.

My first step was to get the excellent aluminum oil pan skid plate from BartonMD. See here.

After ordering I received it promptly and in excellent condition. I took it to my powder-coater and got it done in textured black, similar to the Fab-Fours bumper.

Take note of the circular and triangle holes above the plate in the frame cross-member. These are used to insert J-clips for attaching something with bolts - like the factory shields attach. What these in particular are used for, I have no idea.

Second, I had the curious metal transfer case shield left over from a while ago. As soon as the weather got a bit warmer I wanted to see if I could mount it over the plastic gas tank shield which takes its place.

By using some washers in between the plate and frame on the side hole, I was able to get it attached very firmly.

This really reinforces the weak plastic underneath. I'm going to use a rubber mallet and bend the front edge up a little.

My next planned project will be to get some thick aluminum diamond plate water-jet cut to match the rest of the gas shield. It will be 2 pieces, to the front and rear of the cross bar and they will be mounted to the underside of the gas shield using J-clips and bolts.

My hope is that they take the brunt of any hits and prevent the plastic from cracking or shattering. BartonMD attested to the good strength of the gas shield where it is thicker by accidentally jacking up his vehicle on the shield instead of the frame.