Skid plates and armor but no lift

[madmax718]

I've done the lift thing before, and trying to see if this is more viable.

2001 jeep grand cherokee inline 6, quadra drive.

Lift is mostly out of the question, except maybe an inch to compensate for a heavier load. I don't feel much like hopping way up high into vehicles anymore, and with the way fuel prices are, I want to improve fuel economy, not hinder it.

here's what I've done so far:
Front hitch (warn); provides a much needed front recovery point, and protects the radiator and AC condenser.
Added factory transfer case skid plate that was missing from the limited (I think came stock on overland and if you order the skid plate package).

What I want to add:
http://www.rocky-road.com/grand-cherokee-rock-sliders.html some sliders. I figure without the lift, and without bigger tires, my chances of bashing my rockers on something is increased. Also give me a more sturdy jacking point, as the body is a unibody.

I also feel like I need some sorta muffler protector. Im guessing I need to fab one up, because I can't seem to find any belly skid parts. knowing that my vehicle will be stock height, I want it to be able to glide over random rocks and roots, and not get caught up on the exhaust system.

I don't need to rock crawl with this thing, just get it through. Any thoughts?

 

[biere]

Go get your jeep weighed and then when you are done adding stuff like sliders and what not you can check into springs from the v8 grand cherokee and see about getting back to stock height using a spring with a bit more load capacity. I honestly don't know if the v8 weighed that much more than the straight 6. But I am sure there are options out there.

And the nice thing is that such springs are sitting in junk yards or if you prefer new they should not cost very much.

Anything you add skidwise I would consider how stout it needs to be. If it is just going to take a glancing blow it does not need to be really heavy duty.

If it is something that might find a lot of the jeep weight sitting on it as you drag over something, I would brace it a bit more.

My TJ has the transfer case skidplate everyone nicknames the shovel, so I am wondering if I really will have issues with it or not. For now I am not messing with it but the aftermarket offers a lot of options for it if I want to spend the money and time fixing it.

One thing to consider if you find yourself dragging over a lot of stuff is you might want to look into limited slips or lockers for the differentials.

I plan to keep my ride height within about an inch of stock or so and will do mods as I find the need for them on some stuff.

 

[madmax718]

The quadra drive has gerotor pumps with limited slips both front and rear. the stock grand cherokee skid plate is not much lower than the tcase, which is pretty tucked in. I didn't need full plated armor, just something to protect the aluminum transfer case.

springs are cheap- heck, I can get them on amazon for an inch or two. But I'd like to keep stock ride height as much as possible. The lowest hanging thing is the muffler. (oddly). The rockers is what im trying to protect.

I like to think about it as not crawling over the obstacle, but rather gliding over it. Flat sheets glide better! there's nothing like getting part of your truck jammed between rocks.

 

[postalWagon]

Look and see if you could find some UHMWP, it makes a light wieght skid that is cheep and easy to shape.
Plus if it does catch on something it is really slick and you can normally slide right off.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

For a DD WJ, some OME springs with 30-31in tires and armor should be plenty for your adventures.

 

[madmax718]

Looks like I will be sourcing some, and following this:
http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18521

 

[madmax718]

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=81302

 

[K2ZJ]

Can you fabricate at all? Instead of dropping armor down, what about cutting up? Remove stuff to hit instead of protecting it?

 

[VistaCruiser]

For a basic rig to run around in, it might be the best way to go. Protection, decent rubber (non-street tires), & traction aid(s) if necessary. Lift springs are always out there for an inch or two if payload demands it. No real issues with death wobble, aftermaket control arms (easier to find stock control arms in BFE if ther's breakage), & more money for gas to get to where you want to be. My .02

Sam

 

[madmax718]

Can you fabricate at all? Instead of dropping armor down, what about cutting up? Remove stuff to hit instead of protecting it?

Thanks for the link. Im not quite willing to destroy that much sheet metal- and that area is in fact instrumental to side impact crash protection. My stock suspension also cant droop enough to really make use of that much clearance. Maybe one day I'll go that extreme, but as it is, I'd like to keep the vehicle looking normal.

I can fab ok, I replaced a lot of sheet metal on my blazer at home.

 

[madmax718]

For a basic rig to run around in, it might be the best way to go. Protection, decent rubber (non-street tires), & traction aid(s) if necessary. Lift springs are always out there for an inch or two if payload demands it. No real issues with death wobble, aftermaket control arms (easier to find stock control arms in BFE if ther's breakage), & more money for gas to get to where you want to be. My .02

Sam

I've done the lifted route on my chevy before, and Im actually getting ready to put her back down to just 1" above stock. The taller height is great for approach angles and departure angles, but everything else sucked- bump steer, fuel economy, and the super flexy shackle flip rear leafs made the truck feel always a little softy. Great off road. But getting to the trails was getting tiresome.

 

[K2ZJ]

Thanks for the link. Im not quite willing to destroy that much sheet metal- and that area is in fact instrumental to side impact crash protection. My stock suspension also cant droop enough to really make use of that much clearance. Maybe one day I'll go that extreme, but as it is, I'd like to keep the vehicle looking normal.

I can fab ok, I replaced a lot of sheet metal on my blazer at home.

You add a slider back in there, it is just up 2" higher than the stock rockers and probably stronger after it is all said and done. If you don't have the droop, when you hang up on the slider your tire won't reach the ground for traction. If your sliders are 2" higher than the stock rocker than you are less likely to hang up on them in the first place. Not trying to convince you, just to further explain my reasoning. That said, I understand though, cutting isn't for the faint of heart. Add to that, rock crawling in NY is not around every corner like here in the west. Where in NY are you? I should have cut the fenders sooner on mine and fit larger tires with less lift. I am going to pull my sliders and cut the rockers out this winter. I may boat side the bottom for a smooth surface to slide on, or leave it alone with more clearance. I will probably not boat side as I will be bored with the project by then.

 

[VistaCruiser]

I've done the lifted route on my chevy before, and Im actually getting ready to put her back down to just 1" above stock. The taller height is great for approach angles and departure angles, but everything else sucked- bump steer, fuel economy, and the super flexy shackle flip rear leafs made the truck feel always a little softy. Great off road. But getting to the trails was getting tiresome.

I'm actually looking for a '01-'04 WJ for this exact reason/build style. Maybe 2" lift & 31's (trails & gear dictate), if I don't get something with QuadraDrive I'll just throw some lunch box lockers in. Simple, inexpensive, DONE! My ZJ was supposed to fill this role, but it's nowhere near as comfy/quality of ride of the WJ's.

Sam

 

[grogie]

I've got a TJ, and the first thing I did with it was add some armor that in fact protected my oil pan on several occasions. I don't care for big lifts, but still, you might still consider something mild. I now have a 3+ inch lift with larger tires (30s to 32s), and I have to really want to rub on rocks now to do so. It's been such an improvement over stock height.

 

[madmax718]

You add a slider back in there, it is just up 2" higher than the stock rockers and probably stronger after it is all said and done. If you don't have the droop, when you hang up on the slider your tire won't reach the ground for traction. If your sliders are 2" higher than the stock rocker than you are less likely to hang up on them in the first place. Not trying to convince you, just to further explain my reasoning. That said, I understand though, cutting isn't for the faint of heart. Add to that, rock crawling in NY is not around every corner like here in the west. Where in NY are you? I should have cut the fenders sooner on mine and fit larger tires with less lift. I am going to pull my sliders and cut the rockers out this winter. I may boat side the bottom for a smooth surface to slide on, or leave it alone with more clearance. I will probably not boat side as I will be bored with the project by then.

You reasoning is sound, I don't disagree with you, but yes, cutting isn't for me. Never has been. Even when I had rusted out rockers, I welded in new replacement rockers. rocks out east are not the same as out west. We don't hang up on our rockers much here. We just bang against them and keep going. Ours are erosion formation, rocks that were left over from building roadways, very rarely do we have big "rocks" that we have to glide over like you guys out there. Plus, even when you do cut them, even with painting, the area that you cut will start to rust within the year, due to the road salt.

My goal is not an "off roader" but rather a comfortable, easy to drive vehicle, that can get me from A to B. Stock, the WJ already travels 49 1/2 inches up a 20-degree ramp to earn a RTI score of 467. With quadra drive, its kinda inbetween a LSD and a locker. If I need more than that, Im really traveling to somewhere that I probably shouldnt be. Lol.