Squeaky Penguin's (Trip Reports) Build Thread

Homebuilt rear bumper or who manufactured it?

 

Made by another TW member, fairly well modified by myself at this point.

 

Got way too far in this project before realizing it's not a great solution.



I want to protect the tcase, and don't really care about anything else, but I think I would just end up tearing out the crossmember with no skid across all of it. Want to keep it light, small, and no further back than necessary, as I was always getting hung up on the very back of my old skid, even though it wasn't really protecting anything that far back.

So, need to come up with plan B, and off to Moab with no mid skid. Oh well.

 

Is it possible to go above the exhaust on the passenger side with the crossmember?

 

I think so, I was thinking of that myself. Would result in a much more complicated, and maybe not as strong, crossmember.




Don't want to work on this thing again until about March though. Way too much time in the garage this year already.

 

Meh, it only needs to hold 5,000lbs

 

Ain't nobody got time for dat!

 

Let's be real, on a manual trans that mid skid doesn't protect much anyway on a manual. Like you said, protecting the t case is priority #1 and you are covering the rack with the IFS skid so I think you'll be just fine.

 

Make a hoop coming off the tranny crossmember going around the tcase? Sorta like this but tucked up more and not as far back.



This is the only one of you on my computer, and it was from my phone. Me thinks I still haven't even pulled the pics off the camera

 

1. My nuts are in my throat looking at those canyon pics

2. I’ll send you a pic of the transfer case skid Jon (Hurr Durr Fabrication) @45acp built for my ‘98. It’s really slick.

Don’t know how applicable it is to your truck and IFS skid but at least it can give you some ideas?

 

I'm not worried about the trans or trans crossmember, but the rest of my new crossmember. That skid is only a foot wide, so there's lot of it to get caught on.

Was wondering about something like that. Is it not supported on the passenger side? Wonder how much it would deflect on that corner if you were on it hard.

And now I want a San Pellegrino.

More ideas are always good. Will look for that pic.

 

Ah I misunderstood your want for it to be smaller. So you don't ever plan on running a mid skid again then, correct?

 

I haven't decided fully. It just won't be a 2'x4' reinforced sheet of 3/16" like I had.


I'll probably put something between the IFS skid and trans xmember just so I don't get stuck with something there. Was thinking about welding up a frame with some UHMW inset. Then whatever I come up with for the tcase, and that's it.

 

IDK, just a pic I found in two seconds of googling.

I’m with you on minimizing, going to come up with something much better when I put a new tcase in, hopefully chopping out the tranny member as well and moving it up, gaining a shit ton of clearance.

 

That's a good idea too. Hadn't thought of that.

Maybe a front range offroad crossmember, and cutting out the factory crossmember would be the best solution.

 

There is a TON of clearance to be gained on my truck from the bottom of the tranny crossmember and the tranny, 6+ inches. If you can come up with a low profile sturdy way to attach a mount to the tranny, should work well. I’m going solid motor mounts then some sort of poly bushing setup on the tranny, maybe using the stock piece that bolts to the tranny and building off of that with poly mounts where it bolts to the frame and tuck that bitch up as high as possible.

 

Meanwhile I am just over here with a GX470 where there isn’t any options for steel skid plates for KDSS. Only comes in overlander aluminum. I need to get a garage and a welder.

 

There’s your option and solution.

 

Just clock your tcase so it's above the frame rail.

 

Can you clock the stock case?