All Pro Skid Plates making a racket

Hi all,

Just looking for ideas on how to silence my All Pro skid plates. They make a horrible popping and cracking noise anytime the suspension is loaded. Whether that be driving up a driveway, turning in a parking lot, etc.

I have the All Pro tube bumper. All bolts are super tight on the skid plate. All bolts attaching the skid plates to the frame and bumper are also super tight. I have the full skid package, including the transmission skid plate. I think that the frame is flexing and this is causing the skid to flex and pop, but where or how is beyond me.

I removed the skids last night and there is now pure silence, so I know it's the skids and not something else.

I also have my sway bar still on and I don't think that the sway bar is hitting the skid plates, but maybe it is? I'm going to pull the sway bar off and put the skid plates back on tomorrow night to eliminate this possibility.

I'm wondering if nylon washers to isolate the skids from the frame would help. Any ideas that anybody has, I'd appreciate hearing them!

 

What you doing is making the truck even stiffer then normal .

Think one giant cross member

Things are going to groan and Pop

Have you contacted ALL PRO ?? It is their product you can`t be the only one with the problem

I really don`t know if your going to quiet it down

Does it bother you that much ??

Nylon Spacers Thick enough to do some good

 

It's pretty bad. I've contacted All Pro, but am waiting an answer from them.

 

It is the skid plate contacting your sway bar, I had the same issue. The back of the skid plate where it bends back up is there so you can connect it with the tranny skid plate that all-pro sells and is meant for people that have removed their sway bar. I ended up taking a cutoff wheel to the piece that bends up and taking it off because I wasn't planning on removing the sway bar when my truck is 90% daily driver. If your truck is only for wheeling and you're thinking about getting their skid plate extension then removing the sway bar might be the way to go for you. Hope this helps.

 

This is what I'm going to see about tonight. I'll remove my sway bar, put the skids back on, and test it out. If the truck is silent, then it's definitely the sway bar banging the skid plate. Good to hear that this what happened with you, and gives credence that this is what's happening on my setup.

 

I'll post back early tomorrow am or late tonight with sway bar removal results.!

 

All Pro suggested it could be my dif drop that's causing the issue too. Need to space the skids the same amount as the dif drop. I'll try the sway bar first, and if that's not it, I'll likely remove the dif drop and see if that's it

 

I read your original post between the lines and didn't see that you already have full skids. The problem still might be your sway bar, but it's not the same way mine was a problem. My pops and creaks came from the sway bar flexing so that it was above the skid and hitting on the corners on the way back down. But since you have the full skid that shouldn't be the problem. What I did and what you could try before taking stuff out is carefully watch the underside of the truck while you have a buddy stand on the bumper and jump up and down. You should be able to find the source of the noise pretty quickly that way and you won't have to re-assemble stuff you had to take off after.

 

I'd be real surprised if it's your diff drop and I don't think the little spacers for your skid needs to be the same amount as the diff drop, I think my skid spacers are like 3/8 of an inch.

 

I have the first run 1st gen All-Pro skids - Fr Bmpr, engine and trans.
and even extended off the All-Pro trans. skid with a home built T-case skid.

I've only heard mine pop/shift a few times
either when extremely articulated or they're somewhat loose.
Never occurs otherwise.
Never on a public street or road. (flat or driveways)

And my shift is not from the All-Pro skids
but the T-case skid I made.

Don't remember ever hearing it pop on a public road.
Only when it's twisted up good.



What bolts are being used ? Precise OD/ID tolerances ?
standard or nylock nuts ?
lock washers ? (std. or star).

I use a standard bolt/nut with a lock washer.
Along with Blue Locktite.

I've had them loosen slightly... after time/or a good beating
and that caused then to shift/squeak some.
But once re-torqued tightly that went away.

Maybe put a small amount of thick grease between the metal to metal contacts
Not on the bolts/or washer(s)... but the plate surfaces making contact.

Of course using some nylon washers might work
and might be considered less messy.

But those nylon washers may not survive too long
And movement/shift is more likely to occur as well.
As it may prove difficult to torque the bolts/nuts tight enough
without damaging/deforming the nylon washers.

The grease really has no drawbacks IMO
It's only a slight amount, not a fistful !? Lol
Seems to work good for a period...
But reapplication from time to time is the maintenance.

Obviously it depends on what conditions one wheels in as well.
I probably grease my plates twice a year.

I usually do a little straightening when they're off
as well prep and re-paint them.

^ not a zero maintenance product IMO

 

I have had a set of full all pro skids on for 10yrs now and they have always been loud. I just ignore it. Mine are also so bent that there is not a flat surface on them, so it gets worse the more you wheel it lol.

 

Removed the sway bar last night, but ran out of time to put the skid plates back on. Sway bar has a four inch plane on it where the skids rubbed it down and flat. I'm guessing that part of my noise is from the obvious skid to sway bar contact.

I'll put the skids back on tonight and see how much noise has been eliminated with the sway bar removal.

 

Because everybody likes pictures. What appears to be a crack on the sway bar past the bushing is just a rust flake.

 

Skid plates mounted back up tonight and silence. No pops or cracks. I checked all the skid plate bolts before I did all of this, so in conclusion, it was my sway bar rubbing.

Thanks for all suggestions!

 

I know this is an old thread, wondering what you did to remedy this?!

 

Sway bars are for wussies!

I took mine off a while ago, and while you can feel it lean a bit more, it’s manageable. Mine isn’t a daily driver, and I’m not sure I’d do it to a truck I drive to work more than drive on the trails.

It’s literally in the post you quoted, and the 2 previous posts. He took his swaybar off.

 

Yup, sway bar off was the fix for me.

 

Wasn't sure if he found a better fix. Either way I think I'm going to add spacers at the rear cross member so the seat bar doesn't hit. I think it will work