Skid Row transmission skid plate - necessary?

I'm looking into getting some skid plates for my '04. I'm pretty much sold on getting them from Skid Row but I'm debating getting just the front and transfer case skids and not the transmission skid (middle one).

This one covers from the front crossmember to the transmission crossmember. Seems like even the people who really beat on their skids hardly scrape this area and I don't expect to be going as hard as them. Not sure if it's the same on the 2nd gens but on the 1st gens the transmission crossmember is a good several inches or so higher than the front crossmember so it seems most of the time if you're sliding on something on the front skid it will drop off the back edge down to the transfer skid and barely touch the transmission skid if at all.

What do you guys think? Save a couple hundred bucks and skip the transmission skid (and maybe get it later if I decide I'm wheeling hard enough to warrant it) or just get it now and have full protection just in case?

 

I would just get all them at the same time, that's what I did for mine!

 

I can buy them local so there's no issue with doubling up shipping costs or anything. I'm just thinking I may never really need it so I could save a little by skipping that one.

 

you can always add it on later.

 

.

 

I'd rather have it and not need it...

I have a scrape or three on my 2000's skids and a couple of decent dents.

 

Auto or stick?

 

Not that Skid Row

Do you have significant scrapes/dents on the area between the two crossmembers though? Or just at the front and middle of the truck?

Mine is stick. Does the auto tranny stick down farther?

 

Yea the Auto sticks out a bit more. There are actually a few people who havn't run a tranny protector on their sticks who wheel the piss of their trucks. First one i found searching but he turned in his skid row for a Trail gear xmember/skid. And never had a problem with not having tranny skid.

Pic heavy

 

I was actually reading some of his posts about it over on ttora earlier today. I guess he swapped to the trail gear xmember/skid after bending the crap out of the skid row tcase skid. I don't expect to be doing anything nearly as intense as he appears to be though. But yeah, if that guy can run without a tranny skid I would think I should have no problem without one.

 

Finally got the skids yesterday (5 weeks after ordering them). Had to remove the diff drop for the front skid. Here's a bunch of before/after pics.

 

those are slick...i like that


good move on the tcase skid...

love my all pro tcase skid...got a lot of use in moab..






transmission skid would mainly be helpful if you plan on sliding on a lot of rocks with full weight of the truck on the skids where having a smooth transition from the front skid to tcase skid would be needed.....but doesn't sound like you will be doing that anytime soon

 

Thanks. That sucks having that exhaust pipe sticking down on the 2nd gens making you have that bump.

And yeah, I'd have to be sliding full on a rock and drop off for it to hit the steering rack. Don't see myself doing that but if I ever come close I'll just get the tcase skid.