Once again I point out the weight factor. Anything you can do to protect and reduce weight I would suggest

 

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I'm new to jeeping too. This is a stock 09 JK X In the rock garden on the Sunflower mine loop in AZ. The skids took a pounding but held up great. The next day I did get a teraflex 2.5 coil lift and am deciding on wheels and tires. I am amazed at what the stock jeep could do.

 

I'm running the Rockhard Oil Pan/Trans skid and the Rockhard Evap. skid. Both give me peace of mind but honestly I've never tagged either.

However, the transfer case and gas tank skids are beat to hell. They're stock and they're holding up quite well!

 

I have to disagree with you on this issue. When I put skids on I went with RockHard and did the engine skid and the trans/TC skid and figured the stock gas tank skid would be sufficient. My engine skid has taken some good hits and my trans/TC skid is pretty scuffed up. But my stock gas tank skid is pathetic. It's bad enough that I've probably lost a couple gallons of tank capacity. I'm going to have to drop the stock skid and tank and take a rosebud to the skid and beat it flat with a 3 pound hammer. The tank should regain it's capacity and then I'll add the RH gas tank skid.

Now I confess I push my JK to the limits (especially for a 4 dr) and have had it more than a few times in what a sane person would call buggy territory. But I do not feel that the stock skidding is in any way sufficient if you are going to push the envelope. I should point out that skids are far more critical on a 4 dr than a 2 dr. And that the more lift you have the less you should hit your skids. On the other hand the more lifted and built you are the more likely you are to tackle challenging terrain.

 

My theory on weight is that it is ok when down low; and skids are low. I take pains to try to take good lines and have had some damn good spotting. My wife is a pretty damn good spotter but when things get dicey I get out and spot and she drives. But there are times when you're either turning around or get yourself up on something and winch yourself off. If you're well skidded it's no big deal.

Or you do what we did three times this last weekend. Use a winch, a bunch of chain, and two or three snatch blocks (for multiplication of force and rediretion) and move the boulders out of the way. We were trying to open a trail that had been closed for decades. We succeeded. We're guesing that the largest were 5-8000 pounds.

 

i hear what you're saying but, the factory skid did do what it was supposed to do and it protected your gas tank. sure, it may be dented quite a bit and enough so that you may have lost a couple of gallons in it's capacity... maybe, but, the skid did still protect it and it has prevented the actual tank from being compromised.

well, what do i know, i just like to play around at the mall

BTW - i'd just like to add for the record that the RH skids are great product that are very well made and if you feel that you really need the protection, they would be the way to go.

 

I have heard that Skid Row skids are good too. And I can vouch for RockHards. Before I was "skidded" I worried all the time. Skids provide peace of mind.

As to your first point; it does all depend on what you are going to do. To accomplish what we did this weekend we had to get a Jeep on the other side of a boulder so that it could turn around and winch the boulder downhill and to the side. The only way to do it was to climb and high center on what looked to be one of you basketballs; but about 3 1/2 ft tall. Got a Jeep up it, high centered, with no wheel haviing taction and two tires off of the ground and winched off dragging the undercarriage the whole time. He was well skidded so it was no problem. We got him turned around rigged thigs up and moved the boulder off the trail. FWIW there is a reason to carry two snaatch blocks! A lot of people may not do things like this but if you do skids are where it's at.

 

Yes the factory gas tank skid did it's job - so far - but I fear it's integrity is gone in a few places and I'll eventually get the tank. It is now far from smooth and I need something thicker and that will remain undented and easier to drag on.

As an aside I have moved the Evap out of the way so that hasn't been an issue.

I never said you just like to play around at the mall! But I sure know what my skids look like and I wonder what carnage I'd have suffered without them. Probably without them I wouldn't have done some of the things I've done. Maybe skids result in a bit of testosterone poisening!

 

ya know what, in spite of all that i have said, i have been considering getting a skid for my gas tank if for no other reason than the smoothness factor but now i'm thinking that i won't. i think i will keep on punishing my skid just to see how long it'll last. of course, i promise to make a big post about it the day it either fails or is the direct result of me getting hung up due to all the dents it has.

IMHO, relocating this is the better solution as it will insure that it will not get hit.

come on, i know you know and was just kiddin around

testosterone poisening? now that is funny and something that i can see

 

Ask my wife about it sometime. The more other people don't want to try it the stronger the hold of TP and the more you've gotta try it. Sometimes you even break axles and bend wheels and she won't talk to you for three days.

Testosterone Poisening can be expensive!