Guys I just started doing some light off-roading an am looking to protect my jeep. what "pieces" should I look to protect with some skid plates? and in what order from most crucial to least should I purchase them? obviously I am new to the off-road thing so any help will be appreciated!

 

WOL only runs the stock skid plats. ( Correct me if I'm wrong.) Mine may have a few dents but they seem strong enough for most trails.

 

Stock skids here. Have hammered one them as well. Get rock sliders if you dont have them. I would prefer a stronger gas tank skid, but not sure I'm ready to up it, reinforcing it would be best if I can just come across some plate. Just beef it up a lick.

I have a poison spyder evap canister skid. It's been highly recommended to relocate the evap canister or skid it. I went with the skid. Figured I'd spend the $100 on the skid, rather than $50 on the canister and it still not be safe IF i hit it....howver my evap skid doesn't have a scratch on it still...

Nothin' but rocks here

 

I guess it really depends on how and where your going to wheel it. I can tell you I bent my stock skids pretty good and now I am working on the rock hard skids. I would relocate or skid the evaporative canister. I know there are some that say they don't need anything but the stock ones but they wheel in different areas.

 

Yeah, the terrain dictates what you need.

If you are in places where you have a lot of break over angle obstacles, so that you are constantly scraping the bottom, or coming down off one obstacle onto another with a bang, like at Rausch Creek in the Poconos for example, you can turn 3/16" steel plate with folds and gussets for extra strength into various potato chip shaped art forms...and stock skids would not last a day.

If you wheel where you are just scraping along once in a while, the stock skids are probably going to be ok.

I find SLIDERS were job one for break over angle related protection, more than skid plates, but, if you LOOK under there as far as what's vulnerable, and what the repercussions of damage would be, skids are like an insurance policy.



Mines a DD, so I need it to get me home again after play time is over.

 

I agree that it depends on trails. I crushed my Rubi stock plates coming off boulders. I replaced them with Rock Hards. Oil pan, gas tank, and transfer case. I did the same with my wife's jeep.

 

He has also spoken favorably of the Rancho RockGear oil pan cover ...

Rancho RockGear Oil Pan Protection

If the trails demand it, other things to consider:

1. Rock rails. Even if the trails don't demand it, these will "dress up" that ugly pinch seam, giving the Jeep a more finished look. If you're not too worried about damage there and want a cheap "dress up" solution, you might see if you can find some Rubi take-offs.

2. Relocate the evaporative canister. It's very exposed to damage, and if you do tear it up you'll have some annoying warning lights to deal with. I recommend the JeepSWAG kit.

3. Relocate the steering stabilizer. While an optimally operating JK can drive just fine without it, why allow it to be damaged in the first place? Again, JeepSWAG kit to the rescue.

 

I would recommend a set of Rock Hard skids and a Rancho front diff. slider with a good rear diff cover. I'm setting stock on 32's and with this set up I go any place lifted Jeeps go. O'yeah don't forget a winch.

 

Benchmark Designs makes an excellent Evap Canister skid plate: very heavy duty, @ $100, and easy to install. It is a cheap and worthy investment. As others here have said, a pair of sliders are also an excellent investment. They will protect your JK from bottom and side scrapes, including errant shopping carts and careless adjacent car door openings.

 

I would go with diff covers or guards front and rear, evap skid, oil pan skid, and sliders, not necessarily in that order.