Is it because it rubs on the transmission skid or because the severe angles when drooped are not good for the factory joints?

 

it only really needs to be changed if you have an automatic and only because the spline shaft boot will catch on the lip of the tranny sump pan and tear. not that big of a deal but that will allow the grease inside to dry out and that can lead to squeaking.

 

Thats kind of what I thought, so if I just hack my stock unit then it's good to go (I have an automatic)? Better yet, what about those under armor kits? If I am going to spend 500 on a drive shaft I could probly just spend 700 and get a complete belly kit, no......... Is there any rubbing issues with the aftermarket skid replacements?

 

"hack your stock unit"? hack what??

regarding skids, the problem is NOT with the skids but rather, the lip of your automatic sump pan (as in, were the atf is held) where it mates up to the transmission. installing aftermarket skids won't do squat to help prevent the tearing of the spline shaft boot and i would add, are completely unnecessary on a jk. the factory skids are more than adequate.

 

K, gonna go in my garage and look at what you are saying

For some reason I thought it was a matter of the shaft boot tearing off on the transmission skid hence hacking the stock skid to allow it to flex.....

 

you and everyone else but that is not the case. if you have 3" of lift or more, your drive shaft will swipe over and make contact with your tranny at a droop and that's what does the damage.

 

Yeap! And its no fun to have a broken (twisted for stock) driveshaft on the trail.

 

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't see it. It was close but didn't look like a contact point. Also considering the track bar bolts to the body on the drivers side the more the front axle droops the further away from the transmission it travels. I think I am going to put it on the lift and take another look because sitting flat on the ground wasn't very revealing.

 

Man I totally read this but saw what I wanted, lol.


Selective reading if you will. You directly said transmission sump pan and then I started babbling about the skid plate again, lol. Sorry WOL. It might be passed my bedtime

 

If the flex with your P side tire tucked in and driverside tire dropped. Then the stock OEM front shaft will go closer to the tranny. And don't forget that your vehicle will have lateral movements on the trails since the parts like the frame, control arm bushings & etc will all flex a little and all adds up.