I got a Rampage recovery front bumper for Christmas and love it. However, I'm mourning the loss of my plastic air dam. I believe the loss of the air dam is causing a lot of air turbulence at high speeds on highway which produces a floating feeling and hood flutter. I'll fix the flutter through traditional means, but I think I need a front skid to clean up the lines and airflow underneath. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a bolt on skid option for the rampage. I've seen one person cut down a body armor skid, but that looks no fun and I don't like the words cut into most of the skids advertising some company.

In looking at skids, most seem pretty simple with a few bends and cuts. I'm considering making one out of cardboard and then taking it to a metal fab shop to have it created for me.

A few questions.

Should I go steel or alluminum? How thick? Thinking 3/16 if steel. I'm not rock crawling, and hope I don't generally hit anything. I look at it as more an early warning system for knowing a big rock is in the mud I just drove into.

Why are most front skids so shallow? Or is that a false conception? When I look at pics, they seem to stop at the impact bar leaving the bottom sway bars(?) exposed?

Any special features or things I should look out for in the design?

I would bolt to bumper and impact bar like most front skids.

Last, am I completely crazy for thinking about doing this? It seems like I should be able to find a shop to cut it, put a couple breaks in it and it should be pretty reasonable in cost.

 

I did what your thinking, all I did was take measurements and draw out my design on paper then took it to a shop cut out of 3/16th bent and welded on tabs for my arb bumper. I drilled the holes once test fitting and it works great. Take your time and make it the way you want it and you'll be happy!

 

I have the pavement ends front bumper and I used the existing Mopar skid plate for the stock bumper .I did have to drill new holes in the bumper. And it dose work.

 

Show us some pics!

 

nice, I'm using a Rugged Ridge skid on the crash bar, but sure would like something that attached up to my Pavement Ends bumper too. This is good to know

 

Do you have any other pics/views? thx

 

Great! Can you post a pic? Also, about how much did the shop charge?

 

I will take more pictures in a little while and post them.

 

Its a mopar skid plate #82210401-ab $194.40 .I have a 08 jku





Attachment 405138

 

right on thanks Gunbo, that's what I like about these basic, simple PE bumpers, can make just about anything work with them.