I emailed Gerald (at Savvy), he got one out for what seemed like a reasonable enough price within a couple days.
Savvy Under Armor / Skid Plate Install Write-Up
- Thread starter Rook
- Start date
I emailed Gerald (at Savvy), he got one out for what seemed like a reasonable enough price within a couple days.
Any advice for installing the engine/trans skid? I have the mounts installed, but there’s a lot of interference with the exhaust where it wraps around the driver’s side of the engine. The bolt holes don’t all reach the belly skid. What arrangement of parts has worked for others?
Try getting the drivers side angle bracket in front of the skid plate. Found this older forum image for reference. But they are using the short bracket at the driver’s engine mount. that should helps shift that left side of the engine skid plate further back onto the transfer case skid. Hope that helps
Edit: the image was pulled from this thread
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...-valve-mated-to-oem-transfer-case-skid.15366/
Thanks. Looking at my pics again, I can’t explain why I didn’t try that
I would also leave the engine skid hardware loose except the mounts under the motor mounts. That gives you a chance to maneuver the skid until it plays nice with the exhaust, trans, and TC skid. Make sure you have a decent overlap between the engine and TC skid.
Once you have the skid where you want it, clamp it down, punch your holes, and attach it to your TC skid. It won’t be moving after that. I then went back through and cranked down the engine skid hardware with a 3/8” impact. It drove everything home just fine.
There might be a “proper” way of doing it, but it’s what worked for me.
Older post, but I've got my Savvy Under Armor Skid laid out to do the install after the 1.25" BL and MML this past weekend.
I put all the bolts together just to make sure. All was painted...year or more ago as life has just been busy so just getting back to all this.
Your post here states "No washer on the lower bolts that point up" and "upper bolts get washers under the heads".
I believe I understand correctly, but my bolt package doesn't have any washers other than the ones for the gold-ish colored. No washers for the upper bolts.
I'll just go buy some, but I want to make sure that's what you're saying, and my package didn't get them. I also get none on the bottom ones because of clearance.
Thanks and apologies for replying to such an old post.
Or just get some small flange head bolts.
Got it...will be at Ace ..... again, ha.
DMopar97
Member
Just installed my Savvy flat belly skid on my 2005 6 speed LJ Rubicon.
A few things to note for the next person that comes along:
* Despite being an albuqurque rig, I had similar rust as OP on the frame where the factory skid mounts. The only rust I've found on the entire vehicle. I chipped it off, and painted it.
* The tolerances are super tight, which is good. I used the following method:
* I put the outer C's in by removing the body lift puck.
* I jacked the trans up enough to get the cross member in between the outer C's, but didn't connect it to the trans mount.
* I wedged the inner C in between the crossmember and the frame.
* At this point I was pretty far from getting all the holes lined up, even with a drift, and a dead blow hammer.
* So I completely mounted one side to draw the bracket fully onto the frame
* Then I removed the lower bolts from that side, and started loosely putting in alternating bolts on the lower portion side to side. Passenger, then driver, passenger, then driver, etc.
* Once I had all the lower bolts loosely attached, I attached the remaining upper bolts and used them to draw the top on the remaining side tight sequentially.
* Then everything got tightened sequentially to draw everything in.
* Using a drift/alignment punch was necessary, as mentioned previously in this thread.
* Everything fit. Just barely, but it all fits.
A few things to note for the next person that comes along:
* Despite being an albuqurque rig, I had similar rust as OP on the frame where the factory skid mounts. The only rust I've found on the entire vehicle. I chipped it off, and painted it.
* The tolerances are super tight, which is good. I used the following method:
* I put the outer C's in by removing the body lift puck.
* I jacked the trans up enough to get the cross member in between the outer C's, but didn't connect it to the trans mount.
* I wedged the inner C in between the crossmember and the frame.
* At this point I was pretty far from getting all the holes lined up, even with a drift, and a dead blow hammer.
* So I completely mounted one side to draw the bracket fully onto the frame
* Then I removed the lower bolts from that side, and started loosely putting in alternating bolts on the lower portion side to side. Passenger, then driver, passenger, then driver, etc.
* Once I had all the lower bolts loosely attached, I attached the remaining upper bolts and used them to draw the top on the remaining side tight sequentially.
* Then everything got tightened sequentially to draw everything in.
* Using a drift/alignment punch was necessary, as mentioned previously in this thread.
* Everything fit. Just barely, but it all fits.
Enjoyed the write-up and appreciate your efforts in undertaking this.
I did same on TJ only I did it in steel. I personally like the heavy steel under the frame and it lowers my CoG. At the time I did it IIRC AEV was making a flat Steel underbelly, I think it was them but that was a LONG time ago, around 2005 IIRC. I also did a few other mods that allowed me to run a straight driveline (NOTE: I had High Pinion axles F/R). So this worked and increased my droop. I also raised my motor with higher motor mounts and brought my body up about 1 ¾ inches, maybe even 2. I used an aluminum spacer with a Jeep wagon puck all the way around. The Jeep wagon was a softer durometer. The overall result was straight drive, with Tom Woods DS and I used 1310 ujoints at the axle pinions.
You will enjoy have a flatter belly for sure, it makes a MAJOR difference.
DMopar97
Member
I only found two touch points for my 6 speed rubicon LJ. Both were on the top of the transfer case on the drivers side of the tunnel where the two halves of the case bolt together. I remember reading there were 3? But maybe that was for autos?
@mrblaine ?
Thanks.
And yes I may have clearanced a tad too much and poked a tiny hole in the bottom of the tub. Oops. It’ll be fine though. No more sharp tools for me from now on. Safety scissors only
@mrblaine ?
Thanks.
And yes I may have clearanced a tad too much and poked a tiny hole in the bottom of the tub. Oops. It’ll be fine though. No more sharp tools for me from now on. Safety scissors only
It doesn't matter how many there are or aren't as long as you find all of them.
DMopar97
Member
Working on “Bens deployment build “. Have the Savvy MUA and Engine skid.
MML by MORE previously installed. Did i read somewhere that I need Savvy MML blocks and stock MM for this all to fit?
Also, best way to clearance the tub? Install nut above TC and Jack TC til tub is clearanced?
TIA
MML by MORE previously installed. Did i read somewhere that I need Savvy MML blocks and stock MM for this all to fit?
Also, best way to clearance the tub? Install nut above TC and Jack TC til tub is clearanced?
TIA
So, the MML you have should work, the MML is key with the Body Lift.
I put a Body then MML and it made room for the drivetrain to fit. I have read there is no way to do the MUA without a BL.
Here is what I did on my TJ. I raised the tub using an Aluminum puck and a Rubber puck; this gave me one ¾. This I put raised motor mounts on, IIRC 2 in. I ran a steel plate flat and used no spacers. I did need to do some trim work around my shifter, I used a B&M shifter manual trans.
What did this do for me? Straight Driveline and keep OEM length Tom Woods DS...That said, I also had Dynatrac ProRock 60 HIGH PINION. I ran 1310 U-joints at the F/R pinion. Why run a "weak" U-joint? LOL Even Tom Woods asked this. Well, being the engineer I am, I did a POFA (Point OF Failure Analysis) on my TJ. I only identified two critical points, and 1310 Ujoints was one of them. What I knew was the a straight drive line will go to mitigate that issue. Got bigger stronger is not always the solution. The 1310s worked as a FUZE, meaning it would fail FIRST! But in 10 years and almost 100k miles I never broke a U joint, did wear some out. Also the pinion U joint is the easy one to fix on the trail.
NO clearance issues...
Just my approach...
What did this do for me? Straight Driveline and keep OEM length Tom Woods DS...That said, I also had Dynatrac ProRock 60 HIGH PINION. I ran 1310 U-joints at the F/R pinion. Why run a "weak" U-joint? LOL Even Tom Woods asked this. Well, being the engineer I am, I did a POFA (Point OF Failure Analysis) on my TJ. I only identified two critical points, and 1310 Ujoints was one of them. What I knew was the a straight drive line will go to mitigate that issue. Got bigger stronger is not always the solution. The 1310s worked as a FUZE, meaning it would fail FIRST! But in 10 years and almost 100k miles I never broke a U joint, did wear some out. Also the pinion U joint is the easy one to fix on the trail.
NO clearance issues...
Just my approach...
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If you already have the MML you just need to install a 1.25" BL.
Yes, use a nut at various places your transmission or transfer case are hitting the tub and jack it up to clearance. I didn't have clearance issues with the transfer case, but I did with the transmission.
You might have but they were wrong. What you have will be fine.
Exercise care and caution. I used to use various short sockets on the case and jack up the case to clearance the tub. Then one day my helper got enthusiastic and then surprised when the socket disappeared. It disappeared through the socket sized hole it punched in the case.
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