Transfer case skid plate [Text View]

Riff Raff

05/01/2009, 07:29 PM

Holy Cow ROWHARD; first a little outing over to the dunes in Eastern WA where you became a volunteer for vehicle winching training, and now you're going to MOAB, too??? Don't scratch that new pretty paint on the Dragon from last winter's travesty. You truly amaze me. "AIM HIGH"!!!

Be sure and hook-up with MARLIN (USN) when you get to MOAB, as he needs some former DOD employees in his corner to help fend off the other VX civilians.

I'd love to convoy to MOAB with you, but can't break away from my business for that extended amount of time.

rowhard

05/01/2009, 08:05 PM

Yea, for sure Brian, think a swabbie and a zoomie can handle it, of course there is the Ldub to contend with, that could be a bit worry some.

I'll be okay there, no sand to screw up in and of course I will be epically careful of the new paint.

It would be nice to convoy over with you. One VX on the freeway turns enough heads, can't even imagine imagine what two or more would do.

VX KAT

05/01/2009, 08:09 PM

I'd really like to buy it ......What's MOST important to protect? Diff, transfer case?
Is it something that can be installed in Moab without too much problem?
Wasn't there some modification it needed to fit the VX? I seem to recall a thread about that, and I think it was a sledge hammer was the modification tool.

VX KAT

05/01/2009, 08:44 PM

many members have taken the 3 factory skid plates from the 93-99 troopers and put them on the VX, I have 2 of them and they fit OK.. after first installation one made contact with my torsion bar which caused a clicking and squeaking noise.. and the other made contact with the bolts holding the front of the driveshaft under heavy acceleration.. resulting in a sound that made me almost poop my pants.. but using a big ol pipe, i bent the plates to fit a little better and have had no problems since.. even put the plates to good use

etlsport- was it the Trooper transfer case skid plate you had to persuade or which ones were causing the problems above? (From thread of 8/19/08). I want to buy Rowhard's Trooper transf case skid plate in Moab if it's not too hard to get to fit. Anybody know??

VX KAT

05/01/2009, 08:54 PM

Have fun at Moab. Pick up the required two additional M10X28 bolts and washers so they can install it right on the spot. :_wrench:

Mark

Can I only get these thru Isuzu (i.e. Merlin) or where? :thanx:

rowhard

05/01/2009, 08:55 PM

etlsport- was it the Trooper transfer case skid plate you had to persuade or which ones were causing the problems above? (From thread of 8/19/08). I want to buy Rowhard's Trooper transf case skid plate in Moab if it's not too hard to get to fit. Anybody know??

Well, I will be finding out this weekend how hard it is. I did hold it (the transfer case one) in place and it looks straight forward. Not sure about the other ones thought. Kind of like one of those puzzles you hate

deermagnet

05/01/2009, 08:56 PM

Get the plate that Rowhard has! It rocks!

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/vx/vx2/tcaseplate.jpg

That shot is from the pass side. The blue arrow is where there's now a useless small plate with two bolts. It comes off in two minutes. Reuse those two bolts, throw away the old "plate". Then you need two new bolts shown by the red arrows. The holes are threaded already, so it only takes 2-3 minutes to put the whole thing on with just a ratchet or even a combo wrench. Nothing to it. :_wrench:

Mark

Riff Raff

05/01/2009, 09:00 PM

VX KAT--- You might give a shout-out to MARLIN, as he installed a Trooper Transfer Case skid-plate on his VX that he purchased from Merlin. MARLIN also has pictures of it in his gallery.

deermagnet

05/01/2009, 09:00 PM

I remember someone thought that plate could be bent up closer to the t-case, for some reason. They put a jack under there to try to bend it. They jacked up the vehicle without the plate moving at all! That plate is strong!

JoFotoz

05/01/2009, 09:04 PM

YUP...thats the trick.

Have fun at Moab. Pick up the required two additional M10X28 bolts and washers so they can install it right on the spot. :_wrench:

Mark

...Ring Merlin ...he can bring some with him!

jo

MSHardeman

05/01/2009, 09:06 PM

The skid plate is totally something that could be done at the Red Rock Porch Garage. I installed my skid plate in the parking lot of the LaQuinta there in Moab a few years ago and I think Gill installed CeCe's plate (that we picked up in a bone yard on the way to Moab) in the Red Rock parking lot last year. You also don't have to go to any dealer for the bolts; any hardware store or automotive store should have them.

We can install them during the ice cream social/ adult beverage gala on Monday afternoon/evening.

deermagnet

05/01/2009, 09:08 PM

...Ring Merlin ...he can bring some with him!

That'll work. :) I got mine at Home Depot for pennies.

VX Kat, take off that small plate on there now. Take one of the bolts to Home Depot to be sure of the size. The manual says they're M10X28.

Mark

JoFotoz

05/01/2009, 09:25 PM

:dance:

The skid plate is totally something that could be done at the Red Rock Porch Garage...

We can install them during the ice cream social/ adult beverage gala on M...onday afternoon/evening.

...the o'l Red Rock stoop is gonna be busy this year.

I LOVE it!....:smack:

jo

pbkid

05/01/2009, 09:33 PM

:dance:

...the o'l Red Rock stoop is gonna be busy this year.

I LOVE it!....:smack:

jo

man, that manager is gonna be pissed at us for all the mods we will be doing in their parking lot lol

VX KAT

05/01/2009, 10:32 PM

Oh man, thanks everyone.....even pictures!!....I think I can even do this one! !
I'll take it for sure rowhard!

Ldub

05/01/2009, 11:39 PM

Yea, for sure Brian, think a swabbie and a zoomie can handle it, of course there is the Ldub to contend with, that could be a bit worry some.

???:_confused???

ME?...what have you heard? Who did you hear it from?

I think you're operating under the influence of faulty intelligence...:naughty:

I'm about the nicest guy you'd ever wanna meet...:yes:...:rolleyesg...:laughgray

Triathlete

05/01/2009, 11:40 PM

Fellow 'zonie and Moab attendee...
The plates will mount up without any problems as long as they are not bent. If they are it just takes a little persuation to get everything lined up...but it is still not to hard. On a 1-10 scale (1 being extremely easy, 10 being a pita) it is a 1 and if bent a 2. See ya in Moab!:cool:

And Roward...there will be at least one jarhead there!:bwgy:
But I don't think ya got to worry about the Dubster!

rowhard

05/01/2009, 11:41 PM

Riff Raff

05/02/2009, 05:38 AM

VX Kat, just realize, you have the color VX I wish I could of found not that I don't love and adore my Dragon. Will be my first time seeing a Foxfire. Oh boy, something else to get excited about.

Anyway, Will bring the plate and the bolts to install. it seems that only 3 of the 4 mounting holes line up with holes in the frame. Maybe someone will add to this.

ROWHARD--- Not to worry. Only Dragon's came off the assembly line with 3 mounting holes as part of Isuzu's "down-sizing program" to reduce overall costs. All other production VX's; including the Foxfire, came with the normal 4 required mounting holes. "AIM HIGH!!!"

rowhard

05/02/2009, 08:00 AM

ROWHARD--- Not to worry. Only Dragon's came off the assembly line with 3 mounting holes as part of Isuzu's "down-sizing program" to reduce overall costs. All other production VX's; including the Foxfire, came with the normal 4 required mounting holes. "AIM HIGH!!!"

Oh, okay, works for me

etlsport

05/03/2009, 06:40 AM

etlsport- was it the Trooper transfer case skid plate you had to persuade or which ones were causing the problems above? (From thread of 8/19/08). I want to buy Rowhard's Trooper transf case skid plate in Moab if it's not too hard to get to fit. Anybody know??

sorry for the delayed response kat.. been working long hours and then going to school after the long hours

i actually had trouble with two of the trooper skid plates (theres some question as to whether the donor vehicle had frame damage that twisted them up though)

the passenger side skid plate would hit the torsion bar during turning making a clicking sound that sounded like a CV, a quick bend downwards took care of that

the center skid plate sat just a pinch too high and under heavy acceleration, it would graze the drive shaft bolts.. resulting in one of the most horrific noises ever.. a quick snip with the angle grinder took care of that and ive had no problems since

Marlin

05/03/2009, 07:09 AM

My skidplate went on fine, except I had to groom the threads on the unused holes a bit, they had rust and dirt in there, but nothing that a few strokes with WD40 and a tap couldn't fix. I even kept the transfer case and the little plate under my custom skidplate...worked out fine.
All that rust in the pic, is now gone....so please, no comments about how abused my VX is, Isuzu social services has already been out about it...

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/transfer_case_skid_plate.JPG

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMGP0031.JPG

VX KAT

05/03/2009, 11:20 AM

i actually had trouble with two of the trooper skid plates (theres some question as to whether the donor vehicle had frame damage that twisted them up though)

the passenger side skid plate would hit the torsion bar during turning making a clicking sound that sounded like a CV, a quick bend downwards took care of that

the center skid plate sat just a pinch too high and under heavy acceleration, it would graze the drive shaft bolts.. resulting in one of the most horrific noises ever.. a quick snip with the angle grinder took care of that and ive had no problems since

Forgive my dumb questions etlsport, Was it the "transfer case" skid plate you're referring to above or another plate? Looks like Marlin got the OEM Trooper transf case on w/o any adjustments. Thanks Marlin for mentioning the holes as mine is an East Coast car all it's life and the holes are probably pretty gunked up as well.

VX KAT

05/04/2009, 07:44 PM

OK now, what...... I was after M10X28 bolt.
Home Depot, Lowes, AutoZone have M10x25 and M10x30 but no "28".

UPDATE......Jackpot!
Napa has M10x28....but do I need 1" or 1.5"???

rowhard

05/04/2009, 08:02 PM

VX Kat, I will bring the bolts you need.

Kenny

05/04/2009, 10:06 PM

OK now, what...... I was after M10X28 bolt.
Home Depot, Lowes, AutoZone have M10x25 and M10x30 but no "28".

UPDATE......Jackpot!
Napa has M10x28....but do I need 1" or 1.5"???

Don't sweat over x25 to x30 that's just how many mm long.
25mm is 1", where 30mm is just under 1-1/4". It's all close enough to x28. You'll get away with 1" bolts on the cross member bolt holes. The holes don't go through and through the hollow member so if your bolt is more than 1-1/2" you may run into the top steel in there.

Also important: Keep in mind those Metric bolts are fine thread - look for 1.25 pitch. (Standard out there is 1.5 pitch).

Pretty much all those bolt-on spots on the cross members under the body are M10x28 x1.25 pitch. Those holding the tow hook are M10x50 x1.25 pitch. (I don't know about you guys, but it was a bugger to find 1.25 pitch bolt longer than 2.5" in my town. Everyone had 2" long, but I needed that extra bit for my skid and tow hook bolts. Eventually lucked out.)

I would definitely take marlins advice and buy a M10 tap and ream those rusty bolt holes, they're nasty when they plug up with gunk.

Marlin

05/05/2009, 04:56 AM

My autozone here has a bolt pattern display. You actually just thread in your own bolt and it tells you everything.
I actually bought the metric bolt replacement kit, had about 100 misc metric bolts and washers, nuts and so on...it was at autozone for like 25 bucks, but it has been a lifesaver. If you ever work on your VX, you are gonna drop one, need to replace a stupid allen head, or break one, then its another trip to the store. Easier just to have the kit...
As far as bolts, I actually ordered mine when I ordered my plate, they were less than a buck. I have a few extras as well, just in case I tear one of mine up.