The Official Tummy Tuck FAQ Thread

Hey Chris, I have considered a tuck before, but never went through with making it happen. I came across this thread while search for skid plates and what not. Over the year I have had the jeep, I have done some things that seem to be most of the requirements for a tt according to the list you posted. I am curious what else I would need to do for a tt/ more clearance and skids. What I currently have : 04 TJ Rubicon, 3.5" Metal Cloak LTSA, 1" body lift (NO MM lift), Adams Rear DS, and 35's. Thanks

The only other thing you'd need would be a Savvy transfer case cable shifter:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073LRCYL5/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Other than that, you've got the body lift, the adjustable control arms, driveshaft, SYE, so you should be good to go.

You will probably need to get a new (longer) driveshaft after the tummy tuck is done, though depending on how much you tuck it, you may not need one. A motor mount lift might actually be nice too, just to reduce driveline angle even more.
 
That's funny you mentioned the shift cable, Literally ordered one a few hours ago. I really don't want to buy another drive shaft since the one I have is brand new lol. What about the front DS, stock is still fine? I thought with the DC shaft, that a little angle is ok? Also, any recommendations of brands for the skids? Savvy, skid row, UAF, etc.?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
That's funny you mentioned the shift cable, Literally ordered one a few hours ago. I really don't want to buy another drive shaft since the one I have is brand new lol. What about the front DS, stock is still fine? I thought with the DC shaft, that a little angle is ok? Also, any recommendations of brands for the skids? Savvy, skid row, UAF, etc.?

The front driveshaft is fine, no worries there. You shouldn’t have to mess with it at all. As for the rear driveshaft, when you push the transfer case up several inches, it’s going to make it so that the rear driveshaft needs more length to it in order to reach. The slip joint on your driveshaft make compensate for some of this, but you’ll need to get the tuck done first before you’ll know for sure.

IMHO the best skid plate you can get is the Savvy one. Look around and you’ll see that of all of them on the market, it’s the flattest. In fact it’s almoat entirely flush with the frame!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tjaggie
I'm going to throw this in here, because I don't want to forget this tidbit...and it may actually help the 0.001% of TJ SE owners who are contemplating doing a TT and the AX5 to AX15 swap.

The AX15 manual transmission is just enough larger than the AX5 that you want to do the transmission swap before the TT, or at least at the same time. Doing so will keep you from having to redo your exhaust and possibly other bits in the area. FWIW.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
Read through the 4 pages of this thread, and the only mention of a TT that doesn't require a body lift is the UCF, with their low-pro mount, which seems to cause more vibration transmission.

What about this Nth Degree TT, which states "Special Trans Mount is included with every TT to allow the maximum possible clearance without the need for a body lift – even on Rubicon TJs"

True or not?

https://www.nthdegreemobility.com/wrangler_tummy_tucker_03_06_tjlj_automatic

They seem to offer a TT skid plate for both auto & manual TJs.

The only place Nth Degree is mentioned is in the list of TT providers....just curious...
 
Read through the 4 pages of this thread, and the only mention of a TT that doesn't require a body lift is the UCF, with their low-pro mount, which seems to cause more vibration transmission.

What about this Nth Degree TT, which states "Special Trans Mount is included with every TT to allow the maximum possible clearance without the need for a body lift – even on Rubicon TJs"

True or not?

https://www.nthdegreemobility.com/wrangler_tummy_tucker_03_06_tjlj_automatic

They seem to offer a TT skid plate for both auto & manual TJs.

The only place Nth Degree is mentioned is in the list of TT providers....just curious...

Jury's out as to whether you'll get parts or not from them. Waiting to see if @Rob5589 will get the trany mount. It looks like a unique design. There is only so far you can shove the drive train up before you run out of real estate.
 
Jury's out as to whether you'll get parts or not from them. Waiting to see if @Rob5589 will get the trany mount. It looks like a unique design. There is only so far you can shove the drive train up before you run out of real estate.

I'm waiting and reading, reading, reading!
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobthetj03
What is a tummy tuck?
Take a look under your Jeep Wrangler TJ and one of the first thing's you'll notice is that the transfer case hangs down really low (especially if you have a Rubicon model). A tummy tuck means that you're lifting the transfer case up into the body more and getting rid of that low hanging stock skid plate in favor of something flat, that doesn't hang down (or at least doesn't hang down as low as the stock skid plate).

Why do I need a tummy tuck?
Well, you don't need a tummy tuck, but if you do a lot of offroading in your TJ then at some point or another you're going to get your transfer case skid plate stuck on something, whether it be a rock, a log, etc.. With as low as the stock skid plate hands, most serious offroaders will agree that a tummy tuck is a necessity.

What do I need for a tummy tuck?
Depending on the Jeep you have and which route you intend on going you might need one or more of these for your tummy tuck:

Body Lift- There are various routes to go with body lifts which include JKS, Daystar, Performance Accessories, Currie, etc.. A 1" body lift is about all you'll need for a proper tummy tuck. Don't believe the bad hype you hear about body lifts. In this case a body lift is absolutely a must have for any proper tummy tuck (unless you want to hammer the crap out of your transmission tunnel). A 1" body lift is hardly noticeable and will allow other mods like a high clearance gas tank skid. They also help lift the body without changing the COG very much, reducing the amount of bumpstop you need to clear a given tire size. My personal recommendation is the JKS 1.25" body lift.

Motor Mount Lift (MML) - Is needed when doing any high clearance transfercase skid on a Jeep that has a suspension lift of 2” or more. Stockers can usually get away with out it, but if you are doing a tummy tuck chances are you aren’t keeping the stock suspension height. The reason this needs to be done is when you are stuffing your tranny and tcase farther up you want to tilt the output shaft of the tcase down to help with the geometry you are messing with. By bringing the front of the engine up, you will be able to tilt the output shaft of the tcase down. There are various MMLs out there including JKS, Currie, Brown Dog, and M.O.R.E.. If you choose new motor mounts instead of the spacers, get the rubber bushing versions to reduce engine vibrations. Poly bushings transmit more engine vibrations, which will really start to annoy you in short order. My personal recommendation is the M.O.R.E. Bombproof mounts.

Double Cardan Driveshaft - Is needed when doing any tummy tuck on a Jeep that has been lifted 1.5- 2” or more via its suspension. Stockers can usually get away without it, but if you are doing a tummy tuck chances are you aren’t keeping the stock suspension height. This will be needed regardless of whether you have a Rubicon or non-Rubicon. There are a few out there (Currie, Teraflex, ect.), but the only one that I would go with is a Tom Wood.

Slip Yoke Eliminator (SYE) - Is needed when doing any skid on a Jeep that has been lifted 1.5" or more via its suspension. Stockers can usually get away without it, but if you are doing a tummy tuck chances are you aren’t keeping the stock suspension height. If you have a Rubicon, you will not need one of these. Many people say that the Rubicon already has an SYE, but that is incorrect. It would have to have a slip yoke in the first place to elimininate it - Rubicons have fixed flange rear outputs. There are several good kits on the market such as Advance Adapters, JB Conversions, Rubicon Express, etc..

Rear upper adjustable control arms - Will be needed to rotate your pinion upward. There will be some fine tuning to eliminate driveshaft vibrations. Currie, Savvy and Metalcloak are the only ones I would consider personally.

Rear track bar relocation bracket - This angled bracket will be needed for your trackbar when rotating the pinion. With out this bracket your stock or adjustable trackbar will bind.

Rear lower shock mount extenders - When rotating your pinion up, you will find that the can of your shock (if you have piston down, you may not have this problem) will rub the axle. Some extensions like those from Currie will get the job done. If you're looking for maximum flex, this is a good time to consider shock mount relocation to use long travel shocks.

Spring perch modifications - Will sometimes have to be done, but I personally have not seen a Jeep that has absolutely needed it. Rotating the pinion will cause the spring sit a bit different- resulting in the spring trying to arc...meaning the bumpstops will no longer align. This mod is not absolutely necessary with smaller lift heights, and mainly helps suspension geometry on taller lifts.

Transfer case bracket - The stock shift lever can often be used when a tummy tuck is install in conjunction with a MML & BL, since these keep the drivetrain and accessory angles as close to stock as possible. The Savvy transfer case shifter is hands down the best transfer case shifter on the market for our TJs (yes, it's even better than the Novak). There should be no question in your mind, Savvy is the way to go. Savvy makes a transfer case shifter for the NV231 transfer case and one for the NV241 Rubicon transfer case.

Skids - Last but not least you'll obviously need a new skid plate if you plan on doing a tummy tuck. There's ton of options out there, but I think that the best one on the market is the Savvy skid plate. It's completely flat (doesn't hang down at all), it's made from aluminum (so it's much lighter than the stock one), and the quality is top notch. Again, there's a ton of options out there, but the Savvy one is my personal preference, and if you read around you'll see a lot of people would agree.

* Exhaust mod- For almost all skid plates you will likely have to mod your exhaust so it will not contact the skid and or the lower control arm. Some people can get this done by themselves while others need to go to an exhaust shop. Going to an exhaust shop usually isn’t too expensive for this fairly simple mod.​

Conclusion
Do the math on the products you need for your specific Jeep and ask yourself these questions:
  • Can I afford a tummy tuck?
  • Do you play in the rocks enough to justify one?
One thing is for certain, a proper tummy tuck is not cheap!

Last but not least, if there are any errors or anything that needs to be added please let me know!

What is the ballpark cost to a proper tummy tuck? Doubt I will ever do one, but curious of the general cost. Thanks in advance!
 
What is the ballpark cost to a proper tummy tuck? Doubt I will ever do one, but curious of the general cost. Thanks in advance!

Here's what mine cost me (I recently did it):
  • Rokmen skid plate - $364 + $50 shipping
  • Powder coating for skid plate - $100
  • MML - $146
  • Body Lift - $120
  • Savvy Transfer Case Shifter Cable - $170
  • CV Driveshaft - $300 (even if you already have one, there's a good chance you'll need to have it's length modified)
  • Exhaust re-routing - $200
Then you're going to need at a minimum rear adjustable upper control arms. I already had a full set of Currie adjustable control arms, so I was set, but figure an additional $300 if you just opt to get some adjustable rear uppers.

You'll also need a SYE if you don't already have one, which is probably another $300 as well.

So it adds up quickly, I can tell you that. There's a lot of things that need to be done in order for it to go just right.

The finished result is awesome though, I'll say that much. It was totally worth it!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RedrumRH
I am hoping to get the tuck all done but am doing it in smaller steps. I am running 33" and have a OME 2 lift

Lifted body
Lifted fuel tank with Currie skid

I'm guessing the next steps would be

brown dog motor mount lift
adjustable control arms
sye , drive shaft and skid.

Does this sound right ? For some, it is easier to acquire / hide the funds needed.
 
I am hoping to get the tuck all done but am doing it in smaller steps. I am running 33" and have a OME 2 lift

Lifted body
Lifted fuel tank with Currie skid

I'm guessing the next steps would be

brown dog motor mount lift
adjustable control arms
sye , drive shaft and skid.

Does this sound right ? For some, it is easier to acquire / hide the funds needed.

That sounds right. You’ll also want the Savvy transfer case shifter cable as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Randy_K
So I've got the UCF low profile skid, lo-pro mount, and JKS body lift ordered.
Will I be able to accomplish this w/o adjustable control arms (on my LJR) or driveshaft work?
Or am I f'ed in the head?
 
So I've got the UCF low profile skid, lo-pro mount, and JKS body lift ordered.
Will I be able to accomplish this w/o adjustable control arms (on my LJR) or driveshaft work?
Or am I f'ed in the head?

It's hard to say, but I think in the end you're tucking it enough that you're going to need a CV driveshaft (only $300 for one from Tom Wood) measured to the correct length as well as adjustable upper control arms for the rear at a minimum.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wade Durbin
Being its at 200K miles....the next year plan was to do Savvy control arms with a modest lift (as I'm betting the bushings are getting pretty tired)
I'll start with the tuck and see where that goes.
 
Being its at 200K miles....the next year plan was to do Savvy control arms with a modest lift (as I'm betting the bushings are getting pretty tired)
I'll start with the tuck and see where that goes.

That's what I would do. Stars with the tuck, but be prepared to buy the extra parts!

You can hope, but I'm guessing it's going to require those parts in addition.
 
That's what I would do. Stars with the tuck, but be prepared to buy the extra parts!

You can hope, but I'm guessing it's going to require those parts in addition.

I'll prepare!
Better keep ordering parts and get it all done at once.
My son has the hoist tied up with his mud truck axle swap for the time being.
IMG_4107.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
I get alot of different answers saying I need a BL, MML, Rear Adj CA's and CV for a stock height TJ, what do you think?

Yes, you’ll still need all of that. Tucking the transfer case is the equivalent of going up 3-4” of suspension lift in terms of geometry changes with your driveline.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MaloStapalo