Any experiences with the Undercover Fabworks skid plate?

[Jeep 541X]

MML is installed. Body lift also installed. Plenty of room above tranny/TC. No modifications to the exhaust hanger. I’m just curious if the tranny/TC combo may be raised slowly to accommodate the higher clearance skid? When raising the tranny only, closer to engine side, it began lifting the body…

 

[Jeep 541X]

Or better question: once the new skid plate is aligned with transmission adapter studs, is it safe to apply upward pressure evenly to get it to sit up against the bottom of frame rails to be secured?

 

[Gollywomper]

Or better question: once the new skid plate is aligned with transmission adapter studs, is it safe to apply upward pressure evenly to get it to sit up against the bottom of frame rails to be secured?

You need to look all the way around the engine, trans and tcase to identify what is hitting, if anything.
You will see the body/frame move a bit when lifting the transmission up to where it needs to go. Just be sure it’s not hitting anything.

 

[TRE3TOP]

What a great weekend!! I got to install the JB Conversions SS SYE kit and partly finish JCR Offroad's Crusader Rock Sliders. Tomorrow, I should be have the TC, rock sliders and UCF's Ultra high skid installed - almost done with tummy tuck .View attachment 305410View attachment 305412

You should celebrate with chicken fried steak from CHOW. Pro Tip - get it with the veggie gravy, not the standard sausage gravy…. Trust me on this one. The veggie gravy is made to order and so much better!

 

[Jeep 541X]

You need to look all the way around the engine, trans and tcase to identify what is hitting, if anything.
You will see the body/frame move a bit when lifting the transmission up to where it needs to go. Just be sure it’s not hitting anything.

There’s nothing hitting. Tunnel is completely clear with ample room to allow for tranny/TC… I just want to know if it’s safe to raise tail end of drivetrain once new skid is loosely attached to it - with no rear driveshaft in place.

 

[pagrey]

When raising the tranny only, closer to engine side, it began lifting the body…

There’s nothing hitting.

I don't get how you think these two things work together.

 

[Jeep 541X]

I truly wouldn’t know. I’m pretty new at this. It was impression that tranny connected to motor, motor to frame and frame to body - hence the slight upward movement… I’m open to your feedback. Thank you.

 

[Jeep 541X]

I just ran the scenario by two mechanics who said it was completely safe to slowly raise the tail end of the disconnected drivetrain, after loosely attaching the new high clearance UCF skid to the transmission mount until skid to frame bolts are started.

 

[pagrey]

Like @Gollywomper says, check for clearance, the motor mounts wont lift the body. It is extremely common to miss something small and crush it. Most people only find out later driving the Jeep around posting, "why is my Jeep so noisy in the cab after the tuck?"

 

[Jeep 541X]

UCF Ultra-High Clearance skid installed. Thank you all for the input and time given.

 

[Jeep 541X]

Say, guys… the shifter ended up really close to the dash face after the TT… what’s everyone doing about creating more space there?

 

[Ocho]

Say, guys… the shifter ended up really close to the dash face after the TT… what’s everyone doing about creating more space there?

bend the shifter.

 

[Lou]

Say, guys… the shifter ended up really close to the dash face after the TT… what’s everyone doing about creating more space there?

Auto swap

 

[techjeeper]

I’m going to drag this thread into 2026, we have a 97 4.0l with 5 speed. No SYE, 1-1/2” SL. We are keeping this jeep close to stock but belly clearance could use some improvement, however I don’t want to open the MML/BL/SYE can of worms. Does the no BL plate work with no SYE? Does it actually raise the TCASE significantly or just constructed more with clearance in mind over the factory skid?

 

[GPK03X]

A quick look at the specs shows an increase of 2” of ground clearance. So if this skid raises the drive train that much with your 1.5”spring lift, I believe you are in SYE territory

 

[Feralkid]

It says in the description, "This product will increase ground clearance by about 2" over the factory skid plate."

So with your 1.5 inch spring lift + this skid plate you will be raising the rear transfer case output shaft at least 3.5 inches above the rear axle from stock.

You're going to need adjustable control arms to set proper drive line angles. A 1" motor mount lift is intended to reduce the angle of the rear transfer case shaft so you don't have to rotate the rear axle pinion upward quite so much.

I did a 3" spring lift on my Rubicon, which has a fixed rear yoke transfer case, and even though I had a 1" MML and adjustable control arms the rear stock drive shaft u-joints began to fail after a few months because of the increased operating angles. Per Spicer, anything over 3 degrees from straight significantly decreases u-joint lifespan.

I recommend you just bite the bullet and do a SYE and double cardan driveshaft before lifting things any further so you don't have to worry so much about the extreme u-joint angles in the stock rear drive shaft.

There's the right way to things, the cheap way to do things, and the wrong way to do things. The wrong way costs more than the right way. A SYE and a double cardan drive shaft is the cheap way. The cheap SYE is a hack and tap.

The right way involves a complete custom welded suspension, atlas transfer case, and Dana 60 axles with 40 inch tires. $$$

 

[The4bangertj]

With the early models I know of a few people that can run the 1inch deep skid without a body lift.
If you’re doing the tuck I would do the 1inch deep. I have a 2inch deep and I’m removing it for the 1inch deep (and doing a crossmember)
You will need the sye, drive shaft, tranfercase cable shifter, and rear uppers to set pinion.

Wish you were closer I’ll be selling my 2inch deep aluminum skid for super cheap.

 

[techjeeper]

A quick look at the specs shows an increase of 2” of ground clearance. So if this skid raises the drive train that much with your 1.5”spring lift, I believe you are in SYE territory

That's my question really, does the 2" of extra ground clearance raise the t-case a full 2" or is the skid constructed in a way that gains clearance with out moving it up the full 2". I figure there is no way it doesn't move it up at all. They don't have a dimensioned model anywhere, and rightly so,, so I can't really find exactly what i am looking for without ask folks that have one. The whole idea with this jeep is stock plus. Off the shelf parts everywhere possible, suspension well within stock component limitations, no re gears, etc. I've been down all those roads lots of times.

 

[PurpleTJAZ]

The belly up is a great bang for your buck. However it creates a waterfall effect. You raise the transfer case and you get vibration. There’s the UFC lopro mount that will help keep the transfer case lower. A mml lift will gain a few more degrees of angle but you will also need to raise the radiator also because when you drop the back the front goes up. With the lopro you may not need the body lift, at least that was the idea behind it. Did that for awhile but I had to put an extra 1/2” of spacer to drop everything low enough to not vibrate. It works. Not. Ideal but it works.

Ideally I would say, ufc skid, body lift, mml, super short sye with drive shaft , transfer case shifter cable and adjustable upper rear arms. That allows you to run a factory mount and get little to no vibrations with maximum clearance.

When I started tried a lot of different things. Some worked and some didn’t but I always learned something. I still run the ufc skid and factory mount and on the older TJ’s I think it’s the best option to gain break over clearance.

 

[OldBuzzard]

That's my question really, does the 2" of extra ground clearance raise the t-case a full 2" or is the skid constructed in a way that gains clearance with out moving it up the full 2".

It might actually move the t-case up a little more than 2".

Mine's an '05 with the aluminum UCF Extra-Clearance skid, so it's a whole different animal. On it, they claim it will give 2.5" additional ground clearance, but I actually got 2.125". But it moved the t-case up by 2.375" due to the height of the integral cross-member tranny mount. The webpage drawing of your '97 NBL skid and my '05 EC skid look like they have a pretty similar design for that cross-member.