Does anyone know the measurements of the Savvy vs UCF skids?

cmitcham

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just got my spouse approval for tt. I see a thread today about a ucf discount code. i think I have read the best ucf can do still hangs lower than the savvy. if it is not much lower, then I can spare myself the infamous "we are the greatest so we can and will treat you like crap" attitude from savvy. does anyone know measurement differences? 05 unlimited rubicon. thanks!
 
I believe the difference is that the UCF ultra high clearance is a flat plate with lips to bring it to the correct height, but the Savvy is formed to only lower itself in the center. So the center clearance is pretty much identical, but the Savvy has a small amount more on the edges of the skid. Think of the cross section of a cookie sheet versus a wide brimmed plate.

Note that UCF also offers deeper skids that require fewer modifications. The ultra high clearance model should be comparable to the Savvy in the center of the skid.

UCF also offers it in 3/8" Aluminum, whereas the Savvy only comes in 1/4". However, the Savvy has more bracing to support it internally, notably the separate crossmember.
 
Don’t have any numbers to compare. If you are thinking UCF then go for it.

As for Savvy, the stand alone crossmember is what sealed the deal when it came to making my decision. It has already proven itself valuable by being able to drop the skid by it self. Drove that way for a couple of weeks.

I believe it came up about 3” in front and 2.5” in the rear

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Hope you have happy with what ever you go with!
 
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The separate crossmember is the big difference in my opinion. It would be nice when dropping the skid but my UCF extra clearance akid has served me well
 
I have no complaints with savvy so far. I have ordered multiple items from them in the last few months. I know the attitude exists.

My Savvy skid went in fairly painlessly. I know that others have had issues with the C brackets being a bit too tight but mine were not bad at all and the fit in and amongst all of the existing components was perfect. A great modification imo.

You probably already know but - Be aware of the increased amount that you will have to twist your rear axle back in order to get good pinon angle in back though. With my setup it caused my rear track bar to contact exhaust and tank skid and rear diff to rub the tank skid. I reccomend already having the 1.25" BL and Motor mount lift as well as savvy t case shifter in. TT is a commitment. All of which I learned here. Feel like my jeep is much more capable now.
 
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xmember is an awesome addition, totally worth it and the savvy clearance is better.
 
just got my spouse approval for tt. I see a thread today about a ucf discount code. i think I have read the best ucf can do still hangs lower than the savvy. if it is not much lower, then I can spare myself the infamous "we are the greatest so we can and will treat you like crap" attitude from savvy. does anyone know measurement differences? 05 unlimited rubicon. thanks!
It not so much the difference in absolute height as it is the way in which that height is achieved. Savvy is flat on the frame rails and ramps down to make clearance for the T-case, then ramps back up to be flat at the frame rails again. So, you really only have about an 8" wide section at the lowest point. The UCF is flat all around...but that whole surface is lower by the same amount. Someone else used a cookie sheet as an analogy. That is an apt description. But the drop amount is roughly the same, but the Savvy has much less surface area at that level to get hung up.

I went extra clearance UCF because its WAY better than the factory skid, I got a good deal (like half off) and I didn't want to do all the work that the Savvy entails...and the possible problems tipping your pinion up that far. The extra cross-member is such a good idea though, it almost convinced me. Its a really good product.
 
If I didn't have a V-8 in mine I would have looked at the Savvy skid myself. I have GenRight universal crossmembers going in and then I'm going to use my Nth Degree TT. But I will say I am more than glad/happy that I will be able to pull my skid without having to support the drivetrain first.
 
thanks for the comments. the discount code talk kind of made me forget about the crossmember temporarily. that is a must have for me. savvy is between batches right now, so hopefully when they say 4-6 weeks, they will come through :)
 
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I like my Savvy a good bit. The separate crossmember is nice for doing work underneath since you don't need to jack up the transfer case and you can drive around without the skid if you want. The engine skid also fits pretty well after you force it to line up (understandable due to slight differences between TJ's).

Unless you are wheeling pretty hard, I don't think you would notice a giant difference between the two skids besides the crossmember. If you are between the two, the Savvy has a few nice advantages. Depending on the discount code value, I wouldn't be afraid to get the UCF.
 
Supporting the transmission to drop the skid is one of those things that is quick and easy but annoying. I've done it so many times now that it's not really an issue at all, but the crossmember is just a badass addition and I wanted the Savvy for that reason alone.

I ended up getting the UCF extra-clearance skid because I was ready for a TT but not a body lift yet, and their LOPRO mount allows you to install the TT without a BL. I am on 32's right now and when they wear out I will get 33's and the BL. At that time I will get their "ultra-clearance" skid and put the extra-clearance on my wife's TJ. Is that shitty of me? haha, I dunno. It's a great skid and she doesn't wheel as hard as I do.

My other considerations were that it will probably be easier to swap in an Atlas or 241 Rubicon transfer case with the LOPRO since everything sits lower because of it. LOPRO + BL = more space between the tub and the top of the skid than a BL alone. I also was fighting driveline vibrations and the thought of keeping the driveline lower while still gaining the same amount of ground clearance was appealing.

I think the Savvy is badass, but the UCF just fit my needs better at the time. I don't think you can go wrong either way, both will do a great job.
 
I have the UCF UHC. The trans mount leaves a lot to be desired and my bushing was toast in less than 2 years. replacement is cheap but long term, the minute amount I saved by buying UCF, I wish I just bought savvy.

Aside from replacing the bushing, what else leaves a lot to be desired? I've had mine for about that long now and the bushing is still going strong, BUT I do not put a lot of miles on the Jeep. When I installed it I was expecting to be disappointed in the LOPRO after reading about increased vibrations from it. I was pleased to find that there are no increased vibrations. I was very careful to grind away enough metal where the instructions indicated such that there was absolutely no metal on metal contact.
 
You can get around 8% off the Savvy with jf2018 I think.

I have no regrets of going with my Savvy - just don’t expect amazon Prime shipping. The install is involved, especially if you have a rubicon (more tub denting). I’ve not had to run without my skid all that often, so I don’t view that to be all that compelling (though sure, it’s nice).

However the UCF was my fallback, so I cant imagine it would be a bad choice.
 
Just fyi savvy is not the only way to get a crossmember. You can weld in DIY, TMR, or genright crossmembers and use any skid you like.
 
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