Overland LJR built to explore and expedition
- Thread starter tomtaylz
- Start date
OP
That’s quite the drop! It’ll feel nice when you sign your Jeep up for Weight Watchers
OP
OP
Does the Savvy Under Armor come with hex bolts for the skid -> frame connection? I thought it usually came with sunk allen heads so that the bolt heads wouldn't get taken off or screwed up on rocks. Maybe I'm misremembering something.
OP
New headlights in. Warranty replacements for my Vision X as old headlights were getting moisture behind them. Took longer than expected, I managed to get a torx screw real stuck by the steering box
Will double check thanks!
Will double check thanks!
From a quick google search, it seems the under armor has been installed with both types of bolt. I will let you know what bolts mine uses when I see it in person. I have actually never seen the Jeep with the Savvy skid plate bolted up yet.
I was telling Tom after reading your comment I didn't recall any skid bolts included in the savvy kit. The bolts that were used were from the proir skid but we will look around and see if any other hardware is present.
I actually don't know the answer either. I was asking so I could know what to expect when I pick up my Jeep. I know on Savvy's website they have allen head bolts in the pictures. Maybe @mrblaine knows. I definitely know that he has a better answer than I do.
What are you referring to as a hex bolt? There are typically two bolts used on the TJ Belly Skid. The flat head allen drive is used with 97-02 since the OEM bolts are a Hex Head with a countersink under the head like a Mercedes wheel bolt. 03-06 use a Captive Washer Hex Head Cap Screw with metric threads. I believe the later ones reuse the factory bolts to install the U/A.
The issue is not the U/A. The issue is the factory skid has the same hole arrangement to compensate for various distances between the holes in the frame across the vehicle. You could machine a countersunk slot but there is no logical reason to add 60 bucks in cost to a skid when the captive washer bolts work very well for the vast majority of the time. Having had to ratchet strap frames closer together and jack them apart to get factory skids that are not bent back on, the lack of precision is disheartening and precludes any nice design work in certain areas.
Would a countersunk slotted hole work? I was envisioning the two thin points of contact on the cone in the middle of the slot and had reservations.
Sure, the slotted holes work for the front lower control arms. The small points of contact will have the same resistance to dislocation both from a friction stand point and a mechanical deformation aspect in that the points will sink into the face of the chamfer and lock in very well.
I may revisit this then. I'm familiar with the lower control arm slots, but that felt like more surface area.
Any suggestions for how the diy guy can machine an 82deg chamfer into a slotted hole? My thought at the time was a carbide router bit with a guide bearing, but 82deg isn't a common woodworking angle.
You aren't paying attention. A common angle for wood working is 90 degrees and metric flat head screws have a 90 degree angle. 82 degree is the common SAE angle.
The joy of being a fastener pedantic.