Question for anyone with a 03-06 Rubicon and a Savvy transfer case skid

[Chris]

For those of you with 03-06 model TJs and the Savvy belly-up skid, I have a few questions:

1. Does it come with brackets to mount the factory locker pumps in the stock location, or did you have to relocate your locker pumps?
2. It says it includes a low profile transmission mount. Is this true? If that's the case, I assume it has an exhaust hanger built into it?

Thanks in advance! I'm considering replacing my Rokmen skid with the Savvy just to do some testing with the cyclical vibrations I'm having.

 

[jjvw]

The locker pumps need to be relocated. Mine are on the abs tray in the engine bay.

The new transmission mount attaches to the new cross member and is about as low as it can go. That must mean we can call it low profile. It includes a new exhaust hanger.

The exhaust work is not stock and is me trying to figure out where to put it after the mid arms.

Are you going to change the skid along with the mid arm?

 

[Chris]

The locker pumps need to be relocated. Mine are on the abs tray in the engine bay.
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The new transmission mount attaches to the new cross member and is about as low as it can go. That must mean we can call it low profile. It includes a new exhaust hanger.
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The exhaust work is not stock and is me trying to figure out where to put it after the mid arms.

Are you going to change the skid along with the mid arm?

Thanks, that’s what I wanted to see!

They mentioned some TJs may need trimming of the crossmember, did yours?

Also, it doesn’t look like that transmission mount has any rubber like the stock one, did that as any NVH?

I’m thinking I’ll put the Savvy one on with the mid-arm. I’m going to see what effect that has on the weird vibrations Sri and I have. Dave had mentioned that on one TJ in the past with this vibration, he added the Savvy skid and it went away entirely. I want to see if maybe I could replicate that.

 

[dieselvrr]

Interested in the savvy system as well. Going to start with the engine/tranny skid and possibly expand later. There is someone on JF. Com selling the whole system.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[jjvw]

The cross member has two bonded rubber bushings that the mount attaches to. The vibes are very close to stock.

I trimmed the cross member to fit the exhaust. And I dented in the exhaust. Have a real shop figure that part out. Mine needs to get re done by someone who knows what they are doing.

Be aware that the Savvy skid does not fit cleanly with the mid arms. The rear frame brackets need to be trimmed around the frame bolt holes. And the skid needs to be trimmed around the new frame mounts.

To be fair, the two kits were designed years apart from each other. Maybe by now they have addressed how the skid and mids fit together. That is why I wanted to see your rear frame mounts.

Once everything is together, the rear stiffener on the skid is trapped between the transfer case and the rear mounts. When you need to change the fluid, the skid needs to be removed, which is a pain because that stiffener is in the way.

I welded in this reenforced access hole instead and plan to stick a paper/plastic trough in there to funnel the fluid out.

 

[jjvw]

There is also an issue with the Savvy engine skid interfering with the front upper arm. Supposedly they have a special mount that clears. Make sure you ask about that so you don't get the standard under armor kit.

I don't have the full kit, so I have not personally dealt with this.

 

[Chris]

The cross member has two bonded rubber bushings that the mount attaches to. The video are very close to stock.

I trimmed the cross member to fit the exhaust. And I dented in the exhaust. Have a real shop figure that part out. Mine needs to get re done by someone who knows what they are doing.

Be aware that the Savvy skid does not fit cleanly with the mid arms. The rear frame brackets need to be trimmed around the frame bolt holes. And the skid needs to be trimmed around the new frame mounts.
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To be fair, the two kits were designed years apart from each other. Maybe by now they have addressed how the skid and mids fit together. That is why I wanted to see your rear frame mounts.

Once everything is together, the rear stiffener on the skid is trapped between the transfer case and the rear mounts. When you need to change the fluid, the skid needs to be removed, which is a pain because that stiffener is in the way.

I welded in this reenforced access hole instead and plan to stick a paper/plastic trough in there to funnel the fluid out.
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Interesting! I wonder how the mid-arms will fit with my Rokmen skid. It's shaped a lot differently than the Savvy.

I would think that they've updated the Savvy skid plate by now, since many people (including Savvy themselves) run it with the mid-arm. I suppose we will find out!

That's nice that it has those separate cross members so that you can just take the inspection plate off the bottom. My Rokmen is a one piece unit like the stock skid plate, so it's entirely different.

Good call on that fluid access hole as well. I'm going to have to remember to do that... unless maybe Savvy has updated it with a similar hole as well

 

[Chris]

There is also an issue with the Savvy engine skid interfering with the front upper arm. Supposedly they have a special mount that clears. Make sure you ask about that so you don't get the standard under armor kit.

I don't have the full kit, so I have not personally dealt with this.

I'll be purchasing the engine skid a bit later (after the TC skid), but I'll remember when it's time to ask them about that! Thanks for the heads up, I never would have known.

 

[jjvw]

Interesting! I wonder how the mid-arms will fit with my Rokmen skid. It's shaped a lot differently than the Savvy.

I would think that they've updated the Savvy skid plate by now, since many people (including Savvy themselves) run it with the mid-arm. I suppose we will find out!

That's nice that it has those separate cross members so that you can just take the inspection plate off the bottom. My Rokmen is a one piece unit like the stock skid plate, so it's entirely different.

Good call on that fluid access hole as well. I'm going to have to remember to do that... unless maybe Savvy has updated it with a similar hole as well

Look up Holaday on the other forums. He has the Savvy mid arms with a different skid. There are pics of his rolled Jeep with a clear view of how his fits together.

 

[Chris]

Look up Holaday on the other forums. He has the Savvy mid arms with a different skid. There are pics of his rolled Jeep with a clear view of how his fits together.

Will do! I suppose nothing will come from this (except losing some weight with the Savvy skid), but I want to see if it effects that vibration in any way. That vibration is truly unreal, particularly in Sri's. I've never heard or felt anything like that in my life. This isn't just some vibration... it's really, really weird.

 

[jjvw]

Will do! I suppose nothing will come from this (except losing some weight with the Savvy skid), but I want to see if it effects that vibration in any way. That vibration is truly unreal, particularly in Sri's. I've never heard or felt anything like that in my life. This isn't just some vibration... it's really, really weird.

I know people who have bent the Rockmen skid (and the Nth). None of the Savvy skids I have personally seen have changed shape.

 

[Chris]

I know people who have bent the Rockmen skid (and the Nth). None of the Savvy skids I have personally seen have changed shape.

Seriously? Have you seen how thick the Rokmen skid is? That thing must weigh a good 50-60 lbs. You're saying people have bent that but not the Savvy? I would think the Savvy would bend easier since it's aluminum.

 

[jjvw]

Seriously? Have you seen how thick the Rokmen skid is? That thing must weigh a good 50-60 lbs. You're saying people have bent that but not the Savvy? I would think the Savvy would bend easier since it's aluminum.

It's pretty surprising. Good design and good use of materials.

The guy who bent his Nth switched to Savvy a few weeks ago.

 

[Chris]

It's pretty surprising. Good design and good use of materials.

The guy who bent his Nth switched to Savvy a few weeks ago.

That is very interesting indeed! Any idea on what the Savvy TC skid weights? I'm sure it's got to be lighter than my Rokmen... that thing is an absolute beast. Putting that on by myself was a real chore.

 

[jjvw]

The skid itself is maybe 15lbs. The rest of the kit might be 25lbs, but that's a guess.

 

[Chris]

Okay... still probably lighter than the Rokmen. The crossmembers on the Savvy skid are steel and the plate itself is aluminum, is that right?

 

[jjvw]

...The crossmembers on the Savvy skid are steel and the plate itself is aluminum, is that right?

Correct