JK-Hammer

Agreed. I not building it as a hard core rock machine..,.i just want to protect the obvious very weak points first that are known to fail.

Oil pan seems like a no brainer while diff covers seems like subtle use of the go pedal and picking the right lines could avoid an issue.

Just taking all of the advice in and evaluating...once I pick it up I can be much mo educated as I can check underside.

Mark Doiron

Rock rails you already committed to. Oil pan for sure. Skids on front lower control arms and rear lower shock mounts will buttress them against damage that makes maintenance a bit more difficult. I did the diffy covers--they are quite a bit heavier than OEM. After that, you might look at your drag link and tie rod. The OEM ones bend rather easily when playing on rocks, or even very rough roads. Move the steering stabilizer. It is also worth it to strengthen the front axle--gusset the C's, sleeve or add a truss on the tubes. I would do all of that before adding any more skid plates/armor for what you plan to drive.

ShutterBug

That's funny!

Seriously, the diff covers on a JK are paper thin. If you're going to go through the trouble of an oil pan skid (which is higher than your diff) why would you NOT protect your diffs. Especially when those covers are relatively inexpensive compared to a tow truck and new gears. I've seen guys peel back just a small amount of the bottom of the rear diff cover on a seemingly small rock. It drains a bit faster than you would think.

JK-Hammer

Good point. That's why I'm asking. 😁

ShutterBug

Sure thing. Keep asking, and keep reading. I was surprised at how many of my early assumptions were just plain WRONG. Like, "I'll never go more that 33 inch tires." LOL! I've got 35's now and would love to have 37s some day (but not with a Dana 30 axle housing).

Do what you need to do to your rig for what you plan on doing NOW, but plan that your future plans may change. I never thought I would want to do as much with my Jeep as I want to do now.

Only you can make the right choice for you, which may not be what I would do. I went with rock sliders (Smittybilt side steps) to protect the rockers first as I felt it was the most vulnerable and hardest to fix. I added steel bumpers next (JCR Offroad). The engine skid (cheap eBay find) came right before a trip to Rausch Creek because I knew I might have issues. Added differential covers (Tereaflex) after that and switched out the rock sliders I had for something stronger and with better ground clearance (JCR Offroad). Looking to add EVAP, control arm/shock and transfer case skids, and replace the engine skid (JCR Offroad/EVO/Spohn) this spring before the next trip to Rausch in May. And maybe a heavy duty cross member.

Next on my list after that would probably be rear corner armor and maybe rocker panel armor (Poison Spyder). That should have me pretty well covered. Too much for me to do all at once, so I put things on in the order that felt right for me and how I progressed in wheeling style.

My point is, your wheeling style should dictate the kind of armor you should buy. If you want to go balls out and wheel the reddest red trails, then you need it ALL. But if you're starting out on Greens and Blues, rocker armor, engine skids and diff covers are a HUGE improvement.

Having the right armor helps, but it's not a guarantee, just a little extra help in prevention.

JCDriller

Someone mentioned the EVO Protek skids, I looked into them and while the price seemed great they didn't offer the protection I wanted. I didn't care that they bolted on using the oil pan bolts. Anway, I found Rock Hard and did that system plus a PSC skid for the evap canister along with EVO LCA/Rockstars and ARB diff covers. All in all I have some money wrapped up in them BUT a damaged oil pan, transmission, transfer case or gas tank would quickly ruin a trip and exceed the cost of the skid. What I havne't done yet is bumper armor, but my factory bumpers are doing just fine for now.