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ZJ Extreme Duty Crossmember/Skid |
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What does YOUR crossmember look like? How is your extra-strong alloy-titanium factory skid plate holding up (if you even had one to begin with...). If yours looks half as bent and maimed as mine did when I extricated it from the underbody, it's time for an upgrade! As far as I know, this is the ONLY PRODUCT on the market designed to replace the measly ZJ crossmember and factory skid plate to a nearly indestructible 1/4" thick bar with a 3/16" thick skid plate welded on to the back of it with side bolsters (massively strengthening the design, as opposed to flat steel that will bend much quicker). This thing is pure BEEF! Pictures to follow...but I guarantee that you'll be thrilled with the package. A little pricey, yes, but a HELL of a lot cheaper than a replacement transfer case if you punch a hole in it on the trail at the worst possible time. You will need to drill two holes in the bottom of your frame rail for the cantilevered mount...but that's about it as far as difficulty on a typical installation. Oh, and you will end up gaining about 1/2" in ground clearance over the stock crossmember in most cases, and will also get a 1/4"~1/2" drop in transfer case height to aid in rear driveline vibrations.
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The photos to the right are somewhat misleading, as I have sleeved my frame rails on my Jeep. Not pictured are the L-brackets that come with the crossmember that relocate the crossmember rearward around three inches to improve ground clearance. If you have photos of your Jeep with the skid plate and crossmember installed, I'd like to put them on this page instead of the ones from my Jeep to give a better representation of what it's supposed to look like. Thanks, Kevin |
There are two crossmembers that were used, the older model being superceded by the newer model due to a vibration problem (see Jeep TSBs). So, if you wanted to upgrade and never found the additional $350 or so that it takes to buy the factory stuff, fear not. Why not take the opportunity to upgrade NOW, since you're replacing the crossmember anyway? The necessary MOPAR parts to do so are listed below, and all you need is a 3/8" tap and you're golden. I noticed a substantial difference in vibrations when I did mine, particularly around that infamous 1800 rpm that they talk about in the TSB.
Shipping is $22.50 to a business address ($24.50 to a residential address) for the crossmember because of weight...it ain't light, folks, and it WILL save your bacon because of it's heft! Shipping on the tranny mount and mount plate are going to be $15 total because I have to go pick it up at the dealership for you, not because it weighs down the box all that much, lol. I'm going to throw in the hardware for free, saving you a trip to the hardware store as well.
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Notes: Powdercoating: All crossmembers come powdercoated. Rocker Panel Protection: Please bear in mind that the L brackets that come in the kit will need to be modified to be used with most all models of rocker panel protection. All Rock Sliderz® built in June '04 and later will be compatible without modification. The mod is not that big of a deal...you just need to clearance out part of the L bracket to fit around the front leg of the rocker panel protection. AW4 Transmissions: Some of the early-model ZJs came with an AW4 transmission. If you have a '93 or '94 model, you should call your dealership and run the VIN to see if yours is one of these models. (If your gear shift has 1-2, 3, and OD on it, chances are you have one). If so, you will need to order the AW4 adapter below, and cannot take advantage of the retrofit kit offered for the other transmissions.
42RE Transmissions in 6-cyl
models: Most of the early-model 4.0L 6-cyl ZJs came with
a 42-series transmission. If you have a '93 to '95
model, you should call your dealership and run the VIN to
see if yours is one of these models. (If your gear
shift has 1, 2, and D on it, chances are you have one).
If so, you will need to order the 42RH retrofit kit below,
a.k.a. the "Coty-Special" (since Scott Coty did a lot of
leg-work on the fitment),
as the "normal" retrofit kit will not fit on your vehicle.
Scott says, "From the lower forward edge
of the transmission bell housing to the center of Variant Tranny Mounts: Before ordering, climb under your rig and see which tranny mount you were given if you have a '95 or '96. The LATER model mount is about 4" OD and the center bolt runs left/right, as shown in THIS PHOTO. The OLDER model mount is smaller (about 3" OD) and has a front/rear orientation for the center bolt, as shown in THIS PHOTO. IF YOU HAVE THE EARLIER VERSION, YOU WILL NEED TO ORDER THE LATE MODEL MOUNT BELOW SO THAT IT WILL BOLT TOGETHER!!! Variant Transfer cases: If you have removed your factory t-case and replaced it with an NP231 model, you'll notice that you have extra room between the case and skid. To free up more ground clearance, you may want to do the following modification PIC1 - PIC2 - PIC3. We do not currently have plans to built a 231-specific skid since there are so few ZJs out there running one. |
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S/H costs: $22.50 to a business address because of physical size of box (30lb rate). Add $2.00 for shipping to a residential address. Install instructions are HERE |
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'96-'98 ZJ Crossmember/Skid Plate Assembly |
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'93-'95 ZJ Crossmember/Skid Plate Assembly |
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**NOTE: Requires a M12x1.75 tap for the bottom of the transmission. There are two "bosses" that are already cast in place, but have not been tapped with threads. A "medium taper" tap works the best. Be sure to order the LATE MODEL crossmember with this assembly. The EARLY MODEL will not work with this mount. |
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All information provided herein © 2001 KevinsOffroad.com. All rights reserved. "Jeep" is a registered trademark of the Chrysler Company. |