Is a smooth bottom XJ possible?

xriide · Nov 15, 2014

Since I wheel mostly mud/muskeg and woods I was thinking if the bottom of my XJ was smooth it would kind of slide over some things instead of getting hung up.
But at the same time, the smooth plate could just be a big old spoon scooping up the mud/muskeg making it harder to get unstuck.

Is there a way to have both a better that will kind of slid, and one that won't act like an anchor?

IdahoEagle · Nov 15, 2014

Have you looked at the underside of a fullsize Jeep like a big Cherokee or Wagoneer? Almost nothing hangs below the frame rails on those... Unfortunately the XJs didn't evolve with the flat belly gene...

xriide · Nov 16, 2014

IdahoEagle said:
Have you looked at the underside of a fullsize Jeep like a big Cherokee or Wagoneer? Almost nothing hangs below the frame rails on those... Unfortunately the XJs didn't evolve with the flat belly gene...

I know, I'd love to make it as best as I can?

Mr.Smith · Nov 16, 2014

As long as you put an angled front skid it shouldn't ever dig in.

yossarian19 · Nov 16, 2014

Read through a lot of the advanced fabrication threads. Most of those guys are going to the extra work to flatten out the XJ's belly.
Saving you the reading, though, I'll say this: it looks damned hard / involved.

ocean_jet · Nov 16, 2014

Check out this:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1104567

1990JEEPXJ · Nov 16, 2014

if you want a truly flat belly, youll need to go to down with a BFH to the floor above the t-case at the very least, but probably would need to cut the floor a little.

xriide · Nov 16, 2014

yossarian19 said:
Read through a lot of the advanced fabrication threads. Most of those guys are going to the extra work to flatten out the XJ's belly.
Saving you the reading, though, I'll say this: it looks damned hard / involved.

You are right, damn.

ocean_jet said:
Check out this:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1104567

Even just that part looks like a lot.

1990JEEPXJ said:
if you want a truly flat belly, youll need to go to down with a BFH to the floor above the t-case at the very least, but probably would need to cut the floor a little.

I'm thinking it might be easier to get a flattish belly, more or less just plate the bottom, but with the bumps that would make maybe it's not worth plating the bottom then?

yossarian19 · Nov 16, 2014

Hmm.
I'd go with a gas tank skid plate, JCR or DPG transfer case skid & front steering skid. This is about as smooth / snag free as you can make the XJ. There is an engine / trans skid plate available, too. It wouldn't be "smooth" exactly but it would help the rig glide through muck, minimizing the shovel effect of all the parts hanging down.

1990JEEPXJ · Nov 17, 2014

Smooth is more important than flat. Many guys have a perfectly smooth belly 1" below the frame. No issues and much easier to do

xriide · Nov 17, 2014

1990JEEPXJ said:
Smooth is more important than flat. Many guys have a perfectly smooth belly 1" below the frame. No issues and much easier to do

So even just make it have angles to deal with the lower hanging then eh?
Do I need to worry about 400lbs of mud getting trapped then?

Might try and make a cardboard template and see if I can then get some 1/8" plate cut, might need a couple pieces of angle iron to give it some rigidity in places. But I'm not worried about rocks, and I hate getting hung up on windrows when I think it should slide a bit to get me over. Same goes with mud holes/banks.

Is a smooth bottom XJ possible?

xriide

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IdahoEagle

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xriide

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Mr.Smith

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yossarian19

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ocean_jet

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1990JEEPXJ

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xriide

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1990JEEPXJ

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