hitch and skid plate

D

dirt machine

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Davis, CA

• Apr 18, 2006

• #1

I picked up an oem skid plate and a draw tite hitch and it seems like they will not fit on the xj together. I tried to dry fit them and one would not fit around the other. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Gerr

NAXJA Forum User

Location

River Drive Norco Ca 92860

• Apr 18, 2006

• #2

I know for the front they will not work without welding them together, as for the rear ive never seen them not work together unless one was bent like mine was.

 

Eagle

Lifetime NAXJA Member

NAXJA Member

Location

Terra Firma

• Apr 18, 2006

• #3

What year XJ?

I have to go check to refresh my memory, but I know on the 94-96 the order of installation is reverse from the 97-01. For one of them the hitch goes up first and then the skid, for the other the skid goes on first and then the hitch.

 

D

dirt machine

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Davis, CA

• Apr 18, 2006

• #4

89 Laredo

Also, the two "straps" that are holding the gas tank up...does the skid plate go over these and over the plastic skid plate, or underneath the straps and throw away the plastic shield? Thanks.

 

T

tlman

NAXJA Member #20

Location

Arlington, VA

• Apr 19, 2006

• #5

The Mopar skid goes beneath everything. You don't even have to loosen the straps or remove the plastic. I had to trim the edges a little to create clearance but left everything in place and just bolted the skid plate up.

 

Eagle

Lifetime NAXJA Member

NAXJA Member

Location

Terra Firma

• Apr 19, 2006

• #6

When I added a factory skid to my 88 I trimmed about an inch off the ends of the plastic gravel shield and left it in place. I'm using a Mopar factory hitch, but I put a Hidden Hitch on another '88 (with factory skid plate) for my ex-girlfriend and it bolted right up.

Tom's order of installation matches what I remember for the pre-97s -- hitch first, then skid.

 

B

BskisXJ

NAXJA Forum User

Location

Baltimore, MD

• Apr 19, 2006

• #7

tlman said:

The Mopar skid goes beneath everything. You don't even have to loosen the straps or remove the plastic. I had to trim the edges a little to create clearance but left everything in place and just bolted the skid plate up.

Click to expand...

X2 That's exactly what I had to do. I did the method where I fished the bolts thru the body then bolted everything up. Was a little tricky but less expensive then nut strips. I used a jack and a block of wood to hold the tank skid up.