Stock gas tank skid

Rod Knee · Mar 10, 2008

I have an opportunity to buy a stock gas tank, but have a cuople questions:

1. Does the gas tank have to be removed to install the skid?

2. Are stock skids compatible with trailer hitches?

HaleYes · Mar 10, 2008

Rod Knee said:
I have an opportunity to buy a stock gas tank, but have a cuople questions:

1. Does the gas tank have to be removed to install the skid?

2. Are stock skids compatible with trailer hitches?

1. No

2. Yes

Rod Knee · Mar 10, 2008

I meant to say I might be buying a gas tank SKID, not gas tank. But I think you figured that out.

mudxj92 · Mar 10, 2008

well if your talking about the steel gas tank skid that came stock and not the plastic one then yes they do work with trailer hitches. and no you dont have to remove the gas tank to install. i just put one on thhat was from an 87 xj.

Muad'Dib · Mar 10, 2008

If you have a factory tow hitch it will mount up just fine. Mine didnt have a factory tow hitch, and the P.O. Installed a U-Haul one. It works great, but it interferes with a gas tank skid... So depending on which one you have it may not work.

Rod Knee · Mar 10, 2008

mudxj92 said:
well if your talking about the steel gas tank skid that came stock and not the plastic one then yes they do work with trailer hitches. and no you dont have to remove the gas tank to install. i just put one on thhat was from an 87 xj.

Yes, I am refering to a steel GT skid. What year XJ do you have that an "87 skid fits on. I wonder how carefull you have to be fitting skids from one production year to XJ's of another year.

Tim_MN · Mar 10, 2008

Rod Knee said:
I wonder how carefull you have to be fitting skids from one production year to XJ's of another year.

Gas tank skids will fit 1984 to 1996 or 1997 to 2001. 1997 got the plastic gas tank and the new design skid. You can modify one kind to fit the other.

RenegadeStang · Mar 10, 2008

I've got a ZJ skid on mine. Just drilled a couple new holes and it bolted right up.

sjkimmel99 · Mar 11, 2008

The stock skid and trailer hitch from unknown earlier years fit fine on a 96.

Don't forget to get the nut strips that fit inside the frame channel.

.

Rod Knee · Mar 11, 2008

sjkimmel99 said:
The stock skid and trailer hitch from unknown earlier years fit fine on a 96.

Don't forget to get the nut strips that fit inside the frame channel.

.

Actually, my xj is a "96, since you mention it. The hitch has been on it since I bought it so I presume the nut strips are in there.

loke · Mar 11, 2008

The brackets on my hitch aren't wide enough to fit over the skid plate.

Muad'Dib · Mar 11, 2008

loke said:
The brackets on my hitch aren't wide enough to fit over the skid plate.

Same here .. but im betting its not a factory hitch.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=243810217&postcount=5

RenegadeStang · Mar 11, 2008

I've got a hidden hitch mated up with my ZJ skid.

ren · Mar 12, 2008

You will probably have to pull the hitch, then, put on the skid and then the hitch. I suggest having a good floor jack and/or good friend to help, as it makes this alot quicker.

Rod Knee · Mar 12, 2008

ren said:
You will probably have to pull the hitch, then, put on the skid and then the hitch. I suggest having a good floor jack and/or good friend to help, as it makes this alot quicker.

Well, I bought a skid off a '95 ZJ yesterday. I've got a couple bottle jacks which I place on cinder blocks for these types of jobs..works pretty slick. I figure on fitting the skid and doing any necessary trimming and then taking it to a welding shop to get it reinforced before installing it. Either that or using this project to learn some welding myself.

Muad'Dib · Mar 12, 2008

IIRC it goes Frame -> Hitch -> Skid.

http://yuccaman.com/jeep/tankskid.html

RenegadeStang · Mar 12, 2008

I had to install mine: unibody - skid - hitch. There's no way that the hitch would go between the gas tank and the skid.

HaleYes · Mar 12, 2008

RenegadeStang said:
I had to install mine: unibody - skid - hitch. There's no way that the hitch would go between the gas tank and the skid.

That's the way mine was. It was a Hidden Hitch. Skid was factory.

Muad'Dib · Mar 12, 2008

Damn i wish i could get my skid under or over the damn hitch thats installed on mine ... Stupid uhaul hitch!

sjkimmel99 · Mar 12, 2008

On the one in the picture it's unibody -> hitch -> skid. The skid and hitch are more of an overlap than a 1:1 on top of each other. The hitch sticks further out to the back about 6 or 7 inches and the skid goes further to the front.

However, the rear of the skid curves up between the skid and the tank as well so there's a bit of overlap there too. In this picture you can see where the skid has a sort of notch to clear the hitch. And the skid fits over the tank, straps and all, hopefully you're not trying to put the straps on over the skid.

Just put a jack under the skid and force it up there. Use something like a long punch to stick in the bolt holes to align the nuts / unibody / hitch / skid and you should be OK. Get new bolts and wire brush the nut strip threads (or chase them with a tap) so you aren't trying to bolt one rusty piece of junk to another.

Stock gas tank skid

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