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Problem with T&T skid plate...please help.

N

northwestxj

NAXJA Member #1283
Location
washington
Got my T&T skid plate installed last night but ran into a couple of problems. I got the skid that has the additional interior bracing but somethings not right. When the skid is mounted up the mount for the brace is about a half inch too low. If any of you have done this recently, the brace is supposed to sit on the pinch seam on the inside of the rail. When mine is on that seam, the mount on the skid is about a half inch off....

Not as worried about that though. Ended up installing the skid with out the additional bracing (obviously doesnt need it for just street driving) and drove the jeep and there is a pretty strong vibration that is coming from that area. I tightened up the 4 nuts that secure the tranny to the skid. The vibration is when accelerating and is pretty bad. One thing I noticed is how close the transfer case is to the skid...is everyone elses like that? I think mine may even be slightly touching the skid at one point.

Lastly, when I let off the gas and coast there is a whine noise coming from underneath there in the tranny area...I'm at a loss what is wrong...none of this was happening before the install of the skid. Any help is appreciated...
 
I just did the T&T about a month ago. The only way i can think the transfercase would be hitting the skid is if the rubber tranny mount isn't included in the scenario.
 
Although, as you say you put the four nuts on attaching the tranny mount to the skid.
 
Sideshow said:
I just did the T&T about a month ago. The only way i can think the transfercase would be hitting the skid is if the rubber tranny mount isn't included in the scenario.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by not included in the scenario. I didnt change anything with the rubber mount. I just jacked it up and lowered it back down so the rubber tranny mount rests on the skid, then put the four nuts on...

So yours has a gap inbetween the skid and the transfer case? Mine is the closest toward the drivers side frame rail where a little piece in the transfer case hangs down...
 
I just crawled under there (pajamas and all) and there's at least 1" gap between the lowest point of the TC and the T&T skid. 97 with an AX15 though, are you auto?
 
Sideshow said:
I just crawled under there (pajamas and all) and there's at least 1" gap between the lowest point of the TC and the T&T skid. 97 with an AX15 though, are you auto?
Click to expand...

Wow...thats weird. Ya, mines an auto...93 with I believe AW4...
 
outlander said:
Is your tranny mount old?Maybe it's letting the transmission/transfercase sag down....IDK
Click to expand...

I was kinda thinking that as well, its never been replaced. But I dont understand why it didnt do anything weird before then. I can maybe see that the TC hitting the skid could possibly cause some vibration but it doesnt really seem like it would this bad. Also, I'm at a loss why it makes the whining noise on decel though...
 
I have the TnT Y-link long arm kit, which includes the belly pan. I also have a 241OR Rubicon T-case which is larger than the 231 and hangs down lower. I had to cut the belly pan and open it up a little and create a bulge to clear the T-case.

If I remeber correctly, when I ordered mine I had to specify which tcase I had. Are you sure you ordered the skid for the 231? When I installed the skid, there was a gap of maybe 3/8 inch betwee the skid and the angle iron bracket that bolts to the frame rail. When I torqued the bolt it pulled them to together, tightened it to 150 ft/lbs. Also I had some noisy vibes at first, turned out to be the tcase shift linkage was bound up a little, I straightened it out, made a little adjust ment and all was fine.



belly-mod4.jpg


belly-mod2-1.jpg


belly-mod7-1.jpg
 
The whining noise on decel is the gears...atleast that's why I get that noise. It's normal.

I took a few pics of how the skid mounts for ya. This is the Y-link on a 99XJ with a 231.
IMG_1208.jpg

IMG_1199.jpg

IMG_1200.jpg

IMG_1201.jpg

IMG_1202.jpg

IMG_1203.jpg

IMG_1204.jpg

IMG_1205.jpg

IMG_1206.jpg



You had a Tcase drop before it sounds like....so I would assume no SYE yet. Now your Tcase is up an inch or so higher, and your driveline angle is worse. I would assume that this is why you're getting vibrations.
 
Sierra Drifter said:
On mine there is no gap here, torquing the bolt pulled these two flanges together completely flat.

tnt-skid1.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow...that just doesnt seem right to me. Mine probably has at least 3/8 of an inch if not a half inch. Sierra Drifter, you just torqued it down and it pulled it flat...what bent then? The brace?

And no, I did not have a TC drop...I have had an SYE for years now. Thanks for the pics though, mjma. Definitely sits a lot higher then mine does, thats for sure. I will call T&T tomorrow, but I did specify that I had a 231 when I ordered so hopefully I got the right one...thanks for the help so far guys.
 
northwestxj said:
Wow...that just doesnt seem right to me. Mine probably has at least 3/8 of an inch if not a half inch. Sierra Drifter, you just torqued it down and it pulled it flat...what bent then? The brace?

And no, I did not have a TC drop...I have had an SYE for years now. Thanks for the pics though, mjma. Definitely sits a lot higher then mine does, thats for sure. I will call T&T tomorrow, but I did specify that I had a 231 when I ordered so hopefully I got the right one...thanks for the help so far guys.
Click to expand...

Nothing bent. My bracket bolted to the frame rail is installed lower, only about 1/4" above the lip on the frame rail. Tightening the bolt closed the gap. The instructions say: "Place the appropriate interior brace against the inside of the uni-body rail with the brace resting on the pinch seam; center the horizontal slots on the marks you just made." and latter it says " Tighten and torque the 2 - 5/8” X 1½” bolts securing the upper interior braces to the XD Belly Pan to 145 ft-lbs. " That much torque will close the gap, it's just angle iron with slotted holes.

I am fairly sure that is how it is suposed to be. The large bolts between the skid and those brackets should do most of the work holding the skid in place, not the small bolts connected to the nutserts in the bottom of the frame rails. My long arms are connectd to the skid and they transmit a lot of force into the belly pan, so it needs to be really secure.​

tnt-skid2.jpg
 
Sierra Drifter said:
Nothing bent. My bracket bolted to the frame rail is installed lower, only about 1/4" above the lip on the frame rail. Tightening the bolt closed the gap. The instructions say: "Place the appropriate interior brace against the inside of the uni-body rail with the brace resting on the pinch seam; center the horizontal slots on the marks you just made." and latter it says " Tighten and torque the 2 - 5/8” X 1½” bolts securing the upper interior braces to the XD Belly Pan to 145 ft-lbs. " That much torque will close the gap, it's just angle iron with slotted holes.

I am fairly sure that is how it is suposed to be. The large bolts between the skid and those brackets should do most of the work holding the skid in place, not the small bolts connected to the nutserts in the bottom of the frame rails. My long arms are connectd to the skid and they transmit a lot of force into the belly pan, so it needs to be really secure.​
Click to expand...

Ya, mines not how it is in that picture. Mine DOES sit exactly on the the pinch seam as per the instructions. However, even with it on the seam the mounting point on the skid still is the 3/8 to 1/2" lower, and I'm not sure why...
 
Just a thought,
Would a bad drivers side motor mount cause the entire engine,tranny,TC assembly to rotate so the TC hits the pan?
 
Sideshow said:
Just a thought,
Would a bad drivers side motor mount cause the entire engine,tranny,TC assembly to rotate so the TC hits the pan?
Click to expand...

ummmm...possible I'd think. But in my case mine are good...they're pretty new and they're M.O.R.E. mounts. I really think mine is going to be the tranny mount, I'm going to figure it out soon.
 
The 242 bellypan is pretty obvious as it has a lower extension to handle the bigger xfer case. I had to custom order mine--they said they keep 231 pans on the shelf but 242s are generally a custom order. My xfer case, (no drop) also all-but touches the pan--about an LRCH width space in between. I'd give 'em a call and see what they suggest.
 
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