Transmission/oil pan skid question

Which statement is true?

a. Adding a Rusty's or Skid Row transmission/oil pan skid is a great way to stiffen the frame as they tie the LCA mounts on the frame rails to the stock cross member.

b. Adding a Rusty's or Skid Row transmission/oil pan skid is a bad idea in that they stress the already weak LCA mounts.

c. other (explain)

if you still have the LCA mounts then it would be a great idea, tieing the unibody together at any point is benificial, but if you can tie it together where the suspension pivots and to the crossmember then that is even better, should definetly help the side load on the mounts as well. that being said, the Rustys products are top notch as well as their customer service, price looks good as well.

just my .02$

kaker123 said:

the Rustys products are top notch as well as their customer service, price looks good as well.

just my .02$

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Really?

You must have had very different experiences than I and others.

kaker123 said:

if you still have the LCA mounts then it would be a great idea, tieing the unibody together at any point is benificial, but if you can tie it together where the suspension pivots and to the crossmember then that is even better, should definetly help the side load on the mounts as well. that being said, the Rustys products are top notch as well as their customer service, price looks good as well.

just my .02$

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I dunno, the control arms pivot but the CA mounts do not. I don't know that it is such a great idea to attach a new rigid structural element to known weak points for support, especially on a vehicle that sees offroad flexing in its future. Maybe I'm just overthinking tis thing.

In principle, yes - as many cross members as we can add to tie things together. Couldn't hurt (except in weight). The LCA mount can be torn off the body if you wheel hard with poorly designed control arms but generally, I think they're stout enough. You could mount a skid plate there, I'd think.
I think the Rustys skid plate looks like a waste of time / energy / money, though.
It might someday save you from walking home due to a rock in your pan but I doubt it. Nobody seems to run engine / trans skids and nobody seems to have a problem.
That big hoop that I'm kind of assuming is there for driveshaft / exhaust clearance... is going to kill any structural stiffening you might have gotten from the skid plate. You could probably add steel and make something worthwhile happen with it but I don't see much point. The energy and cash could be put to better use elsewhere on an XJ.

Well, I actually was thinking about getting one of these skids more for the potential stiffening than what they are designed for (protection). I agree the exhaust hoop may not offer sufficient rigidity in the interest of frame stiffening, but the connection on the passenger side directly to the skid would triangulate with the stock cross member...IF...the LCA mounts are sufficiently strong to withstand the potential stress that might be applied to them. Its that big "IF" that i am just not so sure about.

As a bit of an aside, I think even the tcase skids (Rustys, Skid Row) that don't mount to both framerails result in stiffening in that they triangulate the stock cross member.

C. other

An engine/trans skid may or may not add a small measure of unibody stiffening, depending on its construction, and mounting system. I do not see that happening with either skid you are looking at, especially if bolt to a stock transmission cross member..

A fully boxed off road front bumper tied into the front frame rails, a heavy duty transmission cross member, 3 or 4 link suspension cross member, and/or a Class III receiver hitch will stiffen the unibody.

Tim_MN said:

C. other


A fully boxed off road front bumper tied into the front frame rails, a heavy duty transmission cross member, 3 or 4 link suspension cross member, and/or a Class III receiver hitch will stiffen the unibody.

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I already have AJ's sliders, a frame mounted aftermarket front bumper, class 3 rear hitch, Rustys front skid, and skid row tcase skid as stiffening imlements. I do not have frame stiffeners (but I have plated the bottom of my framerails using toggle bolts). A bolt in cage is something I am also considering since I have no welding skills.