Did I make too much body armor?

I am halfway done adding tube fenders to my build thread and would like some opinions. Here is what I have so far: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=246177788&postcount=166
While I was making the little legs to attach the fender I was having fun and decided to make pieces for the C and D pillars. The plan is for my rig to have a hybrid cage with an integrated halo bar. With that in mind I don't think the extra pieces will look out of place and my welder buddy seems to like 'em.

Anyway they would look some thing like this, just ignore the black primer.



Close up of D pillar



Close up of C pillar.



Everything will get body matched once the armor and all 4 fenders are done.
What do you guys think, is it just added weight for no reason? Do you think it be useful if I drag my rig down the side of a rock face? If nothing else it will give my rig a unique look that I think I like and it isn't much weight really.

With the rub bar on the quarter panel, the chances of getting significant damage on that part of the body is probably pretty minimal. I would think the rub bars would work as a fulcrum for anything you drug along and would probably make the roofline drip rail more susceptible than either of the two pillars.

Even so, the C & D pillars aren't that susceptible anyway. In the photo below, you see the damage I did to the side of my rig by dragging it on a washout on a severely off camber trail. I was able to bust my windshield, tear off both fender flares, gouge my doors, crush in both my quarter panel and front fender, bust off my mirror housing, and tear off my taillight and the only damage I did to those pillars was the dent next to the tailgate. At one point on the trail I did have a tree pushing the rear window inward so there was contact on that part of the Jeep.

I think, while your workmanship is good, it is an unnecessary addition. Personal opinion...

If you hit those places, the doors/D pillar will just bend in with the armor instead of wrinkling and bending in with the armor.

Same damage. Useless weight...

With the rub rail on the rear quarter panel, you shouldn't be hitting the C or D pillar.

My plan was to make a tube that ran down the drip rail to supplement the rear quarter armor. Make it integrate into a hybrid cage or something.

Thanks for the input guys, it is great to have people to ask if there is any practical value in this. I got a lot of "Hell yea you should do that" from less experienced ppl, mostly based on aesthetics.

Cottontail said:

With the rub bar on the quarter panel, the chances of getting significant damage on that part of the body is probably pretty minimal.

Even so, the C & D pillars aren't that susceptible anyway. the only damage I did to those pillars was the dent next to the tailgate.

I think, while your workmanship is good, it is an unnecessary addition. Personal opinion...

Click to expand...

I think your right the rub rail will hold things out far enough that it would be way more likely to hit the drip rail. Once the halo bar is on the likelihood of hitting the D pillar would be even lower.

cal said:

If you hit those places, the doors/D pillar will just bend in with the armor instead of wrinkling and bending in with the armor.

Same damage. Useless weight...

Click to expand...

I thought they would maybe get pushed in a bit if they got hit and not crinkle, which I figure would look better on parts that cant be swapped as easily as the doors or hatch.

I just weighed them and at 6lbs for all 4 it may be worth it just to have a different look to my XJ, even if they prove to never have an actual use.

sunburned said:

With the rub rail on the rear quarter panel, you shouldn't be hitting the C or D pillar.

My plan was to make a tube that ran down the drip rail to supplement the rear quarter armor. Make it integrate into a hybrid cage or something.

Click to expand...

It would take a rock that jutted out of the main face at the right height or more likely around here a tree limb or cut stub to hit the D pillar with that rub rail there. So yea we are talking about something not very likely to happen.

Do you mean a vertical tube that goes from the drip rail area/cage and ties into the armor? A friend of mine has a tube like that off of his halo bar. Once again it probably won't happen but every time I see it I think about it snagging on something. I am going for no vertical tube on the outsides of my rig.


I have seen pictures of 2 or 3 Xj's with crunched D pillars, which is a low number and none had a rub rail. It seems the general consensus is they are unnecessary for protection. The D pillar one was made because of the Xj's I have seen with them dented. The C pillar piece was made because it looked weird with just the D piece.

Knowing that the odds of hitting the D are low and the C is even lower, that just leaves doing it mainly for the look. We aren't painting until Sun so I have a few days to decide still.

To answer your question: Yes you made too much body armor. I have smashed in my quarter panels pretty good multiple times each and broken each side window a few times , one maybe 4-5 times, and i still wouldnt consider plating around it. if you are getting that nuts with your rig you should reconsider things.