Late to the Party: theksmith's 2016 JK Unlimited Rubicon (Gadget)

[Stacey and Scott 1,129]

Now, now. Let's not be accessory shaming our chubby rigs.

 

[theksmith 3,667]

finished a custom skid plate & spare fluids storage area... 

 

 

 

the skid is mainly to fill in this big gap between the Clayton t-case skid and my water tank:

 

 

 

 

the main skid

 

i first had to take the water tank down and weld some tabs to it's cradle, then added 5/16" nutserts to those tabs.

 

 

a sheet of 12" x 24" x 0.135" steel plate from OnlineMetals.com was used for the bottom of the new skid. i welded matching mounting tabs to it, then had to cut it to the correct shape/size.

 

 

i added 1/2" x 0.1875" bars to the long edges as reinforcement, and the mounting tab strengthens the t-case end. i didn't think the water tank end needed a gusset since it wedges under the bevel of the tank's own skid. i later added one more bar across the center of the plate.

 

 

i drilled 4 holes in the turned-up edge of the Clayton t-case skid to bolt it to my new contraption and again used my trusty threaded insert tool to add four 1/4" nutserts on that end of the new skid.

 

once the main elements of the new skid were in place, i bolted it up and did a few test drives to make sure there were no rattles or squeaks.

 

 

spare fluid storage

 

i figured the area above the skid would make a perfect place to store spare/emergency fluids since it would keep their weight low and centered. they're something you shouldn't need often, so having them in a slightly inconvenient area should be ok.

 

i've previously used rectangular Nalgene bottles for spare fluids because they pack nice and are very heavy-duty. they're available in a 1qt bottle or 2qt size.

 

 

here's the nearly finished skid with storage area and the hold-down latches.

 

 

the latches have to fold both down and over out of the way so the bottles can go in at an angle due to the driveshaft being in the way.

 

 

since all of this is right next to the exhaust and t-case, a heat-shield was needed to keep the plastic bottles from melting. 

 

i used DEI non-adhesive aluminum backed fiberglass insulation to make the heat barrier. the aluminum is thick enough to hold a shape well.

 

 

the shield is held on primarily with 4 plastic push-pin fasteners, then the sides and top are taped together to help hold the form. i'm trying out waterproof butyl backed aluminum tape on this project, we'll just have to see how well it holds up.

 

 

 

 

 

the end result

 

here's a before:

 

 

and after:

 

 

view from the other side:

 

 

hopefully all these linked skids will help me slide over boulders better - or at least not rip anything apart if i have to winch off an obstacle!

 

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by theksmith

[4x4tographer 2,539]

Good lord man, this is really nice. Awesome work and write up.

Will those latches be strong/tight enough to keep the containers in place when you’re rocking back and forth?

[theksmith 3,667]

1 minute ago, 4x4tographer said:

Good lord man, this is really nice. Awesome work and write up.

Will those latches be strong/tight enough to keep the containers in place when you’re rocking back and forth?

 

thanks Ryan!

 

as with any completely custom project - we'll just have to see how it goes!

 

the latches are adjustable and i've got them cinching down pretty tight. i also oriented them so they release by lifting upwards to prevent them from falling open. however, i'm still going to put a zip-tie on each handle just to be sure they can't loosen.

 

as far as actual strength, my biggest concerns are that i welded-on the hinges and the catch portion of the latches - those were both thin metal and welding thin stuff to thick stuff is tricky.

[4x4tographer 2,539]

42 minutes ago, theksmith said:

i've previously used rectangular Nalgene bottles for spare fluids because they pack nice and are very heavy-duty. they're available in a 1qt bottle or 2qt size.

 

 

 

I like these bottles - thanks for sharing the link!

 

For the gear oil - in the field, do you carry something like a fluid pump to deploy it?

I ask because my personal experience changing gear fluid (my first and only time) was ungodly messy due to my lack of space to maneuver.

[reybie 61]

Wow Kris. Do you have build plans floating above you while you're sleeping? 😅

[theksmith 3,667]

50 minutes ago, Trail Toy said:

Very impressive!  Lets hope you don't have to get that stuff out of there when that exhaust is hot.  Reminds me of way back in the day when I worked at quick lube places, sometimes I'd burn my arm or hand (before getting a burn sleeve) trying to reach around hot exhaust to get to the oil filter on some cars.

 

 

the bottles come in and out from the center of the rig (by the driveshaft) - so nothing to worry about other than getting dirty having to slide under there... of course i keep a work mat in the rig for those occasions

[theksmith 3,667]

50 minutes ago, 4x4tographer said:

 

I like these bottles - thanks for sharing the link!

 

For the gear oil - in the field, do you carry something like a fluid pump to deploy it?

I ask because my personal experience changing gear fluid (my first and only time) was ungodly messy due to my lack of space to maneuver.

 

i don't have a pump, but i do have a Form-a-Funnel and some disposable funnels. hopefully we could figure something out in an emergency.

 

BTW, the higher you lift your rig, the easier it is to access the diff fill hole!  

[theksmith 3,667]

35 minutes ago, reybie said:

Wow Kris. Do you have build plans floating above you while you're sleeping? 😅

 

lol, maybe? ...working through design problems in my head really is how i calm my brain when i go to bed!

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by theksmith

[4x4tographer 2,539]

15 minutes ago, theksmith said:

 

lol, maybe? ...working through design problems in my head really is how i calm my brain when i go to bed!