If I'm not going to be offroading, is there any disadvantage to running without the skidplate that protects the starter, bell housing and tranny on my 98 4dr, 4wd? I suppose stuff will get dirtier. Of the four torx-stlye bolts that hold it on, three are stripped. Some hurried mechanic with a pneumatic wrench no doubt. It wasn't me who stripped 'em. I'm about to go on a long road trip and would rather take the plate off rather than have it drop and drag on the highway.

 

Should be fine as long as those bolts didnt help support anything else like a crossmember. If it was just the skidplate then you'll be fine seeing as how many 4x4's didnt come with them. I know on some Cherokee's they were an option. Your tranny, and such will get a little dirtier but no problems. I used to run a lifted K5 Blazer without protection. Wheeled the **** out of it and luckily never hurt anything underneath. On later vehicles Ive used them tho, and scraped em up.

 

Thanks. I shoud've said that it's the captured threads/nuts in the frame, not the bolts themselves, that are stripped. Any way to fix this easily and cheaply?

 

You could try a slightly larger bolt. If the thread's are completely wrecked, you may want to try running a tap through it to clean up the threads, or make new ones.

It would be fine running without the skid plate. Mine doesn't have one, but I really want one for off-roading. Its possible that having the skid plate on will very slightly increase fuel mileage since it smooths out the underside of your truck. Without the skid plate there's a lot more rough pieces exposed that creates turbulence and *may* very slightly decrease your fuel mileage. Chances are that you won't notice any change at all.

 

Use a Helicoil, or drill out the holes and run new nuts n bolts.

 

The tap (8x1.25) worked good enough. I was able to snug the bolts up better than before, but applying any real muscle would surely strip 'em again. The Helicoil or new bolts & nuts is a more secure solution. I think I could get nuts on the two back holes, but I don't think there's any way to get access to the two front ones. I may be wrong 'bout that. Also, my initial description was wrong. This skidplate protects the oil pan, not the tranny. I was working from my faulty memory.

 

I have been driving with mine off for month at a time. Never had an issue. Hope it helps!

 

id say you'll be fine without it, as long as you don't plan on jumping the truck onto a bed of jagged sharp rocks. If you do that then you'll definately bust up a lot of things. But as for just daily driving it, it'll be fine. I took mine off the day after I got my truck, makes life easier id think.

 

Plently of them out there that came without skids from the factory.

 

I would make sure they were on especially if you are taking a road trip my son did not have his on and a small deer jumped in front of him and went under the vehicle and took out the oil lines and the filter if he would of had the skid plates on I think the damage would not have been so bad and costly, just my thought put them on if you can they are there for a reason.