|
Skid plates
for your differentials
Turbo City
has been in the performance business for a few years and has recently begun
branching into Jeep-specific parts for performance and protection. Their Rock-It
division specializes in armor such as various skid plates and braces. While
they don't yet offer much that is Grand Cherokee - specific, fortunately there
is some crossover in the Jeep model lines.
Case in
point, Rock-It Gliders for differential protection. The differentials,
critical parts that they are, hang down the lowest hence are most vulnerable
to rock attack. The only way to lift the diff. is to wear taller tires. Bobtail
Jeeps that run 35-inch tires minimize this risk, but putting even 33-inchers
on a ZJ is a big deal. So if you can't get them up and out of the way, the next
best thing is to shield them. The Rock-It Gliders are the best I've seen
for design, fit and mounting.
Design
The most
vulnerable part of the differential, the lower leading edge, is well protected
by a lip of 1/4-inch steel plate that wraps back to the rear of the carrier
housing. The part number is 580-100, which is specified for the TJ (Dana
30) front end.
Fit
The
drawback to shielding the low-hanging differential is that ground clearance
is reduced even more. But this design is as flush as can be, offering the most
protection for the least clearance loss.
Mounting
No drilling
required! The differential cover mounting bolt holes are used with longer supplied
bolts and washers on the front. In the rear, a U-bolt style strap arrangement
is employed.
Installation
I
could just say that installation is simple enough that no instructions are included,
but there are a few points worth noting. Grade 8 hardware is included, always
a sign of quality. A 1/2-inch socket wrench is all that is required, though
a torque wrench is recommended to tighten the differential cover bolts to the
specified value of 30-ft. lbs.
Also included is a handful
of washers. This is where it gets interesting. In order to get the rear mount
aligned, the front needs to be shimmed to get the angle right. In other words,
I had to put one washer (top and bottom) on the passenger side and 3 washers
on the driver's side. Once you get the washer count straight, you'll need some
help getting them into place due to the tight quarters. Here's a handy tip
- tape the washers together leaving a length of tape as a tab with which to
dangle it in place as you pass the bolt through.
Epilog
I think I was the first
ZJ to attempt the use of this part and it took 4 tries.
- Try One - They sent
the wrong part. They paid for return shipping.
- Try Two - They sent
the wrong part again. They paid for return shipping.
- Try Three - They sent
the right part (number) but it did not fit. I paid for return shipping and
requested a refund since I figured I had struck out.
- Try Four - To my surprise,
they sent another one which looked as though it may have been test fit prior
to shipment. This one worked so it's the keeper. I consider the seventy -
dollar price range reasonable, but I paid extra in time, effort, frustration
and disappointment as well as one return shipping. I'm sure that what Turbo
City spent to re-ship three times negated their profit as well. Despite the
problems, I applaud their customer service. Furthermore, I encourage them
to continue development of Grand Cherokee - related parts. They assure me
that they are working on a Rock Glider for our special Aluminum Housing Dana
44 rear end.
| 
