dropping the main skid plate on a TJ

The transfer case skidplate does acts as a support, I'm afraid.

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Specifically,

Here's my procedure for dropping the skid plate, I have used it many times:

1. Remove the 4 nuts in the middle of the skid plate. These secure the rubber tranny mount to the skid plate.

1. Put a wood block on a floor jack, jack up the tranny so the skid plate is no longer supporting the transmission. Don't jack up the tranny without the wood block for a pad. The best jacking point on the transmission is as far back as possible, but in front of the skid plate.

2. Support the tranny with a jackstand in front of your floor jack, just in case the floor jack slips.

1. If your doing this without a buddy, the easiest way (IMHO) to lower the skidplate is as follows. Remove the bolts holding the skid plate to the frame, first remove the rear most bolts on one side of the Jeep, then the frontmost bolts on the other side of the Jeep. In this pattern, the skid plate will remain supported by two bolts, diagonally across from each other. Loosen the two remaning bolts about 1/2" inch out. Hold up the skid plate, remove the last bolt on each side, then lower the skid pan to the ground. If you have a lift, you might have to put some blocks to hold up the skid pan as you remove the bolts. Loosening the bolts gave me enough piviot to lower one side of the skid plate at a time.

-Jim

At the risk of being too late to give any useful advice, you need to support the trans while hte skid plate is removed. Yes, you can run the motor to check for leaks, but do not become temporarily brain dead, and try to drive.

Specifically,

Thanks guys!

Well, I did remove it, my Catalytic is indeed shot beyond my "bubba" repair's ability to fix it, and I did NOT support the tranny... d'oh. My motor mounts seem OK...

-jeff