Greetings,

My brother and I finally finished my homemade skid plates.

For the front diff. plate I started with the factory, plastic plate as a template.
I used 3/16'' (a bit over 4mm) in the T6 5052 Alum., since I needed to make the 60 degree Z bend in order to mount it the same as the factory plate. For the curves we used a jig saw with a coarse metal blade. Then filed and sanded the edges. We had a drill press to use, so the drilling of holes was very straight forward. For the slot mounts, we drilled the holes then made two parallel cuts up to the hole from the edge.

For the transmission pan plate I started with a cardboard template to get rough dimensions. We used 3/16'' T6 6061 for this, because there were no bends. For mounting it we used the factory tabs with welded on nuts located on the rear side of the cross member that receives the front diff. plate. These mount points have never been used. To mount the other side of the plate we drilled through the cross member where it pinches below the transmission pan. On this side we used through bolts with nuts.

Before the final install I tapped all of the factory tab welded nuts and replaced the bolts and washers with new ones.
This was a fun project.
When I get some more time, I'll post a thread on the homemade platform my brother and I made for the rear of my rig. It's easy to put in and remove. Super solid and the dog loves riding high where he has a great view!

I'm trying to attach some pics., but I'm not sure how to place pics directly on the post. I read the FAQs and only was able to find info on how to link to a web page... any tips regarding attachments would be welcomed.