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Transmission Crossmember

bdiamond

NAXJA Forum User
I've got a Rustys transfer case skid I will install soon. The trouble is that it really makes the stock transmission crossmember seem weak. I just cant bring myself to leave the stocker in there. Does anyone have any experience/ opinions with aftermarket ones? Ive seen the Rustys, TNT and the Rugged Ridge ones, are there others? I'm more interested in the stock replacement type, I'm not looking for the longarm type unless it was cheap.... Thanks
 
im a fan of the dpg belly skid, what it does is protects the stock crossmember and provides a pretty flat belly and protects your cat and t-case.

bolts right over your stock crossmember.

i have run that and the tnt crossmember (not bellypan) and bent it pretty easily

and eventually i graduated to a homebuilt perfectly flat belly crossmember/bellyskid
 
I crushed a Rustys cross member in a rock garden. It seemed heavy duty enough to me when I bought it but didn't hold up to the weight of my XJ coming crashing down on it. It is still better than stock.


IMG_0279.jpg
 
I replaced the stocker with a TNT HD crossmember and am pleased with it. I like it, it's much beefier, it gives at least an inch more clearance, and the stock transfer case skid pulls up tighter (that is a 242 in this pic)

Crossmember_and_Tcase_Skids.sized.jpg


OTOH I don't do boulder ballet like ktmracer so I would defer to his comment if you are going to play hard in the rocks
 
I replaced the stocker with a TNT HD crossmember and am pleased with it. I like it, it's much beefier, it gives at least an inch more clearance, and the stock transfer case skid pulls up tighter (that is a 242 in this pic)

Crossmember_and_Tcase_Skids.sized.jpg


OTOH I don't do boulder ballet like ktmracer so I would defer to his comment if you are going to play hard in the rocks

Can you answer a question I have about the cross member bolts? The one coming down out of the frame- is that a stud or is it an actual bolt coming through the frame. I went to put my tranny drop spacers on and the bolt coming down isn't long enough. Any ideas?
 
So does anyone use a Trans skid plate as well?? Any recommendations. I know the trans is out of the way, but they are still a weak point
 
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