Just finished DOI skid plate prototype

[Wisha Haddan H3]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

The manual uses a manual trans fluid, non-synthetic.

The manual tranny in the H3 is the AR-5, right? Does it require GM Synchromesh oil? The NV3500 in my old Blazer did, and would not accept synthetic.

[HIHUMMER]

BTT!


Any updates?

BJC, Have you wheel w/ it yet??

[bjc]

I've been out twice now and should get up to Paragon in a couple of weeks. The skid was supposed to be removed this week to get powder coated and reinstalled with recessed bolts -- I was traveling however, and didn't get around to it.

One of my test outings was a couple of weeks ago when all that rain hit the mid-atlantic. I ran muddy trails the morning after we got 7" and forded creeks that had turned into rivers. As for the mud, so far the skid appears to be keeping more out than it's letting in. Despite being buried deep several times, there was no mud caked up underneath the underbody as is usually the case after wheeling on a muddy day. I didn't bother pressure washing underneath afterwards since the only mud caught in the rear skid was a single dirt clod that had entered through one of the drain holes. I just reached in and pulled it out. When I pull the front skid this weekend, I will get a better look at how much mud it collected (or repelled).

I haven't done extensive rock crawling with the skid on so I can't provide a complete review yet. However, I can say that it protected very well while I was fording water. I drove probably 1000 yards upstream in a 2ft creek where it was very difficult to judge where the rocks were underneath the water. I picked a few bad lines and had the truck slip down hard onto the rocks. When I got home, I noticed some nice gashes on the rear skid plate that must have occurred during the trip up the creek. The good news is that the plate didn't bend or dent. When I get a chance to play around at Paragon, I'll see whether the plates can withstand the full weight of the truck when high-centered.

Finally, to address the heat concerns, I've recorded the temps of various components with an infrared gun. The problem is that I have not recorded any data with the skids removed so I really don't have a good baseline yet. Also, my records will reflect a 5-spd and not automatic transmission.

[HIHUMMER]

Thanks BJC. Hopefully I'll be having my similar prototype added next week and then will hit some serious rocks at Tellico. I'll track similar information w/ mine since I have an automatic transmission. If you come across any issues, please let me (us) know. Thanks again!