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Ugh. So this one is a little painful. Embarassing if I'm honest.
Outcome good... getting the outcome - not so much.
I thought I'd share here what I did to a perfectly good set of ARB skid plates (@Ryan at ARB) fresh out of the crate.
This is on a pre-owned '21 Badlands 2-door.
Returning from the dealer's lot at 9pm, I couldn't do this same-day, but the following morning I swapped the 285/70 R17's for 315/70's
Over the next couple of weeks, I built and installed a winch mount bumper.
Next, I added a stage 5 Icon kit to lift/level
Then, I added skid plates.
For the last, I opted to order from ARB. I liked their full set because they're not over-much. The cost is reasonable, they've not fallen down the rabbit hole of trying to pretend that thick enough plates make you invincible. I like that I could install and remove them comfortably lying on my back. When they get dinged to death, I can hammer them back to fit. I was literally on my back under the Bronco browsing the web on my phone when I placed the order. They arrived in only a few days.
I saw where they mentioned "not compatible with OE tow hooks" which were still on my rig, despite my custom bumper build. I looked at the pictures and really didn't see how these skids could be a problem along the leading edge near the tow points and they certainly didn't come anywhere near the rear hooks. I figured the worst case was that I'm wrong and I'd have to massage some metal away with an angle grinder.
After all... it's only metal. It doesn't bleed.
What I didn't count on was an incompatibility with the lift kit.
The Icon kit includes a UCA that corrects the loss of caster that comes with lifting. This moves the strut comparatively to the rear in compression, and it puts the coil spring *too* close to the sway bar links. As a correction, Icon supplies a pair of adapters that move the sway bar down and to the rear, clearing the coils. My Bronco came with a Ford factory armor plate to protect the electric actuated sway bar disconnector. It attaches to the same parts so it moves down and back, too.
Meanwhile, the ARB plates are supposed to use an added anchor point on the frame to bolt up what I think is the coolest plate in their kit.
In the photo below, it's the one closest to the bottom of the pic:
Unfortunately those wings that stick off the sides crash into the relocated sway bar apparatus. This really stung because, in my opinion, that's the most important plate. The other plates mostly just replace factory parts, but this one adds armor where the stock set has a big hole exposing the transmission and it's plastic pan.
I was heartbroken. I was really looking forward to a clean bolt-up, but that just wasn't happening.
I needed a new plan.
What I came up with was pure brute force. I cut up the brand new $800 parts.
I sliced straight across this transmission plate, removing the wings and everything forward. With a few check fits and grinds, I lined up most of the ARB part with the factory sway bar armor. I disconnected the negative battery terminal and tack welded the ARB and Ford factory parts. Then I removed it and finalized the welds in flat position.
Thus
Fortunately my fit up was pretty good and I was able to get the parts joined without any noticeable heat distortion.
It bolted right up:
Overall, I'm happy with the result. They'll offer protection. The weld is good, but the ARB plate was really nicely made. I wish I didn't have to cut it.
I considered redoing just the wings so they could bolt to something I could custom build, but then I measured and realized that the drop brackets for the sway bar disconnector put it low enough to interfere with the plate, regardless of what I might do to the wing parts.
It was either this or send them back and try something different. This was my solution.
Outcome good... getting the outcome - not so much.
I thought I'd share here what I did to a perfectly good set of ARB skid plates (@Ryan at ARB) fresh out of the crate.
This is on a pre-owned '21 Badlands 2-door.
Returning from the dealer's lot at 9pm, I couldn't do this same-day, but the following morning I swapped the 285/70 R17's for 315/70's
Over the next couple of weeks, I built and installed a winch mount bumper.
Next, I added a stage 5 Icon kit to lift/level
Then, I added skid plates.
For the last, I opted to order from ARB. I liked their full set because they're not over-much. The cost is reasonable, they've not fallen down the rabbit hole of trying to pretend that thick enough plates make you invincible. I like that I could install and remove them comfortably lying on my back. When they get dinged to death, I can hammer them back to fit. I was literally on my back under the Bronco browsing the web on my phone when I placed the order. They arrived in only a few days.
I saw where they mentioned "not compatible with OE tow hooks" which were still on my rig, despite my custom bumper build. I looked at the pictures and really didn't see how these skids could be a problem along the leading edge near the tow points and they certainly didn't come anywhere near the rear hooks. I figured the worst case was that I'm wrong and I'd have to massage some metal away with an angle grinder.
After all... it's only metal. It doesn't bleed.
What I didn't count on was an incompatibility with the lift kit.
The Icon kit includes a UCA that corrects the loss of caster that comes with lifting. This moves the strut comparatively to the rear in compression, and it puts the coil spring *too* close to the sway bar links. As a correction, Icon supplies a pair of adapters that move the sway bar down and to the rear, clearing the coils. My Bronco came with a Ford factory armor plate to protect the electric actuated sway bar disconnector. It attaches to the same parts so it moves down and back, too.
Meanwhile, the ARB plates are supposed to use an added anchor point on the frame to bolt up what I think is the coolest plate in their kit.
In the photo below, it's the one closest to the bottom of the pic:
Unfortunately those wings that stick off the sides crash into the relocated sway bar apparatus. This really stung because, in my opinion, that's the most important plate. The other plates mostly just replace factory parts, but this one adds armor where the stock set has a big hole exposing the transmission and it's plastic pan.
I was heartbroken. I was really looking forward to a clean bolt-up, but that just wasn't happening.
I needed a new plan.
What I came up with was pure brute force. I cut up the brand new $800 parts.
I sliced straight across this transmission plate, removing the wings and everything forward. With a few check fits and grinds, I lined up most of the ARB part with the factory sway bar armor. I disconnected the negative battery terminal and tack welded the ARB and Ford factory parts. Then I removed it and finalized the welds in flat position.
Thus
Fortunately my fit up was pretty good and I was able to get the parts joined without any noticeable heat distortion.
It bolted right up:
Overall, I'm happy with the result. They'll offer protection. The weld is good, but the ARB plate was really nicely made. I wish I didn't have to cut it.
I considered redoing just the wings so they could bolt to something I could custom build, but then I measured and realized that the drop brackets for the sway bar disconnector put it low enough to interfere with the plate, regardless of what I might do to the wing parts.
It was either this or send them back and try something different. This was my solution.
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