DV8 Offroad | Rear Differential Skid Plate

[DV8offroad]

2021-2022 FORD BRONCO | REAR DIFFERENTIAL SKID PLATE​

DV8 Offroad’s Bronco Rear Diff Skid Plate not only protects your differential, but also guards your pinion & rear axle from damage on rocky trails. The center plate shields the differential, gasket seal, & pinion from damage by rocks & other obstacles underneath the Bronco. Branching out from the diff skid is additional steel plating that protects the full length of the rear axle from link mount to link mount. This skid system will helps to prevent you from getting caught up on rocks. There are multiple drain holes in several locations to release any water or mud that might collect in the skid plate while off-road.

This is constructed from 4.0mm & 5.0mm steel plating, then finished in a micro-texture black powder coat for both style and weather resistance. Utilizing the provided hardware, installation is a straightforward process and can be completed with 1-2 people. This fits all 2-door & 4-door 6th Gen Broncos.

Please Note: This was engineered to work with the original factory diff covers. This may not fit with aftermarket diff covers.

Check it out here: https://dv8offroad.com/products/6th-gen-bronco-rear-axle-differential-skid-plate

Technical Specifications:

• Fitment: Direct Fit
• Material: 4.0/5.0mm Steel
• Finish: Micro-Texture Black Powder Coat
• Weight: ≈ 19 lbs

Visit https://dv8offroad.com/pages/ford-bronco-bumpers-and-accessories to shop all of our Ford Bronco Parts and Accessories.
Plus... use code "ForumMember" at checkout for 10% off!​

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[lucunup]

I just finished installing both the shock & differential bash plates on my 2022 Outer Banks SAS Bronco. Firstly, they look GREAT! But, I have a few installation comments for DV8 and others to consider. No, it's not that hard to get them on but it took longer than their instructions lead you to believe unless you have the following info. So, here are my observations.

Shock plates:

Assuming you don't have a hoist, as my driveway doesn't have, make sure you have a jack to raise the body up to unload the spring tension from the lower shock bracket. Otherwise, you will not get the bolt to move toward the tire when loosened to get the bash plate installed. BTW, 330 ft-lbs. of torque is a TON. Have a cheater bar for your breaker bar or a 2' breaker bar as I have, especially if you don't have a large impact driver.

Use a dead blow hammer or a bronze hammer to get the bolt to move toward the tire to get the gap needed. A rubber mallet just didn't do it. I also need a C-clamp to close the bracket back up as it sprung open slightly once I got the bolt loose making it even harder to move. You'll also need the hammer to move the bolt on the lower trailing arm. Make sure to move the nut all the way flush with the end of the bolt before hitting it so you don't bugger up the threads.

Otherwise, the installation went smoothly on the 2nd one as I spent all my time trying to figure out the above on the 1st one.

Differential plate:

If you have a factory sway bar as mine does, don't even try to install it before going to the store. I spent easily 1.5 hours trying to use the provided bolts and getting very frustrated. The DV8 bolts would work fine if you don't have a sway bar. So, do yourself a favor and go to the hardware store and get 4x M8x35mm class 10.9 flange head bolts, 4x 5/16 external star lock washers, and 4x 5/16" flat washers. The long and short of it, the provided bolts are too short with the addition of the sway bar bracket, the washers are too small and fall through the slots of the sway bar bracket and I went with the star lock washer as I was using a fanged bolt and it's thinner than the split washer. Also, you have to remove the factory studs, which snap out, that mount the sway bar as they will not work with the bash plate.

The other problem I had was the provided bolt plate falling out with the slightest push of a bolt. When that happens, you have to remove the bash plate to get your hand in and put it back. Very frustrating when you have one side in! Use a small dab of silicone seal in the middle of the plate, cleaning the surfaces 1st, to lightly hold the plate in place. You don't need to wait for it to dry as you want it to allow slight movement to align the nuts correctly.

One last thing, a C-clamp is your friend when you only have one person as it really takes 2 to install this plate. Using the clamp, lightly tightened, to hold one end when getting the other end attached worked fine. Also, watch out for the brake line that was slightly in the way on the driver's side on the rear of the differential. You don't want it under the bash plate!

Using the above hardware and silicone, I was easily able to install the bash plate in under 1.5 hours.

 

[broadicustomworks]

I just finished installing both the shock & differential bash plates on my 2022 Outer Banks SAS Bronco. Firstly, they look GREAT! But, I have a few installation comments for DV8 and others to consider. No, it's not that hard to get them on but it took longer than their instructions lead you to believe unless you have the following info. So, here are my observations.

Shock plates:

Assuming you don't have a hoist, as my driveway doesn't have, make sure you have a jack to raise the body up to unload the spring tension from the lower shock bracket. Otherwise, you will not get the bolt to move toward the tire when loosened to get the bash plate installed. BTW, 330 ft-lbs. of torque is a TON. Have a cheater bar for your breaker bar or a 2' breaker bar as I have, especially if you don't have a large impact driver.

Use a dead blow hammer or a bronze hammer to get the bolt to move toward the tire to get the gap needed. A rubber mallet just didn't do it. I also need a C-clamp to close the bracket back up as it sprung open slightly once I got the bolt loose making it even harder to move. You'll also need the hammer to move the bolt on the lower trailing arm. Make sure to move the nut all the way flush with the end of the bolt before hitting it so you don't bugger up the threads.

Otherwise, the installation went smoothly on the 2nd one as I spent all my time trying to figure out the above on the 1st one.

Differential plate:

If you have a factory sway bar as mine does, don't even try to install it before going to the store. I spent easily 1.5 hours trying to use the provided bolts and getting very frustrated. The DV8 bolts would work fine if you don't have a sway bar. So, do yourself a favor and go to the hardware store and get 4x M8x35mm class 10.9 flange head bolts, 4x 5/16 external star lock washers, and 4x 5/16" flat washers. The long and short of it, the provided bolts are too short with the addition of the sway bar bracket, the washers are too small and fall through the slots of the sway bar bracket and I went with the star lock washer as I was using a fanged bolt and it's thinner than the split washer. Also, you have to remove the factory studs, which snap out, that mount the sway bar as they will not work with the bash plate.

The other problem I had was the provided bolt plate falling out with the slightest push of a bolt. When that happens, you have to remove the bash plate to get your hand in and put it back. Very frustrating when you have one side in! Use a small dab of silicone seal in the middle of the plate, cleaning the surfaces 1st, to lightly hold the plate in place. You don't need to wait for it to dry as you want it to allow slight movement to align the nuts correctly.

One last thing, a C-clamp is your friend when you only have one person as it really takes 2 to install this plate. Using the clamp, lightly tightened, to hold one end when getting the other end attached worked fine. Also, watch out for the brake line that was slightly in the way on the driver's side on the rear of the differential. You don't want it under the bash plate!

Using the above hardware and silicone, I was easily able to install the bash plate in under 1.5 hours.

Outstanding write-up.
Factual, helpful, without bashing the vendor needlessly.

We need lots more of stuff like this on the forums.
Thanks for the advice and detail.

 

[broadicustomworks]

2021-2022 FORD BRONCO | REAR DIFFERENTIAL SKID PLATE​

DV8 Offroad’s Bronco Rear Diff Skid Plate not only protects your differential, but also guards your pinion & rear axle from damage on rocky trails. The center plate shields the differential, gasket seal, & pinion from damage by rocks & other obstacles underneath the Bronco. Branching out from the diff skid is additional steel plating that protects the full length of the rear axle from link mount to link mount. This skid system will helps to prevent you from getting caught up on rocks. There are multiple drain holes in several locations to release any water or mud that might collect in the skid plate while off-road.

This is constructed from 4.0mm & 5.0mm steel plating, then finished in a micro-texture black powder coat for both style and weather resistance. Utilizing the provided hardware, installation is a straightforward process and can be completed with 1-2 people. This fits all 2-door & 4-door 6th Gen Broncos.

Please Note: This was engineered to work with the original factory diff covers. This may not fit with aftermarket diff covers.

Check it out here: https://dv8offroad.com/products/6th-gen-bronco-rear-axle-differential-skid-plate

Technical Specifications:

• Fitment: Direct Fit
• Material: 4.0/5.0mm Steel
• Finish: Micro-Texture Black Powder Coat
• Weight: ≈ 19 lbs

Visit https://dv8offroad.com/pages/ford-bronco-bumpers-and-accessories to shop all of our Ford Bronco Parts and Accessories.
Plus... use code "ForumMember" at checkout for 10% off!​

Beautiful work, DV8.
I caught a glimpse of this while looking at your shock skids.
I love the tube protection integrated with the diff guarding.
Both items are on my short list.

 

[Snacktime]

Needs to have better differential cover protection(since you can't add a beefier cover + your skid). Also need to extend forward more to protect the pinion seal/banging the output yoke. Also the one brake line kind of sticks out? Not sure the brake line is an issue.

Looks nice! But needs to have a purpose to get my money.

 

[Bearcat1]

Just installed the DV8 Diff skid on 22 Black Diamond, SAS, with rear sway bar.
DV8 must have listened on the longer bolts. 4 longer bolts were included along with the 8 std bolts mentioned in the directions(total of 12 bolts). I used the 4 longer bolts for the sway bar brackets that go into the nutserts. I did have to use some larger washers as the sway bar brackets have a wider opening but had those laying around so no big deal. Under 1hr install.

 

[DV8offroad]

Beautiful work, DV8.
I caught a glimpse of this while looking at your shock skids.
I love the tube protection integrated with the diff guarding.
Both items are on my short list.

Thanks man!

 

[BuckYeah]

I love the look and heft of the rear diff skid plate but I couldn't get mine to sit flush against the differential cover. (Yes, I removed the two lower bolts first! LOL) It just wouldn't let me get the skid plate close enough to the diff to start threading the bolts. I moved the brake line out of the way, and tried repeatedly to get the plate to seat but it wouldn't.

I'm not sure if the piece itself was out of spec or if my differential was. For some reason, the plate just could not sit flush. I didn't get very far. Emailed DV8 to see what my options are.

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