PSA - Get a transmission skid plate or replace the plastic pan

[SixEighty680]

I was out off-roading in my lifted badsquatch on 37s. It comes with the steel skid plates and I sit fairly high off the ground.

The factory transmission pan isn't protected at all, and it is cheap, flimsy, brittle plastic. It weighs about a pound. I have been wheeling for about a decade in different vehicles and have lived in Utah with this bronco before I moved to NC. I'm not a noob to off-roading.

I ran over a branch and it punctured the transmission pan and ALL of the transmission fluid leaked out within a minute. I would have been stranded on the trail if I wasn't with another vehicle.

I ended up towing the bronco back home and replacing it with a PPE cast aluminum pan because it cost the same as a skid and I had to replace it anyway.

This is just a PSA, but it's a must if you go out....freak accident, but it was just a stick that brought me to a halt.

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[jofer]

Yeah, a transmission skid / replacement pan is well worth the money. Personally, I've running an RCI skid, but there are other companies (e.g. Falcon) that likely make better ones. (The RCI one is fine, but I don't love that you remove the factory transmission skid with the more robust crossbar to put it in.)

If you need another reminder, though:


All it takes is an unlucky rock or stick. Yeah, it's tucked up in there quite a bit, but it's not crazy to have a rock pivot that far up or a stick pop up there.

 

[CitrusBronco]

Damn bad luck. You don’t know what’s under the water here in FL and I can just see a stick doing the same to me. A trans skid is my next purchase, will be this month.

 

[Y2KFirehawk]

Solid PSA. Had seen similar prior and got the 4WP trans skid for $160 to my door. Excellent piece of mind.

 

[Mishra42]

I've got the LOD Transmission Skid. I like that it wraps around the support struts and it fit's right in with the existing bash plates. and the dents in it tell me it's doing it's job.

 

[Fordified1]

Trans skid was my second purchase first week home with the Bronco.

 

[SixEighty680]

I've got the LOD Transmission Skid. I like that it wraps around the support struts and it fit's right in with the existing bash plates. and the dents in it tell me it's doing it's job.

I'll look into that one!

 

[Gotchaa]

I'll look into that one!

LOD is great I run it as well good coverage and love how it works with the factory skids

 

[Coralhead]

Will the Mabett transmission skid plate work with a 2.7L? Is there a feature that renders it to be only with the 2.3L?

 

[Y2KFirehawk]

Will the Mabett transmission skid plate work with a 2.7L? Is there a feature that renders it to be only with the 2.3L?

The mounting points and brace structure prevents it working with the 2.7.

 

[BobN - USAF]

I have a 2023 Big Bend, 2.3L mid package. It came will no skid plates. The first skid I purchased was the aluminum Mabett transmission skid plate because I had crawled under the Bronco and found that cheap plastic trans pan. Then I went with the aluminum ASFIR transfer case and fuel tank skids. Mabett and ASFIR plates are 1/4 inch thick aluminum. Up front I replaced the plastic bumper and the plastic "skids". I went with the Broaddict skids up front but these are very light weight at only 3mm. Eventually, I may replace these but my main goal was to product from the random road debris.

 

[Montana Bronco]

Easy solution. Get a 7MT.

 

[Hkak45]

Easy solution. Get a 7MT.

Does our transmission sit higher than the autos?

 

[brneyemomma]

Just installed metalcloak skids. Easy install and seamless fittings.

 

[Ironiguana]

I've got the LOD Transmission Skid. I like that it wraps around the support struts and it fit's right in with the existing bash plates. and the dents in it tell me it's doing it's job.

Same here. Happy with the LOD version

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