Looks like we have choices in US for Diff Skid Plates

[ColoradoMike]

Here are the Ultra High Molecular Weight plates and the front and rear diff covers! Enjoy

 

[rovie]

Here are the Ultra High Molecular Weight plates and the front and rear diff covers! Enjoy

View attachment 7899566

Then it's good that you have such a long corridor.

 

[Jiman01]

Here are the Ultra High Molecular Weight plates and the front and rear diff covers! Enjoy

View attachment 7899566

Initial thoughts oil change access?

 

[MileHigh]

Here are the Ultra High Molecular Weight plates and the front and rear diff covers! Enjoy

View attachment 7899566

WE HAVE THE SAME CARPET!!!

Initial thoughts oil change access?

When I contacted them about this issue, they said that there would be access. I’m not sure how, I don’t have a visual on it.,

The one thing that I’ve heard is that if your IG dies, the only way to put the IG into neutral, to flat tow it(?), you need to get under it and use a 13mm wrench?

Thread 'Procedure to shift into Neutral with a dead battery (fiddly but doable)'

Mar 4, 2023

If your battery is dead and you need Neutral for a tow or a roll or whatever, sounds like a 5mm hex socket and access underneath the truck is required. With the Grenadier's clearance (compared to any other ZF vehicle), hopefully this doesn't mean jacking it up.

It's such a common transmission that details are around the internet, but here's one article: How To Put The ZF 8-Speed In Neutral Using The Neutral Safety Switch Bypass

• holdmybeer
• battery neutral tow transmission zf8
• Replies: 31
• Forum: Transmission, Transfer Case & Axles

• 

That I don’t think we’d have access to? Don’t know how much of an issue that is.

 

[Itsdchz]

Here are the Ultra High Molecular Weight plates and the front and rear diff covers! Enjoy

View attachment 7899566

Looking at the engine area a valvomax or fumoto would seem a necessity to prevent messy oil changes. Looking at the UHMV, the install of skids looks easy - let’s see the skids when they arrive!

 

[MileHigh]

Just got a message from owl in Denver. The skid plates are in stock that I ordered.


ETA: Getting mine installed in June 30th..

 

[DaneJa]

I opted for a self-install instead of the $1000 Owl wanted. I mounted the UHMW plastic to the aluminum plates. Waiting to hear back from Owl about a small discrepancy in the attaching hardware locations, but these are otherwise top notch. Nice design, quality materials, really nice powder coat, and pretty welds. The hardware is all A2 stainless black zinc.

 

[Itsdchz]

I opted for a self-install instead of the $1000 Owl wanted. I mounted the UHMW plastic to the aluminum plates. Waiting to hear back from Owl about a small discrepancy in the attaching hardware locations, but these are otherwise top notch. Nice design, quality materials, really nice powder coat, and pretty welds. The hardware is all A2 stainless black zinc.

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Do instructions call for preassembly off vehicle for install as one entire unit?

 

[MileHigh]

Uhm, DaneJa won’t have any problem with a few more pounds….

 

[DaneJa]

Do instructions call for preassembly off vehicle for install as one entire unit?

No instructions exist yet, but the engineer recommended to do so. Instructions are being created presently. There are nylock nuts on the back side so it would be difficult to mount the plastic panels with the aluminum skids on the vehicle. I recommend an electric ratchet as there are 41 of them.

 

[MileHigh]

Does that mean to replace the plastic parts, you need to take the whole skid plate off?


ETA: Can you show the backside and the nuts you are referencing?

 

[ColoradoMike]

Hiya Folks! @DaneJa is headed over my place to do the Skid Plate install on both of our vehicles. As he mentioned there are not instructions yet but I have been working with Owl's designer for the plates on a daily basis to work through some of the kinks. I think @MileHigh may be coming down as well to assist. I don't think it will be that cosmic but there are a bunch of steps such as removing the Gas Tank Skids and replacing some parts there...also we will need to support the transfer case when we replace the cross member. Other than that we should be fine!

I will say this though...I did install the Diff covers front and rear and they were a PAIN IN THE ASS! So Ineos put some plastic plugs to I assume help protect the threads in the factory holes. In principle this sounds OK but in practice it was not so fun. Somehow dirt and water got up into those holes and it took me over an hour to get them cleaned out to accept the bolts. It wasn't fun but at least they are cleaned out and the covers are secure on the Grenadier.

Well time for a bit of rest because tomorrow we install!

 

[Green Gren]

Hiya Folks! @DaneJa is headed over my place to do the Skid Plate install on both of our vehicles. As he mentioned there are not instructions yet but I have been working with Owl's designer for the plates on a daily basis to work through some of the kinks. I think @MileHigh may be coming down as well to assist. I don't think it will be that cosmic but there are a bunch of steps such as removing the Gas Tank Skids and replacing some parts there...also we will need to support the transfer case when we replace the cross member. Other than that we should be fine!

I will say this though...I did install the Diff covers front and rear and they were a PAIN IN THE ASS! So Ineos put some plastic plugs to I assume help protect the threads in the factory holes. In principle this sounds OK but in practice it was not so fun. Somehow dirt and water got up into those holes and it took me over an hour to get them cleaned out to accept the bolts. It wasn't fun but at least they are cleaned out and the covers are secure on the Grenadier.

Well time for a bit of rest because tomorrow we install!

I had the same issue when I installed my MetalCloak diff skids. Pulled the plastic plugs, threads were full of mud and surface rust. Had to tap the threads, 10x1.5, because the bolts just wouldn’t make it past the second or third thread All while laying on my back under the truck with not much workspace. Not too comfy, but got it done in about 5min and the plates bolted on no problem.

 

[MileHigh]

Hiya Folks! @DaneJa is headed over my place to do the Skid Plate install on both of our vehicles. As he mentioned there are not instructions yet but I have been working with Owl's designer for the plates on a daily basis to work through some of the kinks. I think @MileHigh may be coming down as well to assist. I don't think it will be that cosmic but there are a bunch of steps such as removing the Gas Tank Skids and replacing some parts there...also we will need to support the transfer case when we replace the cross member. Other than that we should be fine!

I will say this though...I did install the Diff covers front and rear and they were a PAIN IN THE ASS! So Ineos put some plastic plugs to I assume help protect the threads in the factory holes. In principle this sounds OK but in practice it was not so fun. Somehow dirt and water got up into those holes and it took me over an hour to get them cleaned out to accept the bolts. It wasn't fun but at least they are cleaned out and the covers are secure on the Grenadier.

Well time for a bit of rest because tomorrow we install!

Wish I could have been there to help and see. Sounds a bit more involved than the normal ones, but worth it. Some one-time things. I’d like to see the backside of the panels. I;m unsure of DaBulls comments about backers or whatever for the bolts that hold the plastic skids? Post pics when you can.

 

[ColoradoMike]

Well folks it was a very successful day! @DaneJa and I managed to get the Owl skid plates installed on both of our vehicles. Special shout out to @Brad@SuperiorCO who made the long drive down to help us with the install!

Pretty exhausted so I will post up an install thread later on this week.

Some people may be wondering if this is a SINGLE person job. I think it COULD be done but I would NOT recommend it. There is a lot of manhandling and aligning things to get things to work. From my standpoint this is not a EASY job but it is not terribly hard but is VERY time consuming. Attaching the UHMW plates to the aluminum is straightforward but we did need to use a step bit and make some holes that were required.

Here are a couple of quick pictures.....

 

[MileHigh]

Awesome! Did @DaneJa paint his metal parts first? The pics he posted makes them look all black, and yours look like bare metal? Don’t really care since they are aluminum, just was wondering. Wish I could have been there!

 

[ColoradoMike]

Awesome! Did @DaneJa paint his metal parts first?

If you are referring to the aluminum skid plates....there are two options when you order from Owl. Bare aluminum or Black Powder coated. I elected to go with the bare aluminum because it was $400 cheaper and depending on where I hit a rock I didn't want to see the scratch.

It was fun seeing Brad and Dane's Grenadiers....I got WAY to many ideas on things I want to do with ours. I am sure we will catch up soon Mark and lemme know if you guys ever want to run some trails!