The JL Front Diff Skid (FDS) for the JL/JT M210 Axle is designed to provide protection for the bottom of the JL Front Diff, and provides the differential and pinion a smooth surface to slide over obstacles.
This Front Diff Skid will fit JLs and JTs - including 392s, Diesels and Mojave/Xtreme Recon Trims through Model Year 2024. It will not fit the M186 Front Axle found in most Sport/Sport S/Sahara JL Wranglers however.
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JL Front Diff Skid (FDS) for M210
The JL Front Diff Skid (FDS) is a heavy-duty skid designed to protect the JL front differential's drain plug (found in most JL/JT M210 front axles to date) and provides a smooth surface for you to slide over obstacles. All components are CNC laser cut and formed by a CNC press brake for a precise fit. We proudly fabricate and hand-weld this product in the USA.
The new JL Wrangler axles are a fantastic upgrade over the previous models. However, their shape, and bottom mounted drain plug is not ideal for rock crawling.
As any rock crawling enthusiast will tell you, every inch of ground clearance matters. Anything on your Jeep's underside that can be smooth should be, or it's likely to catch on an obstacle. Our JL Front Diff Skid (FDS) is CAD designed with 3D modeling to retain every bit of possible ground clearance for critical protection you need on the trail.
Product Details
We build the JL Front Diff Skid (FDS) from a combination of 1/4" and 3/8" thick steel. This diff skid ties into multiple locations on the differential flange, as well as clamping tight to the snout of the differential. As a result, you will distribute any force -- such as the weight of the vehicle on a rock -- over a much larger area. This skid also extends your coverage to the pinion and yoke/flange where the front driveshaft attaches.
*This skid is designed and recommended for use with our HD JL/ JT Front Diff Cover * It also seems to fit many other fabricated M210 covers that have been released since; including TMR, Ballistic, and Motobilt Diff Covers. It will *not* work with the Spicer aftermarket covers due to the shape/fin features or ARB differential covers.
Installation with a factory cover is possible but requires a shim/spacer to account for the factory cover's thinner material. For ultimate strength and protection, we recommend using this product in conjunction with our HD JL/ JT Front Diff Cover. *Front Diff Cover Not Included*
Included with purchase:
(1) Front Differential Skid Plate with Top Clamp
(2) Hardware Sticks with hardware/bolts
(6) Class 10.9 12 Point Flange Bolts
FAQs
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Do I need to empty my differential fluid before installation?
In our experience, no. The factory gasket in addition to the very thick/ rigid flange on our HD Diff Covers has not leaked any fluid when removing the lower 6 bolts on the cover, as long as the upper 6 bolts are left in place during installation.
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This ties into the diff cover; will it cause the gasket to begin leaking fluid if hit hard enough?
In our experience, that would be unusual. When properly torqued with a good gasket, the clamping force of the differential cover bolts along with a very thick/ rigid flange. This prevents most impacts from compromising the integrity of a good gasket/ seal between the cover and differential. Our diff skid extends so far forward, it arguably offers more leverage than the diff cover itself. This is why the pinion/ snout clamp components and hardware are so substantial.
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What are the torque specs for installation? 26 ft/lbs on the M8 Hardware, and 37 ft/lbs on the 3/8"-16 Hardware
Additional Details
Products are designed and fabricated to fit vehicles that have varying tolerances from the factory, minor hand fitting may be required.
Products are shipped bare metal unless otherwise specified by the customer. Bare metal products may have scratches or surface imperfections as a result of raw material handling, manufacturing, and fabrication. However, these imperfections are easily covered up with a textured powder coat finish. Additional finishing, sanding, and prep work may be required if you wish to also have them finished with a smooth powder coat or paint.
Projected lead times are estimates only, and are subject to changes due to production realities, including material and labor availability and sudden variability in order volume. Lead times are not guaranteed, but we do guarantee that we are hard at work trying to get the best product we can produce and into our customers’ hands as quickly as possible.
All Next Venture Motorsports products are laser cut, CNC formed, and hand-weld with pride in the USA. We are a Colorado-based business, and welcome visitors by appointment at our Grand Junction, CO headquarters. We hope to see you out there on the trail soon!
