Slide and glide

Brand new Rancho front diff slider and the same company's sump shield (foreground). Wonder how long the shiny new look will last?

Nth Degree rear slider, a quality piece of gear.

Back to Motortech 4x4 today to have some stuff bolted on. Both items were promoted as being so simple to fit that any fool could do it, but I'd have skinned my knuckles and had heavy metal falling on my head if I'd tried to do the job at home without a hoist. After damaging the Jeep's paper-thin oil sump last year and stopping a rerun by fitting an American Rancho RockGear shield, I've been worried about the diff housings which some have found to be less than robust. So with the exchange rate being what it is, I went back to American sources to seek peace of mind.

I chose the Rancho front differential glide plate that protects the casing from direct contact in severe off-road use, at the cost of a few millimetres of clearance. The sump shield mentioned above slid into position with aerospace-industry precision, but the slider was nowhere near as exact and needed a little assistance from a well-aimed hammer.

For the back, I went to the well-regarded AEV company for its Nth Degreee under-axle skid plate that deflects potential hits from the diff and protects the rear driveshaft, CV joint and flange. It sacrifices no ground clearance. Built primarily from 1/4-inch steel it fit perfectly; a quality piece of gear.