Last year I installed skid plates on my Escape. I know there are some folks that have an interest in this. I posted this info in another thread on Escapes driving in sand, but have moved most of it to this new thread to continue the conversation.
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I have the FTS skids.
http://www.fts4x4.com/en/products/?method=detail&aid=37
Pros:
-The 2 steel mounting bars make for a robust assembly. (They look a bit like leaf springs for the skids).
-The two piece skids make for a more manageable assembly.
-Easy to remove just the front skid for an oil change.
-Provides nice protection for oil sump and transmission/transfer case
-The only off-the-shelf skid plates I could find ANYWHERE on earth.
Cons:
-The steel mounting bars came up just a tad short to their mounting bolts under the bumper. The bars have a slot, not a hole and I was worried they might pop loose under stress. I remedied this by placing 2 large diameter washers on the head of each mounting bolt. This seems to relieve any concerns of it coming off.
-For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to install the small rear steel mount that supports the back side of the transmission skid. I looked at the pics and crawled around underneath for hours and never figured it out. :?
Instead I had a shop weld two nuts over pre-existing holes on the rear of the sub-frame. I drilled two new holes in the rear of the skid plate to match the nuts. Then I screwed it in with two new bolts/washers. Simple and solid!
I like and recommend the FTS skid with the caveat that you will either have to figure out how the rear is supposed to attach, or do an end run and weld some nuts and drill a couple of holes in the rear skid. Hopefully they still have a set or two in stock.
I'll dig around and see if I can find some pics of my installation. Cheers, TR
***************************************************
I have the FTS skids.
http://www.fts4x4.com/en/products/?method=detail&aid=37
Pros:
-The 2 steel mounting bars make for a robust assembly. (They look a bit like leaf springs for the skids).
-The two piece skids make for a more manageable assembly.
-Easy to remove just the front skid for an oil change.
-Provides nice protection for oil sump and transmission/transfer case
-The only off-the-shelf skid plates I could find ANYWHERE on earth.
Cons:
-The steel mounting bars came up just a tad short to their mounting bolts under the bumper. The bars have a slot, not a hole and I was worried they might pop loose under stress. I remedied this by placing 2 large diameter washers on the head of each mounting bolt. This seems to relieve any concerns of it coming off.
-For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to install the small rear steel mount that supports the back side of the transmission skid. I looked at the pics and crawled around underneath for hours and never figured it out. :?
Instead I had a shop weld two nuts over pre-existing holes on the rear of the sub-frame. I drilled two new holes in the rear of the skid plate to match the nuts. Then I screwed it in with two new bolts/washers. Simple and solid!
I like and recommend the FTS skid with the caveat that you will either have to figure out how the rear is supposed to attach, or do an end run and weld some nuts and drill a couple of holes in the rear skid. Hopefully they still have a set or two in stock.
I'll dig around and see if I can find some pics of my installation. Cheers, TR