ASFIR 4x4 Skid Install (1 Viewer)

[rc50cal]

Hi Mud,

I decided to post my ASFIR experience in case it’s helpful for some others down the road.

Originally, I wanted Dissent Off-road aluminum skids. Weight was my biggest consideration until the wait became my biggest consideration. Dissent quoted me at least 16 weeks. Gah! I couldn’t wait.

I headed to ASFIR 4x4 and bought a complete set. The price was right and they arrived from Israel in only a few days!

I got the front skid installed and then ran into my first problem. The mounting bracket for the transmission skid wouldn’t fit over the ubolts for my White Knuckle sliders.

I was stuck! More than a year passed before I decided to tackle the project again. I decided that 1/2” aluminum spacers would be just the thing to enable the bracket to clear the u-bolts.

The spacers seemed to be just the thing!

I’m the meantime, I discovered that ASFIR released a gas tank skid. From Israel to So Cal in 3 days.

So exciting. I immediately set about trying to install.

 

[rc50cal]

More trouble! The skid didn’t follow the curve of the tank, the folded age of the skid hit the tank, and the bolts weren’t long enough to thread into the mounting brackets.

I solved this problem with a sledge hammer and longer bolts. I pounded the edge down about 1” and used the longer bolts to reach the threads. I was a little bit concerned that they might puncture the tank, but so far so good.

Back to the transmission skid. Adding the spacers changed the geometry just enough that the holes wouldn’t line up! I employed a rotary file and elongated the holes.

I didn’t like that the transfer case skid only seemed to fit correctly on top of the transmission skid, but in the end it seems like that’s the way it’s meant to fit.

Eighteen months later, the war wagon is ready for the trail!

 

[MongooseGA]

Man, I could have saved you a year with the spacer idea

Good info to have, it seems like there are a lot of questions as to how these are properly mounted. I have a fuel tank skid sitting here waiting to go in, thanks for the notes on it.

 

[CORunner]

Nice write up. I did the same thing to clear my WKOF sliders and used spacers. I was able to get everything bolted up without modifying any of the holes, but it was a little tricky.

I installed the rear skid next to the frame with the middle skid on top, but it kinda wraps around the rear skid.

 

[xswl]

Thanks for posting with the detailed pics! With the spacers, did you get new bolts or used the same ones? Assuming new ones, what size did you get?

 

[rc50cal]

Thanks for posting with the detailed pics! With the spacers, did you get new bolts or used the same ones? Assuming new ones, what size did you get?

I bought 20mm longer 10.9 steel bolts for the spacers. I think they were M8 x 55mm coarse.

 

[rc50cal]

Man, I could have saved you a year with the spacer idea

Good info to have, it seems like there are a lot of questions as to how these are properly mounted. I have a fuel tank skid sitting here waiting to go in, thanks for the notes on it.

Story of my life! My search skills must have failed me when I ran into the problem those many months ago. At least now we've consolidated our experience here for posterity!

 

[Josie'sLandCruiser]

The spacers are a nice idea but not really necessary. When I installed the ASFIR skid plate set 20 months ago I had the same clearance issue with a set of MetalTech bolt-on sliders. I found that the skid plate bracket will bent over the u-bolt just fine when tightening down the bolts.

 

[TreatSmash]

Hi Mud,

I decided to post my ASFIR experience in case it’s helpful for some others down the road.

Originally, I wanted Dissent Off-road aluminum skids. Weight was my biggest consideration until the wait became my biggest consideration. Dissent quoted me at least 16 weeks. Gah! I couldn’t wait.

I headed to ASFIR 4x4 and bought a complete set. The price was right and they arrived from Israel in only a few days!

I got the front skid installed and then ran into my first problem. The mounting bracket for the transmission skid wouldn’t fit over the ubolts for my White Knuckle sliders.

I was stuck! More than a year passed before I decided to tackle the project again. I decided that 1/2” aluminum spacers would be just the thing to enable the bracket to clear the u-bolts.

View attachment 3068268

The spacers seemed to be just the thing!

I’m the meantime, I discovered that ASFIR released a gas tank skid. From Israel to So Cal in 3 days.

View attachment 3068274

So exciting. I immediately set about trying to install.

Just ran into the same problem and boom, first search and I have my answer.

Good job sir!

 

[krice118]

Anyone have Sliders that do not require any mods to the ASFIR Skids? Need new sliders and have ASFIR skids in the basement ready for install

 

[AlpineAccess]

Anyone have Sliders that do not require any mods to the ASFIR Skids? Need new sliders and have ASFIR skids in the basement ready for install

I had to elongate most of the mounting holes on mine to ovals to allow some adjustment. Hopefully asfir started doing this as their jig isn't lining up for most people.

 

[Bisho]

Anyone have Sliders that do not require any mods to the ASFIR Skids? Need new sliders and have ASFIR skids in the basement ready for install

I have MetalTech sliders. The ASFIR mounts for the transmission cover are aluminum and will bend over the ubolts. I did use a few washers as spacers. It was no big deal.

 

[MongooseGA]

Use diff drop spacers to clear the u-bolts. Perfect.

 

[cmw]

Anyone have Sliders that do not require any mods to the ASFIR Skids? Need new sliders and have ASFIR skids in the basement ready for install

The U-bolts of my OPOR/MetalTech sliders fit precisely over the mounting bracket for my ASFIR middle plate.

 

[Nightbrew]

I recently installed the asfir skids and I thought I would share a note to possibly help someone out. I run WKOR sliders and did not want spacers as they seem like pain for future maintenance repairs etc. A couple of posts mentioned that the bracket will bend around the slider u bolts. Easiest way for me to accomplish this was to install the rear bracket bolt about half way and then use a floor jacket to bend the bracket around the u bolt, then install the front bracket bolt. Hope this helps.

 

[cmw]

Glad that worked Nightbrew.

Surprising though as the ASFIR bracket fit precisely to my frame ~ if it had bent over anything the mounting holes would not have lined-up.

Always good to have people post their experiences with different combinations of gear.

 

[Pulgasari]

I installed mine about 2 months ago, 1999 LX 470 with AHC and otherwise stock suspension (no lifts etc). The middle plate was not a perfect fit, because the torsion bar mount bolts ran up against it.

Ended up sawing off a roughly 2x2 square from the skid plates. Other than that, everything bolted on well. Took like 4 hours total for the install the first time, but I only have hand tools and everything was done on a tarp in the driveway, so a lot of time was just spent crawling in and out.

A few notes:

1. The instructions for the middle skid plate didn't fully match the ones online. If you end up with different instructions, use the ones that came with the skid plate, even if they're worse.
2. Go back to front. Install the transfer case skid plate first, then the transmission skid plate, then the front skid plate.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the results, now I need to find some rock sliders that will fit... I was thinking of going with WKOR but ehh, not sure if I want to deal with spacers. I would need 4, right? Just for the transmission skid bracket? I'd try bending the bracket first of course but my tools are limited and I'd like to make sure I have everything in advance.

 

[cmw]

You're not the first to mention contact at the torsion bar mounts. Wasn't a problem for me but my middle skid is an older/longer diesel version -which did require trimming to match the transmission crossmember.

There is no more than 1/2 a mounting hole of front-back play in positioning my ASFIR plates and there was no play in positioning the middle plate bracket to the frame. I would suggest you just cut a little of that corner off at an angle (guess you did and I didn't read that part ).