This is for everyone, not so much directed at RET2 personally.
Ok... whoo!!! install, here we go. As far as documentation for install, I need to make it... sorry I haven't done it yet. Disclaimer: if you order stainless steel hardware, get ANTI-SEIZE and apply to all fastener threads. Stainless is awesome, but when they are brand new, they like to bind, and the anti seize is a must.
1) Cross member first. One at a time, remove the passenger side transmission crossmember to frame bolts with the supplied longer bolts, the factory nuts should be reused. One the inside of the drivers side frame, there are 3 splash shields, remove the middle one. Bolt the crossmember in place the new longer bolts in the transmission crossmember and to the driver side frame rail with a supplied M8 bolt with washer. The splash shield will need to be trimmed to fit around the new crossmember, but will retain all its mounting points. This is the only cutting needed, and its so a $40 splash shield that can be easily unbolted and bolted back on. No permanent modifications to the actually truck needed. The isn't a templet, just take your time, trim away what you need (it will be very intuitive once the crossmember is in place), leave about a 1/4" of clearance.
2) Engine skid. That is the one that has 5 mounting brackets, with the circular door (for the engine drain plug), and the set down for the front differential. 5 mounting bracket face toward the front of the truck. Side note, isn't that just gorgeous? Bolt that suck in place with 5 M8 bolts and washers and 2 carriage bolts. Keep it loose, just get it to where it is holding itself up.
3) Transmission skid. That's label "number 1" by RET2 in the photo. The top of the skid in that photo faces the front (narrower side faces front, wider side faces to the rear.) Since you have kept the engine skid that was just mounted loose, those two slots you can see in the photo, those slide in with the carriage bolts that hold the rear of the engine skid in place. so the order from top to bottom of where the engine and the transmission crossmember meet is: frame, transmission, engine skids. The rear of the transmission is held with two long carriage bolts and two two massive washers and nuts (trust me, you'll know you have the right hardware, its the biggest stuff in the bags). Those long bolts go through the the back of the transmission skid, through the transmission crossmember, the put the big 'ol washers, and top it with a nut. Keep it loose, another skid is coming!
4) Transfer Skid aka The Alamo (I just made that up) if your in the rocks, its the only armor available that isolates the transfer case from impacts. Its labels number "8" by RET2 in the photo. The two slots face forward. Slide the transfer case skid slots in between the transmission skid and the transmission crossmember (seeing the flow, edge face rearward, so rocks don't have anything to grab onto). The rear of the transfer case skid is held to the crossmember with the the shorter carriage bolts and washers with nuts.
5) Front skid. The black thing in the photo. It's got reinforcing ribs on the inside (you don't see that on average armor). Take the armored door off (its for the oil filter), and slide the front skid onto the front of the engine skid. You'll notice the reinforcing ribs will hold the front skid up while you gather more fasteners (thanks Bud). there are 5 counter sunk bolts that will attach the front skid to the engine skid. 3 from the front skid to engine side themselves, and 2 front the oil filter door to the engine skid. you'll find 1 of the shortest counter sunk bolts, and that one attache the oil filter door to the front skid. The front of the front skid is held to the radiator crossmember with M8 bolts and washers.
6) Tighten it all up! Doesn't need to be death tight, 15 ft is perfect. I'm a torque'n fool, I torque everything to spec, but with skids, I get them snug. enough that I know they won't rattle off, but not enough to pull the crossmember metal through the skid plate mounting points (yeah, I've seen that)
7) Fuel armor, whoo! This is super easy, but I need to take some pictures as that will be sooooo much easier. Basically those three brackets are used, along with the frame rail, and it is also secured to the transfer case skid (because why not, it's armor.) "Gee, I wish my skid plates were not as strong as they could be." -said no one ever. The small piece in the photo that's labeled "7" is a heat shield for where the exhaust crossover get close to the fuel tank (because the colder the fuel, the more energy it helps make).
That's it. I absolutely promise I will take pictures Friday after work. I just got done rebuilding the two axles and an automatic transmission, so I'm a little smoked right now. But my actually job hasn't been too busy the last two weeks, so I feel up to it. The pictures will make this even easier.
@RET2, if you could take a picture of the fasteners laid out nicely and grouped together, I can label them and post it. Bud never stops refining, it's that engineer background in him that says things are never done (I don't really trust products that never update anymore because of this) so I won't be surprised if there is something changed in the fasters. I already noticed a slight change in the fuel tank skid from mine that avoid a frame rail seam. It was found on mine, but I was ok with Chip notching it out on the first run of the 2.0 skids.
lastly, can we just admire those aluminum welds? That's all done by hand, 'Merica!
RET2, you've got my cell, give me a call if you need help
(not that I would want to test them out in that manner). I saw that you're in Santa Rosa, hopefully you survived the fires ok?
