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Home > Jeep Articles > Technical & Installation - Body Interior / Exterior > Poison Spyder Gas Tank Skid Installation |
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Poison Spyder Gas Tank Skid InstallationArticle written by RicoDate Added: 04/16/2006 If you have a stock gas tank skid, you know that it only takes one good hit and you're done for. |
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 After seeing how well the Rocker Knockers and the Steering Box Skid plate worked, we decided to try out the gas tank skid from Poison Spyder Customs. If you have a stock gas tank skid, you know that it only takes one good hit and you're done for.
I ordered the skid plate, and as luck would have it, I was also headed to Moab the same week. I hoped that one more trip of taking it easy on the trail would work out ok. We were to leave for Moab on Friday, and to my surprise and delight, the gas tank skid showed up unexpectedly that same day. Not having time to install before the trip I unpacked it like a kid at Christmas and admired the skid plate. Well, off to Moab we went, and while there we decide to hit the "Behind the Rocks" trail. This trail was great and up until the second to last obstacle, "White Knuckle," everything was going good. I went down the obstacle a little too fast and "BAM" I bounced my way down and hit the stock gas tank skid. All I heard was "Uh, Oh! you better get going before you lose all of your gas!" Wouldn't you know it I have a brand new Poison Spyder Customs Gas Tank Skid at home and I punch a hole in my gas tank! The gas tank skid is supposed to protect the gas tank right? Not this one - if you're a TJ owner and plan on hitting the trails, then you really need a good gas tank skid plate. The stock gas tank skid plate has a notch on the rear passenger side, and it's important to realize the hole is there in case you get a leak. What struck me is the fact that the hole is so big that I hit the corner of the gas tank skid and it drove a gash into my gas tank. Why the story? Because I learned the hard way that I needed more protection than was given to me to start with. What's awesome about this gas tank skid versus others? Well for one this skid plate is made from a much HIGHER QUALITY GRADE STEEL. Ok so what do you really get from this gas tank skid: - 3/16" High quality laser grade steel - Protection on all sides of the gas tank - Installation is simple with everyday hand tools - No loss of ground clearance - All necessary hardware |
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Installation | |||||||||
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1. Although not necessary, I removed the gas tank completely. (Because I had to fix it!) In order to do this, you must remember to bleed your tank before removing the two gas lines from the gas tank. I was fortunate enough to find a repair manual and it was a very simple process. Next I removed the two gas lines from the tank. |
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2. After disconnecting the gas lines, I removed the filler neck and vent line. Once those two steps are completed you may now place a jack under the gas tank and unbolt the remaining bolts that hold the gas tank to your vehicle. |
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3. As with other gas tank skids, the use of your factory straps that hold the tank in place will not be used. After removing the bolts and straps I lowered the gas tank and removed it from the vehicle. As you can see the gas tank sits perfectly inside this well-manufactured skid plate.
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4. This gas tank skid bolts up without any drilling or widening of holes as with other skid plates. An important note when installing the extra extension in the front of the gas tank skid is to ensure the metal is on the inside of the skid plate, so you provide extra distance between your skid plate and your rear differential. |
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5. To re-install the gas tank and skid plate, you raise up the skid plate and bolt on. The skid plate only bolts on with the two bolts in the rear and two in the front. After this addition I was ready to head back to Moab and test this new product out. |
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 Final ThoughtsAs luck would have it, we ventured out to EJS 2004 and boy did I take this thing to town. There wasn't a rock I could find that made any impact on this skid plate. As you can see from the picture below I beat this thing up pretty good. With a wire brush and touch up paint, you don't even notice it has been used, but the evidence is in the picture.All in all I found this product to be well worth the extra little bit of change I spent vs. some of the other skid plates. The abuse and punishment looks bad in the picture, but I assure you this skid plate didn't even budge with the abuse it took. I thought I heard it asking for more! Plus I get a cool sticker and laser etching on my skid plate! Once again Poison Spyder Customs has outdone themselves with this excellent product. |
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Purchase / Vendor Info
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| Vendor Name: | Poison Spyder Customs |
| Address: | 2140 W. Dartmouth Englewood, CO 80110 |
| Phone: | 303-777-4820 |
| Website: |
