Anyone Have HeftyFab Skids?

[roadracer30]

I wanted the burliest light weight skids I could find so I ponied up for the Hefty Fab setup. Installation was largely straight forward once I had them send me some missing brackets and figured out they sent an incorrect bolt.

Biggest complaint so far is that they use SAE hardware and I really hate mixing the two.

However, it sure looks to me like it wasn't bent enough. See the attached photo. Anyone else have a set and can confirm if it was supposed to be bent enough for the front skid to lie flat against the cross member?

I'm tempted to pull it and find a local metal shop with a brake to bend it a little more.

Thanks!

 

[Humble Leader]

whether or not it was designed that way I think doesn't matter. that is poor fitment, convince me otherwise... that bolt is not even flush with the skid. the lock washer is useless, torque is uneven. I'd remove and send back , not worth trying to find a machine shop to get it to line up via trial and error

 

[roadracer30]

I hear what you're saying. I feel like trying to ship it back would be more trouble than it's worth. I emailed them at the same time I posted this thread (it was the weekend) and so far they've ghosted me....

 

[roadracer30]

I called the place and asked if it's supposed to be this way and they said "yes". He said they had customers losing bolts when it was flush so they wanted tension on the bolt.

Seems kind of like a weird problem and a weird solution. I'm happy with the skid plates otherwise so I think I'm just going to get it bent and you know... use locktite.

 

[roadracer30]

My other feedback would be that they really oversized the front skid plate to allow for a big diff drop, which I don't have. I wish it was tighter fitting.

 

[Humble Leader]

I called the place and asked if it's supposed to be this way and they said "yes". He said they had customers losing bolts when it was flush so they wanted tension on the bolt.

Seems kind of like a weird problem and a weird solution. I'm happy with the skid plates otherwise so I think I'm just going to get it bent and you know... use locktite.

if you can find a place that can get a clean bend perhaps it's worth it. bending and flexing it repeatedly will weaken it. customers losing bolts when it's flush I don't buy that. that mounting is not the solution for loose bolts. why would they even give you a lock washer? the frame of these vehicles is literally held together by bolts mating to services perpendicularly. how many bolts has your frame lost? proper torque and loctite is the solution.