Oil Filter Change w/o Skid Removal

[FamousAv8er]

Saw a post on here a while back mentioning how to change the oil filter without removing the front skid plate entirely. Could someone point me in the right direction?

 

[pDubs]

The front plastic filler plate you could just unbolt the back bolts to provide room for skid to swing down, then you could remove the 4 skid bolts and swing skid down without completely removing, but that seems ridiculous to me.

 

[Lester Lugnut]

Awhile back I saw an ad on this forum for a replacement skid plate that was redesigned to provide this benefit. Plate stays on - you reach in and remove oil filter housing.

Don't remember the price, but I thought it was a bit high. Just pull the OEM plate. It's not that big of a deal.

I put a small bottle jack under the plate with a small piece of wood between the jack and plate to hold up the plate during removal. Loosen and remove 4 bolts. Now lower jack and wiggle the plate out. Weighs about 15 lbs. No big deal.

Change oil filter. To reconnect plate - connect 2 S-hooks on plate where they connect. Now lift plate up and slide bottle jack back in place. It holds the plate up so you can work with 2 hands to install the 4 bolts previously removed.

 

[83Mule]

Myself and others with the RCI plate change the filter through the ''window'' without dropping the skid.....maybe what you heard about.

 

[Gclark949]

Myself and others with the RCI plate change the filter through the ''window'' without dropping the skid.....maybe what you heard about.

Bud Built also has the window for reaching the filter during oil change. It works great.

 

[MossJenks]

Don't remember the price, but I thought it was a bit high. Just pull the OEM plate. It's not that big of a deal.

I put a small bottle jack under the plate with a small piece of wood between the jack and plate to hold up the plate during removal. Loosen and remove 4 bolts. Now lower jack and wiggle the plate out. Weighs about 15 lbs. No big deal.

Change oil filter. To reconnect plate - connect 2 S-hooks on plate where they connect. Now lift plate up and slide bottle jack back in place. It holds the plate up so you can work with 2 hands to install the 4 bolts previously removed.

I do the same thing except I use my left hand instead of the bottle jack.

 

[MeefZah]

RCI skid with the oil filter door. Only way to go.

My wife's non-lifted 4R doesn't have the RCI, she won't buy one, and subsequently the oil changes are a PITA because the front end isn't quite high enough to swing the skid free of the front hooks, resulting in a lot of cursing and clanging under there. I cut off the front hooks so now I can drop her skid without jacking up the front of the truck but it's still annoying to change her oil versus mine.

 

[HanginInUtah]

RCI skid with the oil filter door. Only way to go.

My wife's non-lifted 4R doesn't have the RCI, she won't buy one, and subsequently the oil changes are a PITA because the front end isn't quite high enough to swing the skid free of the front hooks, resulting in a lot of cursing and clanging under there. I cut off the front hooks so now I can drop her skid without jacking up the front of the truck but it's still annoying to change her oil versus mine.

Same setup, but I use a set of ramps. Never had a problem with enough room, and never had to cut off the hooks.