Skid plate, tires or lift?

[Spottyatbest]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster.

I currently have a 2024 FX4 that Is my dd, but also used for exploring easier trails and "overlanding" in Anza borego desert on the weekends.

My biggest problem is clearance! even in sandy washes I seem to be slapping rocks or almost high siding. The factory felt is battered and ready to retire. I fear I'm one random rock away from ripping a line or cable out.
So the question that I was been struggling with is what to upgrade first to minimize this problem.

First idea was embrace the scrapes the go with the JcrOffroad full body skid and down the line upgrade the tires for a little more clearance.

Or go with a lift/flatout suspension, I was hoping to stay away from this for the sake of my CV axles,price, and mpg.

Opinions? Ideas? Thoughts?... prayers?!?!

Sponsored

 

[bgn]

You might not like my answer, but I would stick to easier trails, careful driving, and some larger tires.

The skid plates add weight and you'd still be stuck with very little articulation. I believe they also require drilling.

The lift kits will also destroy your CV axles over time.

 

[Spottyatbest]

You might not like my answer, but I would stick to easier trails, careful driving, and some larger tires.

The skid plates add weight and you'd still be stuck with very little articulation. I believe they also require drilling.

The lift kits will also destroy your CV axles over time.

Haha, no offense taken! I try to take it nice and slow, but inevitably with how low the truck gets with airing down seems like just enough to scrap on dumb obstacles on occasion. you're probably right taller tires are probably the right move and drift stitch the felt back together see where that gets me. It's a shame I actually liked the scorpions for the sand was planning on running for a while longer.

 

[bgn]

Haha, no offense taken! I try to take it nice and slow, but inevitably with how low the truck gets with airing down seems like just enough to scrap on dumb obstacles on occasion. you're probably right taller tires are probably the right move and drift stitch the felt back together see where that gets me. It's a shame I actually liked the scorpions for the sand was planning on running for a while longer.

I rarely air down more than 25 psi because I lose too much clearance up here in the PNW. That's basically just 5 psi from the tires I have...

I got rid of the Pirellis because the traction was abysmal. Running 245/65R17 Toyo Open Country IIIs.

 

[Joe Strummer]

I thought the FX4 came with a front skid plate?

 

[bgn]

I thought the FX4 came with a front skid plate?

It does. It also has a little plate under the felt for the evap canister. But everything else under the felt is exposed.

 

[Spottyatbest]

I thought the FX4 came with a front skid plate?

The front skid is exactly that just the front but 99% of impacts happen on the front plastic under the intercooler, or on the felt in my experience. I wish Ford would have tucked some of this stuff away a little better. Without the felt your one rogue branch or high center away from a Christmas tree on the dash

 

[Bil13h]

RivalUSA skid plate does NOT require drilling and is a great product

Most important thing is tires, start there

Another person previously had a very good point (in a different thread, for clarity)

Adding a lift will just give this vehicle clearance to get into places it cant get out of, when it can already get into places it cant get out of, that is actually a big deal

 

[Bil13h]

This is the rival skid on my hybrid. Fits great, no drilling needed, the "clips" to bolt it on are the biggest pain in getting it installed, and it took about 40 mins ish start to finish to do, but I already had most of the factory felt off due to getting somewhere i shouldn't have (and getting back out with no assistance, which really put that other person's comment into perspective)

These are very capable vehicles as they are, even the fwd hybrid has taken me some places i never should've made it to, or back out of

Tires are your biggest friend

Armour is just to keep your stuff safe, and rival is trying to come up with floor skids that don't require drilling to protect the components on either side

 

[Blue316]

How about air suspension instead of a lift kit? That and the before mentioned skid plates.

 

[Cherokee]

Sez so right in the owners manual.
‘Not intended for off road use’
I’d do taller tires and the skid plates.
Or trade in for a Tremor.

 

[rad32]

Why not all three? A lift kit will let you go up a few tire sizes and get you that extra clearance. Then atleast rock sliders will give you some extra piece of mind. It’s a slippery slope so I’d be honest what type of trails you want to do. If you are eventually going to want to push beyond beginner trails perhaps a Ranger or Bronco would be a better starting point for you before you throw too much money at your Mav?

 

[ripperAZ]

Hello, long time lurker, first time poster.

I currently have a 2024 FX4 that Is my dd, but also used for exploring easier trails and "overlanding" in Anza borego desert on the weekends.

My biggest problem is clearance! even in sandy washes I seem to be slapping rocks or almost high siding. The factory felt is battered and ready to retire. I fear I'm one random rock away from ripping a line or cable out.
So the question that I was been struggling with is what to upgrade first to minimize this problem.

First idea was embrace the scrapes the go with the JcrOffroad full body skid and down the line upgrade the tires for a little more clearance.

Or go with a lift/flatout suspension, I was hoping to stay away from this for the sake of my CV axles,price, and mpg.

Opinions? Ideas? Thoughts?... prayers?!?!

I would definitely install the rival skid plate in addition to preventing damage underneath. It also makes oil change much easier by removing the silly 16 Tab removal of the foam thing that’s gonna be destroyed soon and puts in two ports in for the filter and the drain hole and makes it much easier. The covers for the oil change requires removal of four torque screwsThere is no drilling required. aluminum it’s not that heavy. Definitely a way to keep the front end safer

 

[Bil13h]

Why not all three? A lift kit will let you go up a few tire sizes and get you that extra clearance. Then atleast rock sliders will give you some extra piece of mind. It’s a slippery slope so I’d be honest what type of trails you want to do. If you are eventually going to want to push beyond beginner trails perhaps a Ranger or Bronco would be a better starting point for you before you throw too much money at your Mav?

If you end up spending the money for all 3 (and doing it right with something like a FlatOut system, not just shitty pucks that will ruin your drive quality) you're basically going to end up pricing your Mav into Ranger territory as it is, which if you are willing to do that, you are likely trying to take trailblazing rather seriously, at which point, why own a mav?

These are great vehicles that punch way above their weight class, but if you WANT to do those things, you are doing yourself a disservice and spending a lot of money that can be put elsewhere when a ranger and EB mav have almost the same fuel econ, 20% is a big difference, for sure, I will not deny that, but when you have this sort of thing in mind prior to purchase, and you plan on putting 5-10k of work into it, why bother with a mav?

 

[matt44west]

Hey, man—I have the '23 FX4 and spend a ton of time on trails in AB. I've been many places like Indian Gorge, Canyon Sin Nombre and various other spots. I have AT 235s on my Mav, but will go up a tire size to 245s when I need new ones. This truck performs excellent for what it is...Pretty close to an Outback Wilderness, IMO. A lot of what you mention can be alleviated by careful driving and a bit larger tires (at least in the areas you mention). When the ground clearance and breakover and other angles become an issue, that's my cue to find a camp spot and pop a beer. Mav does VERY well in sandy washes and I never bother to lower PSI. I find it a waste of time and effort. It's not a Jeep or Bronco, but the Mav is a better vehicle than those in 99% of driving situations (IMO). There is that 1% of trail we have to stop and they don't, but...Is that a huge deal? I've taken this vehicle incredible places in NorCal, Idaho, Oregon, and in AZ (back way to Mt Lemmon even). I think better underbody protection would be a good investment—I've had to cut pieces of the felt stuff already, too (ripped a piece off in Coral Canyon OHV). Some better angle bumpers would be rad, if affordable. But—at that point—why not upgrade to a Ranger or similar? As for the lift...I think trail improvement would be minimal to tradeoff of performance on road. Would look cooler though! IDK. That's my two cents.

Sponsored