[FrankB]

I do not do my own routine maintenance (oil changes etc) as I don't have a suitable place to work, and I'm not much of a mechanic anyway.

Now that I have full skid plates (Shrock) on the truck, I am wondering if there are going to be times I will need to remove them for maintenance of the differential or transfer case, for example.

The oil filter is way up front, and right now very accessible with the factory front "plate" gone. Still waiting on Shrock's front plate, but that will have an access hole for the filter.

It's the other components further back that I really don't know much about (this is my first 4x4), and would like to be better prepared when I take the truck in for service. So far, I've had the dealer do oil changes, the last one they did not say anything about the skids, but I am wondering if there were things they were supposed to check that they could not get to.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide on my probably neurotic question.

 

[usmc xterra]

Not really, in case there is a need, removing the skids will be the least of the problems.

My dealer whined about the skids on an oil change. Said something about them being hot. ???

MC

 

[RogueClimber]

Mine with bumper is pretty easy to remove...a few nuts and bolts, but to change the oil one can reach in from the side to grab the filter...

 

[FrankB]

Thanks. It's really the t-case and differential I am wondering about. Are there reasons / need to access those for routine maintenance?

 

[Muzikman]

Yes, but only every 30K miles.