Does Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Have Skid Plates? (Must Know)

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland is good for all adventurous trips and off-road drives. However, this necessitates preventive measures and protective features to always be in place.

Additionally, these protective features guarantee the overall performance of these vehicles. 

An example of such protective measures is the installation of case skid plates in vehicles.

These protective skid plates are essential in vehicles, especially Jeep brands mostly used for off-road adventures.

For example, the Grand Cherokee is an excellent off-roader, so does it come with skid plates? 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland usually has a protective case skid plate underneath them. It is a way to protect the underside and other car components of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland in design suits off-road use hence the need for skid plates.

Does Jeep Cherokee Overland Have Skid Plate?

All recently manufactured Jeep Cherokee Overland comes standard with the skid plate covering its underside.

The Grand Jeep Cherokee Overland, as you know, is specially designed to take on off-road use, even rogue terrains.

For this reason, the Grand Cherokee Limited saw fit to equip the vehicle with a skid plate shield.  

Aside from the skid plate case being essential for off-road vehicles, they are also very needful in lowered height vehicles.

Driving a Jeep without skid plates opens your Jeep up to severe risks.

Without the skid plate case acting as a shield, the entire undercarriage of the Jeep Cherokee Overland will be prone to damage.

The undercarriage of vehicles is where the crucial components like fuel tank, exhaust, engine transmission, and the likes of the vehicle are.

Skid plate covers also minimize the chances of stray stones, debris, shrubs, and herbs from getting stocked in the undercarriage.

Yes, older vehicle models normally don’t come with the skid plate case cover. However, no cover case underneath the vehicle doesn’t mean all is well.

Due to the common issues around older vehicles’ undercarriage, manufacturers provided the skid plate case to mitigate these risks. 

Regardless of the vehicle brand, always ensure that the skid plate case shield is installed in the vehicle. It will go a long way in saving you from unnecessary repair and maintenance.

So, by installing the skid plate protective case, you will successfully minimize the risks and save yourself some repair costs.

What Are Skid Plates?

Skid plates are abrasive-resistant materials normally placed under vehicles to serve as protective coverings.

They are created and installed in vehicles that can serve off-road and rogue terrains by the original design.

So yes, they are made for protection and to prevent underside damages to your vehicles.

Usually, they come as thick light-weighted strong aluminum or steel materials.

However, they can sometimes come in plastic or fiberglass materials that are more fragile than steel materials.

In addition, some vehicle models come with singlehood, while others come in segmented pieces that cover the undercarriage. However, they all tend to serve the same purpose.

Since they serve as protective covers, it is common to find them over some very sensitive motor components.

So we have a fuel tank skid plate, transmission skid plate, and front skid plate relative to what they shield.

You can also find them in some motorcycles and boats, which helps prevent damage when in contact with the ground. 

The absence of the case skid plate can expose your vehicle to many damages and increase repair costs.

It would be wise not to expose such crucial parts of your vehicle to such massive, unprecedented damages. So save yourself a huge chunk of expenditure by simply installing the case skid plate.

They normally come standard in off-road vehicles and lowered vehicle models that drive over speed bumps, all for protective and preventive measures.

Not having the protective skid plate as a shield will, in the long run, cost you more than installing the plate in the first place.

There is less worry for damages common to a vehicle’s underside with the skid plate case shield in motor vehicles. 

Pros And cons Of a skid Plate

Though the skid plates have numerous benefits, there are also a few downsides to their attachment to vehicles.

This section highlights the disadvantages after listing the advantages of having skid plates in your Jeep.

#1. Pros

• With the skid plates underneath your vehicle, you have complete protection against sudden road impacts, e.g., road bumps.
• Skid plates case has excellent engineering and design that suits individual cars, especially for lowered vehicles.
• Unlikely to undergo rust as they are of non-corrosive materials.
• Skid plates case helps in increasing the lifespan of some vehicle components.

#2. Cons

• The installation process is more complex than indicated in the instruction manual.
• The skid plate cover case makes the vehicle lose clearance to the ground. Hence, sometimes you will need to work on the vehicle’s spring and stocks.
• It is quite difficult to clean up the debris stocked in the plates.
• Also, a complete mounted skid plate shield increases the vehicle’s weight, which tends to affect fuel efficiency.
• Again, you may be required to change the vehicle’s suspension to give you better ground clearance.

With all the pros and cons of the skid plate, I’ll still recommend you install the case on your vehicle should it not have one.

Regardless of your vehicle model, the skid plate will serve its purpose and save you more than you can ever imagine.

How Does a Skid Plate Work?

It simply functions as a protective barrier between the vehicle’s base underneath it and the ground road.

The skid plates absorb the shocks from the impacts of the ground, which saves the undercarriage from receiving the hit directly, just as bumpers do for the front and hood to the top of the engine. 

So the bumpers, hood, catalytic converter heat shield, and skid plate are all designed for protective purposes.

They all altogether prevent physical damage, absorb excessive forces and protect important vehicle parts.

So while they are considered an additional cost to vehicles, I can assure you that it is worth the price.

The variety available in the market makes it serve its purpose even better. For example, you can have a complete steel skid plate that can cover the rear or front of the vehicle.

It is also possible to get specially designed pieces affixed to the various components that need covering.

Skid plate case covers become essentially more important for off-road driving as they will help protect the drivetrain of the car.

So you can call the skid plate cover a line of defense for such rogue off-road use.

Again, some components such as the oil pan and oil filter also receive protection from a skid plate to ensure their safety.

Therefore, if your vehicle model doesn’t have the skid plate case cover, do well to install one. Yes, it is as simple as that; the job is done once mounted.

It stands to serve as a protective cover for the vehicle’s undercarriage. So, you shouldn’t shy away from mounting them on your vehicle as they are even very easy to come by.

Are Aftermarket Skid Plates Worth It?

Conclusion

To protect the undercarriage of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland, the Jeep normally has a skid plate.

This skid plate case serves as a protective covering to some essential parts of the vehicle at the underside.

The skid plate protects vehicle components such as the fuel tank, exhaust, transmissions, engine compartment, and the vehicle’s gearbox.