If you drive a 2021-2026 Ford Bronco, your factory front skid plate is a thin plastic tray, roughly the size and shape of a large cutting board, that bolts to the front undercarriage and covers the front crossmember and some of the steering components. It cracks on moderate rock contact. Everything behind it and beneath it has either minimal factory protection or none at all: the rear differential, front control arm frame pockets, trailing arm mounts, and rear shock mounts.
One bad line on a rocky trail and you are looking at a bent frame pocket, a cracked differential housing, or a damaged shock mount. Steel skid plates, also called bash plates in the off-road community, are the cheapest insurance you can buy for a truck that goes off-road. This guide covers every Ford Bronco skid plate option, what each one actually protects, and exactly which ones your build needs.
Which Ford Bronco Skid Plates Does Your Build Actually Need?
The answer depends entirely on how hard you use the truck. Here it is directly by build type.
Light trail and weekend use: The steel front skid plate at minimum. The front undercarriage takes the most punishment on approach, and the factory plastic skid is the first thing that fails. Replace it with steel before anything else. Everything else can wait until you are running harder terrain.
Moderate to hard trail running: Front skid plus front control arm skids plus trailing arm skids. These three together cover the most common damage points on rocky terrain. The front skid handles approach strikes. The control arm skids protect the frame pockets that bend when a rock catches the lower suspension mounting points. The trailing arm skids protect the rear frame mounts that take the same kind of hit from underneath on technical terrain.
Hard trail, technical terrain, rock crawling: The full package. All seven skids in the lineup. When you are putting the truck in situations where every unprotected point underneath it is a liability, the cost of one unprotected hit is higher than the cost of the entire skid plate package.
Daily driver with no trail use: The factory plastic skid plate is adequate for pavement. Aftermarket steel skids are trail gear. If your Bronco never leaves the road, skip it.
Not sure where your build falls? Read our guide on 5 things to figure out before you mod your Ford Bronco before you spend anything.
What Is Each Part of the Bronco's Undercarriage and Why Does It Need Protection?
If you are shopping for Bronco skid plates and not sure exactly what each one covers, here is every component explained visually so you know exactly what you are protecting before you order.
Front Crossmember and Steering Components
The front crossmember is the main structural steel beam running side to side across your front undercarriage, connecting the left and right frame rails just behind the front bumper. Picture a steel bridge spanning the bottom of your engine bay from one side to the other. Your steering rack, the mechanism that translates your steering wheel inputs into left and right wheel movement, mounts to this crossmember. Your sway bar, a steel bar connecting the left and right front suspension to reduce body lean in corners, also passes through this area.
On a steep approach climb, this is the first point of contact with the ground. Your factory plastic skid tray covers it partially. A steel front skid plate covers it completely and takes rock strikes without cracking or deforming.
Lower Control Arm Frame Pockets
Your Bronco's front suspension uses a double wishbone design, which means each front wheel connects to the frame by two A-shaped steel arms, one above the other. The lower control arm, the bottom arm of that pair, is the one most exposed to trail obstacles.
The frame pockets are the steel brackets welded to your frame where the two inner ends of the lower control arm bolt in. They sit low and exposed on the underside of your truck. A direct hit from a rock or ledge on an unprotected frame pocket bends the bracket inward, throws your front alignment off immediately, and requires frame repair to fix correctly. That repair costs a lot more than the $329.99 control arm skid plates that prevent it. And there is a similar hit waiting at the rear of your truck that most people never think about until it happens.
Trailing Arm Mounts
Your Bronco's rear suspension uses trailing arms, steel links that run front to back and connect the rear axle to the frame. The frame-side mounting point where the trailing arm bolts to the frame sits low on the underside of your truck toward the rear.
On technical terrain where your truck is climbing over rocks and ledges, that mount is one of the lowest hanging points on the entire undercarriage. A direct hit bends the frame pocket the same way an LCA hit does. Rear alignment goes off, the trailing arm geometry changes, and you have a frame repair job on your hands. That is exactly what the trailing arm skid plates protect against.
Rear Differential
Your rear differential is the round metal housing at the center of your rear axle, sitting between the left and right rear wheels. It receives power from the driveshaft and splits it between your two rear wheels. The housing protrudes downward from the axle tube, making it one of the lowest points at the rear of your truck.
Your 2021-2026 Ford Bronco has no dedicated skid plate covering the rear differential from the factory. Zero. On rocky terrain where your rear axle is articulating and the diff is dropping into gaps between rocks, that housing is completely exposed. A hard strike can crack it and cause immediate gear oil loss. If you do not catch it fast, you run the differential dry and destroy it. A rear differential skid plate at $329.99 is a lot cheaper than a rear differential replacement, and there is one more unprotected area most people do not know about until they hear a bad noise on the trail.
What About the Transmission and Gas Tank?
These are two of the most common questions we get, so here is the honest answer. Your transmission pan sits further back than the front skid plate covers, and your fuel tank sits between the frame rails toward the rear of the truck near the trailing arm mounts. We do not currently carry a standalone transmission skid or a dedicated gas tank skid plate for the Bronco. If protecting either of those specific components is a priority for your build, text your year and trim to (909) 772-8050 and we will tell you exactly what is available and what is not before you spend anything.
Rear Shock Mounts
Your rear shocks mount at two points: the top bolts to the frame above the rear wheel, and the bottom bolts to the rear axle. The frame-side mount and the hardware around it sit exposed to rock strikes on technical terrain. A hit on the shock mount area can damage the mounting hardware or the frame section it bolts to, leaving the shock hanging loose until repairs are made. The bronco rear shock skid plates, also listed as rear shock guards, cover this area specifically.
Every Ford Bronco Skid Plate We Carry
Seven products, all steel, all bolt-on for the 2021-2026 Ford Bronco. Here is exactly what each one does and what to confirm before you order.
DV8 Steel Front Skid Plate: $449.99
The main front undercarriage skid and the first one your Bronco should have before hitting any trail. It replaces the factory plastic skid with steel plate that takes rock strikes without cracking. Covers the front crossmember, the steering components, and the sway bar disconnect on Badlands and First Edition trims. The sway bar disconnect is a mechanism on those trims that allows the front sway bar to disengage from the suspension for more axle articulation on the trail. Compatible with the factory front bumper and most aftermarket bumpers. Bolt-on, one hour to install.
Best for: Every trail-running Bronco as the starting point for undercarriage protection.
DV8 Low Pro Front Skid Plate: $299.99
The front skid for Broncos already running an aftermarket front bumper. Most aftermarket bumpers include their own integrated skid plate covering the approach path, but the area directly behind that integrated skid still needs coverage. The Low Pro's reduced height profile keeps ground clearance nearly unchanged while protecting the front frame crossmember and steering components. At $150 less than the steel front skid, it is the right call when your bumper already has its own skid built in.
Requires: Aftermarket front bumper. If your factory skid plate mounts have built-in D-rings, they must be cut flush before installation. Not compatible with the Bronco Raptor.
DV8 Front Control Arm Skid Plates: $329.99
These bolt directly over the lower control arm frame pockets on both sides. When a rock contacts this area without protection, the bracket bends and the front alignment goes off immediately. These skids absorb that impact instead. Compatible with both Sasquatch and non-Sasquatch Broncos across all trims. Sold as a pair, bolt-on, one hour to install.
Best for: Any Bronco running rocky terrain where the front suspension is working hard.
DV8 Rear Differential Skid Plate: $329.99
This fills the zero-protection gap at the rear differential. Steel plate mounts directly to the rear axle structure and covers the diff housing on approach and during rear axle articulation on the trail.
Before you order: Compatibility with aftermarket differential covers has not been confirmed. Verify your diff cover dimensions before ordering if you have an aftermarket cover installed.
DV8 Trailing Arm Skid Plates (SPBR-06): $149.99
For Broncos that do NOT have the factory welded trailing arm skid on the mount, these bolt over the exposed frame-side trailing arm mounting points and protect them from the rock strikes that bend the pocket and cause rear alignment problems. Installation requires minor drilling and a partial gas tank drop, meaning your fuel tank has to be partially lowered to access the mounting points. Rated at three hours to install.
Before you order: Confirm your Bronco does NOT have the OEM welded trailing arm skid. If it does, order SPBR-05 instead.
DV8 Trailing Arm Skid Plates (SPBR-05): $149.99
For Broncos that DO have the factory welded trailing arm skid already on the mount. This version wraps around the existing factory skid and the trailing arm mount for additional coverage. Minor drilling required. Install rated at 1.5 hours. Sold as a pair.
Before you order: Only fits Broncos with the OEM welded-on skid plate on the trailing arm mount. If your Bronco does not have the factory welded skid, order SPBR-06 instead.
DV8 Rear Shock Guard Skid Plates: $149.99
These cover the rear shock mounting hardware and the frame section around it on both sides of the truck. Bolt-on, one hour to install.
Before you order: Not compatible with aftermarket shocks that have piggyback reservoirs mounted at the bottom of the shock body. A piggyback reservoir is an external canister, roughly the size of a soda can, that some performance shocks use to expand fluid capacity. If your shocks have one mounted at the bottom, these guards will not clear it.
How to Figure Out Which Trailing Arm Skid Your Bronco Needs
This is the most common source of wrong orders in the entire skid plate lineup. Two products, same price, same job, different factory configurations. Here is how to tell them apart before you order anything.
Get under your Bronco and look at the trailing arm mounts on the frame. The trailing arm is a long steel bar running front to back near the rear of the truck. Follow it forward to where it bolts to the frame. Look closely at the frame bracket where it mounts.
If that bracket already has a flat steel plate welded directly onto it from the factory, a small rectangular piece of steel that reinforces the mounting area, your Bronco has the OEM welded trailing arm skid. Order SPBR-05.
If the bracket is bare with no factory steel plate welded on, just exposed mounting hardware and frame metal, your Bronco does not have the OEM welded skid. Order SPBR-06.
If you are not sure after looking, text your year, trim, and VIN to (909) 772-8050 and we will confirm before anything ships.
Fitment Notes for the 2021-2026 Ford Bronco
Full model year and door config: All seven skid plates fit the complete 2021-2026 Ford Bronco range for both 2-door and 4-door configurations.
Sasquatch Package: Does not affect skid plate mounting points on any product in this lineup. The front control arm skids explicitly confirm compatibility with both Sasquatch and non-Sasquatch Broncos.
Low Pro skid plate: Requires an aftermarket front bumper. Will not work with the factory bumper. If your factory skid plate mounts have integrated D-rings, they must be cut flush before installation. Not compatible with the Bronco Raptor.
Trailing arm skids: SPBR-06 requires no OEM welded trailing arm skid and involves minor drilling and a partial gas tank drop. SPBR-05 requires the OEM welded trailing arm skid and does not require a gas tank drop. Ordering the wrong version means it will not install correctly.
Rear shock guards: Not compatible with aftermarket shocks that have piggyback reservoirs mounted at the bottom of the shock body.
Ford Bronco Sport: None of these products fit the Ford Bronco Sport. The Bronco Sport is a completely separate vehicle platform built on a car-based unibody that shares nothing with the body-on-frame full-size Bronco.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ford Bronco Skid Plates
Does the 2021-2026 Ford Bronco come with skid plates from the factory?
Partially. The factory Bronco comes with a plastic skid tray at the front undercarriage covering the front crossmember and some steering components. Some trims also have a factory welded plate on the trailing arm mount. The rear differential, front control arm pockets, and rear shock mounts all come with no factory protection. Steel aftermarket skid plates fill those gaps.
What is the difference between the two DV8 trailing arm skid plates?
SPBR-06 is for Broncos without the factory welded trailing arm skid. It bolts over the bare mounting point and requires minor drilling and a partial gas tank drop to install, rated at three hours. SPBR-05 is for Broncos with the factory welded trailing arm skid. It wraps around the existing factory plate for additional coverage, requires minor drilling, and installs in 1.5 hours without a fuel system drop. Same price, same job, different factory configurations. Check your trailing arm mount before ordering either one.
Do I need to remove the gas tank to install Bronco skid plates?
Only for the SPBR-06 trailing arm skid plates. That version requires a partial gas tank drop to access the trailing arm mounting points. All other skid plates in this lineup are bolt-on without any fuel system work required.
Can I install Ford Bronco skid plates myself?
Most of them, yes. The steel front skid, low pro skid, rear diff skid, control arm skids, SPBR-05 trailing arm skids, and rear shock guards are all bolt-on installs rated between one and 1.5 hours with basic hand tools. The SPBR-06 trailing arm skids require minor drilling and a partial gas tank drop, rated at three hours. If you are not comfortable with a partial fuel system drop, have a shop handle that specific install.
What order should I buy Ford Bronco skid plates in?
Start with the front. The factory plastic skid is the first thing that fails on the trail and the most important replacement. After that, front control arm skids and trailing arm skids cover the frame mounts most at risk on rocky terrain. Rear differential skid next, then rear shock guards. Buy in order of how much each unprotected component costs to repair if it takes a hit. The differential and frame pockets are expensive. Start there.
For more on building your Bronco in the right sequence, read our guides on 5 things to figure out before you mod your Ford Bronco, why rock sliders should come before a bumper, and how to choose a front bumper for your Ford Bronco.
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About This Guide
This was put together by the team at Bronco Forge. Our founder spent time as a Ford salesman before launching Bronco Forge, giving us firsthand knowledge of how Broncos are sold, what buyers get wrong, and what dealers don't always tell you. We sell aftermarket parts exclusively for the Ford Bronco and spend time in Bronco owner communities tracking what owners actually experience. Questions about fitment or anything Bronco-related? Reach out at contact@broncoforge.com or (909) 772-8050.
