Fitment

DV8 Offroad builds this pair of Rear Shock Guard Skid Plates for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 Ford Broncos, covering both 2-door and 4-door trucks across every trim. They work with most aftermarket shocks and lift kits, including setups running Johnny Joints or Heim connections at the mounting points, though shocks with piggyback reservoirs mounted at the bottom of the shock body need a different solution since the reservoir sits right where this plate would go.

Design

The rear shock and lower link mounts sit at the lowest point of the rear axle, which puts them directly in the path of anything the truck slides over on a rocky trail. DV8 built the shock skid and the link mount skid as one welded piece rather than two separate plates, and tying them together this way adds strength at the exact spot where a rock is most likely to catch. A single piece also means fewer seams for an obstacle to hang up on as the truck slides across it. The plates are finished in the same micro-texture black powder coat DV8 uses on its other Bronco undercarriage parts.

Protection

Exposed rear shock mounts take a beating on rocky terrain, and damage here isn't cosmetic. A bent or cracked shock mount changes suspension geometry and can compromise how the shock itself performs on the next hard hit. These skids protect the mounting hardware and the surrounding frame from direct rock contact, letting the low profile of the design slide the truck across an obstacle rather than catching on it and bringing the truck to a stop mid-trail.

Installation

Installation uses the factory hardware and bolts on with no cutting or drilling required, running about an hour for most owners. Bronco Forge stocks this DV8 Offroad Rear Shock Guard Skid Plate set for Ford Bronco owners running aftermarket shocks or a lift kit who want the shock mounts and lower links protected at the lowest point of the truck. Before ordering, check whether your aftermarket shocks use a bottom-mounted piggyback reservoir, since that configuration won't clear this plate the way a standard shock body does. Everything else, including most common lift kit and aftermarket link setups, fits without modification. DV8 backs the pair with a 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects, and once bolted on, they stay out of sight and out of mind until the day a rock ledge finally puts them to work. Pairing this skid with DV8's front control arm skids and a front skid plate covers the rear and front of the truck with the same design language and finish, so the whole undercarriage matches instead of looking like parts pulled from different brands. Shocks with a remote reservoir mounted separately from the shock body, rather than piggybacked directly on it, clear this skid without any issue, so it's worth checking exactly how a given reservoir mounts rather than ruling this part out based on the shock brand alone. A quick look at the shock body before ordering settles the question either way.