Steel Front Skid PlateFOR THE 2021–2026 Ford Bronco

Fitment

DV8 Offroad built this Steel Front Skid Plate to work with both the factory Bronco bumper and DV8's own aftermarket bumpers, which sets it apart from skid plates that only bolt up once a specific bumper is already on the truck. It covers 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 Ford Broncos across every trim and both door configurations, and it also protects the sway bar disconnect module on Badlands and First Edition trims, a component the factory plastic skid doesn't shield at all.

Design

The factory front skid plate on a Bronco is plastic, and plastic cracks and deforms under the kind of moderate rock strikes that steel shrugs off without a mark. This plate is built to cover the same spot with steel instead of plastic, taking hits that would crack or deform the factory piece and staying functional afterward. DV8 finishes it in a micro-texture black powder coat that matches the factory undercarriage color, so it doesn't stand out as an obvious aftermarket part once it's installed. Mounting points line up with the factory locations exactly, which is what lets this plate work under either the stock bumper or a DV8 aftermarket bumper without any adapters or spacers involved.

Protection

Because this skid plate covers the same footprint as the factory plastic piece, it protects the front underbody in the exact spot Ford already identified as vulnerable enough to shield, just with a material that holds up to repeated impact instead of cracking on the first hard strike. Badlands and First Edition owners get an added benefit here: the sway bar disconnect system on those trims sits low and exposed, and this plate extends coverage over it, something the stock plastic skid was never shaped to do. Rocky trail sections that would normally chip away at a plastic skid over a season instead leave this steel version with nothing worse than surface scratches.

Installation

Installation is a direct bolt-on job using the factory mounting points, no cutting or drilling required, and most owners have it installed in about an hour. Bronco Forge stocks this DV8 Offroad Steel Front Skid Plate for Ford Bronco owners who want steel protection at the front underbody without needing to run an aftermarket bumper first. It's a straightforward option for anyone still running the factory plastic skid, whether it's already cracked or you'd rather get ahead of that before a trip. Compared with DV8's Low Pro Skid Plate, which is built specifically to pair with an aftermarket bumper and sit lower for extra clearance, this Steel Front Skid Plate is the heavier-duty option for owners who regularly wheel on rocky terrain and want the most coverage available at the front of the truck, whether they're running the stock bumper or not. DV8 backs the plate with a 1-year warranty, and it ships ready to bolt on with no extra parts to source. For a Bronco that sees regular trail use, running steel here instead of plastic is a cheaper way to avoid a damaged crossmember or a punctured oil pan down the line.