Rough Fusion 360 model of a faceted steel cradle shielding the front differential on a 1995 Geo Tracker / Suzuki Sidekick. Built in a separate Fusion document from the wh-grand-cherokee-skid-plate-set.
Why This Part Exists
The front axle housing on the Sidekick/Tracker is aluminium, and it is the platform’s known weak point. Aftermarket vendors state outright that a front plate is essentially mandatory for offroad use. Confirmed by research — see geo-tracker-front-diff-dimensions-research.
EVERY dimension below is an estimate
No dimensional data for this housing exists in published form — vendor pages, spec sheets and forum threads were all checked and none give housing length, width, height or a cover bolt pattern. See geo-tracker-front-diff-dimensions-research for the full negative result and sources.
The model was therefore sized from geometric reasoning around an assumed pumpkin, not from the part. Measuring off the vehicle is the only way to make this real.
As Built
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Material | 3/16 in / 4.8 mm steel |
| Form | Faceted cradle, single lump (one continuous body) |
| Volume | 895 cm³ |
| Mass | ~7.0 kg |
Geometry
| Feature | Dimension |
|---|---|
| Flat bottom pan | 300 wide x 260 long |
| Front ramp | 110 long at 35° |
| Rear ramp | 80 long at 30° |
| Side walls | 60 tall |
| Top flanges | 40 mm outward, both sides |
| Bolt holes | 6 x 11 mm — 3 per side, at Y = 45 / 130 / 215 |
| Drain holes | 3 x 20 mm down the centreline |
Overall envelope: X -192 .. 192, Y -91 .. 330, Z -5 .. 63
The asymmetric ramp angles (35° front, 30° rear) put the steeper approach face forward, where obstacles are met.
The Reference Sphere
A 230 mm sphere was placed in the model to stand in for the differential pumpkin, positioned to give 30 mm clearance above the pan. The pan size and wall height are effectively derived from it, so the sphere is load-bearing for the whole design.
The 230 mm figure is a guess
Derived as: 6.9 in (175 mm) ring gear + an assumed 40–50 mm of casting. The 6.9 in ring gear figure is itself the rear axle spec (confirmed, sourced) — it was used as a stand-in because no front housing data exists. If the real pumpkin is larger, the pan grows and the clearance disappears; if smaller, the part is heavier than it needs to be.
Open Items
- Measure the housing — length, width, height, and the cover bolt pattern. This is the only thing standing between this model and a cut file.
- Confirm the real pumpkin diameter and re-derive pan size + wall height from it
- Establish the actual mounting points — the 6 x 11 mm flange holes are currently placed on a guessed spacing, not on any known bracket or frame feature
- Decide whether to shield at all or swap to a steel front housing — the Suzuki XL7 / Grand Vitara V6 steel front housings are a known swap that removes the aluminium weak point entirely (see geo-tracker-front-diff-dimensions-research)
Comparison to Vendor Parts
For reference, existing aftermarket front skid plates for this platform:
| Vendor | Material |
|---|---|
| Rocky Road Outfitters | 10 gauge steel (~3.4 mm) |
| Calmini | 3/16 in zinc-plated |
This model at 3/16 in is at the heavier end of that range.
Related
- offroad-armour
- geo-tracker-front-diff-dimensions-research — read before searching for dimensions
- wh-grand-cherokee-skid-plate-set — the other model from the same session
- fusion360-mcp-scripting — the build toolchain
- cluzter — wiring diagram editor for the same 1995 Geo Tracker
- hardcut — ignition-cut limiter for the same vehicle