I installed the aftermarket one a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty straight forward. I was worried about losing the plastic mounting points but I was able to cut away much less plastic than in the powerfuluk video so they are still there. I traced the bracket and then trimmed my cut until the bracket cleared.

The two front holes in the plate needed a little adjusting with a grinder to make it fit as there was no room to straighten it - you get what you pay for but it really wasn’t difficult.




I was worried about it not being as strong as the OEM one but it seems solid and looks like it can’t go anywhere if it gets a knock but for the amount of off-roading I’ll do it’s definitely more than enough.

 

I agree the bar that comes with the LR kit is slightly beefier, but oddly it seems to lack protection on either side lower like the stock one does.

I will say the LR kit bar has a steel "pocket" that seems like it will keep some debris from getting through to the top of the under engine shield. Could be an annoyance if junk packed up in there with the aftermarket front shield, as it just leaves an opening with no "pocket".

 

but oddly it seems to lack protection on either side lower like the stock one does. - right, the stock bar is very beefy on both sides

In my 'easy accessible towhook mod' for the stock plate , I did put a little piece of diamond plate between the 2 holes to avoid a lot of debris deep behind.

 

I'm wondering if somebody could 3D print a snap in cover for that tow loop area. I'd do it but think my printer is too small for this.

 

Nice work!

Another way to address the slight misalignment is to grind down one side of the washer on the mounting bolt a bit. That's what I did with mine to get the bolts to align.

 

I watched both of PowerfulUK’s vids and was definitely attracted to the EasyFit, considering a purchase. Looking at the pics of your install, I’m going to go that route also. Thanks for the post.

 

Although I have decided to go with the aftermarket shield, if I wasn’t going that route I would perform the mod that the owner of the vehicle in PowerfulUK’s video did. Cut out a suitable opening on the plastic shield, line the edges with some U-channel, or door edge guard and get the same results in providing access to the front tow hook for a few bucks in cost and minimal effort.

 

I received my aftermarket skid plate and had a chance to install it yesterday. It is indeed possible to install without cutting away the rear plastic shield / trim plates and original mounting points. So, with the usual caveat of "at your own risk" here's what I did if it is helpful to you. The main issue you are trying to overcome is access to the new M6x25 torx bolts that will clamp the U-brackets to the frame.

1) Remove the 8 torx screws that hold the rear shield, for each side there is one near the center and then three vertically on the side. You probably don't need to undo the top one but I did it anyway.
2) Unpin the shield from the main plastic surround at two points under, these are push fit
3) This now allows plenty of flex to pull the shield forward at both sides, insert say a small section of 2x4" wood behind to protect while drilling. There are a couple of coolant lines to be wary of.
4) Drill 2 x 7/8" (22mm) holes each side (see alignment and locations in the photos)
5) Remove your wood protection and insert the U-brackets behind the frame
6) Now you will have access to the clamp points and your bracket mounting hole should also be accessible through an existing hole in the shield. Clamp your new brackets in place.
7) Finally put your rear shield back together, pin below and tighten the 8 torx screws before mounting the new skid plate.

Hope that all makes sense.

For some general feedback on the install, it's about 2 hours work, the fit and finish is decent - I have a small gap on the left side of the car that perhaps I can tweak out with adjustments, but honestly it's no worse than my original plastic shield that had a gap on the opposite side. The silver torx bolts at the top front are slightly too short, I plan to change mine to black with matching washers so will purchase M10x35 (would be nice if these were in the kit especially if ordering the black skid plate). Lastly, the JLR tow ring while functional is really basic welded steel tubing, I see spots of rust already on a 2 week old car - I plan to treat and paint, I still think a cover plate would be nice here so will write to Simon @ PUK.

Overall, I'm happy to now have a proper skid plate at the front and access to the tow ring.

 

Does anyone here know if the aftermarket easy fit lines up with the oem holes? I have the silver plate, but want to swap it for the black one, but Im not sure if the aftermarket requires fitting their brackets.

 

Paradigm, Does this photo with approximate dimensions to the center of the bolt holes on the aftermarket skid plate help you? It's only the two top bolts I think you have to worry about, the four underneath are all in factory locations. What I did notice was a slight variance between the left and right side which could explain why I have a small gap on the right of the vehicle as you look at it. Of course, what would be best is if somebody has done this. Don't know why the factory would fit silver for your rig.