A skid shield for attachment to vehicle side rails for protecting an underbody vehicle component, where the vehicle has a cross member mounted to the side rails with mounting hardware and receiving holes, includes a body and a skid plate. The body extends from the first side rail to the second side rail and around the underbody of the vehicle component. The body has at least one frame member. The at least one skid plate is attached to the frame member. The skid shield also includes first and second attachment brackets that attach the frame member to the side rails. The attachment brackets have receiving holes for receiving a fastener. The receiving holes are configured for alignment with the receiving holes in the side rails. The fastener fastens both the attachment bracket of the skid shield and the mounting hardware of the cross member to the side rails.