Which skid plates

I decided I will put skid plates on my stock Runner first before a lift..

Which brand, pro's and con's, etc... ???


Thank you

 

I have RCI skids.

Cons - I don't like the look of RCI front skids compared to something like CBI.

However it doesn't look bad when having lower control arm skids hiding the lower control arm silver color nut.

This video doesn't show much but can get a little idea if you pause at the right spots.

I pretty much have every skid from RCI from front engine skid to rear diff skid.

Pros - I don't know because I haven't given them a good test





https://youtu.be/WCyzwYRZqwc

 

This is a video I was installing engine, transmission, transfer case and gas tank skid.

https://youtu.be/rzoY7ilUxDQ

 

I went with M.O.R.E. Aluminum skid plates. They have a lifetime guarantee.

Link for Front:
https://mountainoffroad.com/collect...-skid-plate-for-toyota-4runner-gen-5-aluminum

Link for Transmission:
https://mountainoffroad.com/collect...-skid-plate-for-toyota-4runner-gen-5-aluminum

Link for transfer case:
https://mountainoffroad.com/collect...-skid-plate-for-toyota-4runner-gen-5-aluminum

They are a bit on the pricey side of skid plates. I can say I hit the front one really hard one time. I went over a bump in the desert and I didn’t realize the drop with the sun at its highest. The whole front of the car landed on the skid plate and I thought I broke something for sure. Got out and looked at it and it did dent but not nearly as bad as I thought 2 in. by 2 in dent that went in about 1/8-1/4 inch. So happy it wasn’t any other part of my car. All in all I am very happy with it. I took a 10lb hammer and attempted to put it back in place and with a few good hits it moved a little. These plates are no joke and they are light weight.

I got a screaming deal from someone who had them and never put them to use. Depending on your need choose between steel and aluminum. I can say I have scraped in rocks and you can see grooves in the Aluminum. But I expected that when I put them on. If you get steel make sure you account for the weight. The front takes most of the hits from my experience this far on the type of riding I do (not a lot of stuff requiring high break over angles).
I hope this helps. If I can say anything don’t cheap out in protection. One wrong hit and it can set you back thousands in damages.

I have been eyeing the C4 gas tank skid plate and the diff skid plate. But 7 week lead time for me right now won’t do it. So I am still looking. If you come up with anything good for those 2 please share.

 

OP, have you decided between steel or aluminum or is that a part of your question?

 

Surprised M.O.R.E doesn't offer either of them, in aluminum or steel.

 

They offer them in steel. I just linked to the ones I have. I guess I should have linked all of them .

steel links:
Transfer case:
https://mountainoffroad.com/collect...ner-gen-5-rear-transfer-case-skid-plate-steel

Transmission:
https://mountainoffroad.com/collect...er-gen-5-middle-transmission-skid-plate-steel

Front/engine:
https://mountainoffroad.com/collect...s/toyota-4runner-gen-5-front-skid-plate-steel

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Looked and noticed gas tank and diff protection are not offered by M.O.R.E - in aluminum or steel.

 

I know right? I was bummed. They have a solid setup of the front.

 

I am still researching. My main concern with aluminum is their sturdiness/hardness, and how big of a weight difference there is compared to steel.

 

I considered just about every brand, and landed on C4's skids front to back. Still waiting on the front/t-case/trans skids to arrive in a few weeks, but I received the fuel tank and rear diff skids. They are among the heaviest, maybe even heavier than Budbuilt, beefy as all hell but that's what I wanted. Overkill for the kind of offroading I'll be doing, but I decided the weight penalty wasn't that big of a deal, and these will provide extra protection for tough spots I can't see or can't avoid. I really like their fuel tank skid, best design on the market.

 

I'm waiting on mine too. I did the pre-order sale in November. They were supposed to be completed on 2/15. I emailed to check the status and was told they were running a week behind.
Then the next week I get an email thinking, SWEET! They're shipping! NOPE It was from Caleb telling me they are more than 4 weeks behind and that's not guaranteed. Not the email I was expecting to get.

 

Wow that sucks. I haven't heard anything from them since I placed my order in December, other than for tracking number emails. Fuel tank skid arrived on their scheduled completion date, and the rear diff arrived ahead of schedule so that's weird. Thanks for the heads-up.

What did you order?

 

Mix and match
I did cbi steel front cbi aluminum mid rci aluminum gas rci steel dif
(not show) rci link skids
End of day get what you can afford as for aluminum vs steel well...anything is better than nothing
also just because we have protection doesn't mean we look for the gnarly lines on the trails my 2c
That said steel does slide better over rocks aluminumat the very least saves weight and gives some peaceof mind

 

What aluminum looks like after you tickle it with a rock (not bad)

 

I ordered the full skid package for the 5th gen. They had a pre-order deal with a nice discount so I really can't complain about the wait...

 

I eventually plan to go with CBI or C4 for up front due to their wider coverage and look. I feel like there may have been another that looked similar, but I can't remember at the moment. For now my stock skid is holding up fine (despite the screen mysteriously being punched in).

 

It will largely depend on what kind of wheelin’ you think you will be doing. If you think you may need steel based on what you plan to do with your 4R or just want to be ready for the unexpected with maximum protection out on a trail, then get steel.

If that’s not you and you just want good protection and don’t mind paying a little more, then go for aluminum.

I honestly couldn’t tell you if weight savings you get from going with aluminum skid plates will make much of a difference once sliders, bumpers, winch, wheels, bigger tires, roof rack, RTT and other gear that gets thrown in or on top have been added on.

 

True, I too think someone needing steel skids should look for bumpers as well. I've had scenarios where damaging stock rear bumper and nothing on skids..

 

Here's some deep dive shitt. Grab a cup a Joe and dig in!

https://rockchucksummit.com/aluminum-vs-steel-skid-plates-and-armor/

 

I plan on going with aluminum for my uses. Generally, from what I've heard, aluminum is fine if it's more of an insurance policy situtaion.. but aluminum will shear and break eventually, far quicker than steel will. So if you plan on bashing them often and it's a rinse and repeat situation.. bang it back into shape and repaint, reinstall and go again... steel is definitely where it's at.

 

A recommendation on the shock skids, I just changed out my suspension and noticed that the rear shock mounts were rusting from water being held in the shock guard. Even in California where it never rains they had rusted up in less than a year. I added some drainage holes, hopefully that solves the issue.



I am running full RCI skids in aluminum and are very happy with them.

 

@DRH
Thanks for the info on shock guards
Definitely something to watch out for if your guards don't have drain holes
I tend to spray them with lube when doin maintenance (when I remember)

 

I've seen several comments at various forums about being able to pound aluminum back into shape if it gets bent. The problem with that is every time it gets bent it loses strength and ductility, which makes it even easier to bend the next time, and more prone to shear failure. The yield strength (ability to resist permanent deformation) of steel is about 6 times higher than aluminum to begin with, so every time that aluminum skid gets bent it just gets weaker and weaker. If you absolutely need the weight savings, then go aluminum.

 

Another benefit of aluminum is no rust without the need to paint or coat.

 

Thanks for the read.

In conclusion. He states what most do. Go with what rings your bell.

 

The aluminum vs steel question really comes down to how many difficult trails/rock crawling you intend to do. If the answer is a lot go with steel. If you are only occasionally going to bash the bottom side, the weight savings is helpful as it all adds up quickly to overload the vehicle.

 

Lots of good info
You do you boo lol

 

I tend to get what will serve my purpose and I also tend to be weight conscious. I have ordered an aluminum skid plate from RCI. I only need protection from occasional mishaps. I am not one to prove I can conquer all that Moab has to offer. I try to get protection that will keep me from harming my 4R too severely and save my rig if I make a mistake.

So get what suits your needs.

 

That is true but generally you can buy powder coated steel skids for around the same cost as bare aluminum, and then all you have to worry about is occasional touch ups with a rattle can. $775 for powder coated steel full skids from RCI vs $900 for their bare aluminum, for a 50 lbs weight savings.