TRD Skid Plate - OEM vs Aftermarket vs CTH

After much looking, I didn't find the info, opinions that I was hoping to find, so here we go.

After upgrading my tires, Im now on to the front skid plate. Aesthetics are important (meaning just about anything will look better than the stock plate, imo), but practicality (maintenance-related) as well performance are more important. On top of that, price is an important factor (as in staying under $300, incl shipping).

Im using my 4R for driving on the beach, forest roads, fire roads, high deserts trails, but no rock crawling (intentional anyway). I suspect that Ill get into some situations with somewhat steep entry angles on older, not-as-well maintained forest roads.

Given what I have described above, is the stock TRD ORP plate sufficient?

If I wanted to upgrade, but still stay within a price window of less than $300, is the TRD Pro plate a solid choice? Seems hard to find, though, these days and doesnt have a maintenance door on it, so...

That CarTrimHome plate looks like a solid choice at $250, but I cannot seem to find what the thickness is or if it is the same thickness as the TRD Pro plate. This has the oil change door, so there's that. I know it's aluminum and thats about it.

The Victory 4x4 front skid plate in steel gets close in price (incl free shipping), has the door, and looks substantial in size. Regarding the steel...

Why are the big aftermarket companies charging more for aluminum?

Lastly, aluminum vs steel... Without coating or painting the steel will rust, right? The aluminum, though, will not. So I need to considert hat trade-off.

Appreciate any advice, insights, etc., relative to choices and my use description. Thanks in advance.

 

The main reason I switched mine to RCI skids are because Toyota techs screw the bolts on stock skids and my skid was holding with 1 bolt one time I came home after service. Now there is a cutout for the oil change no need to remove entire skid.

I picked aluminum as I don't go looking for trouble. It's there just in case..

https://youtu.be/rzoY7ilUxDQ

 

Here's a question for you - is the red circled opening in the RCI skid below for accessing the oil drain plug:


As this area circled below on the oem transmission skid is?

 

This is what I see from that circle.

 

So is that the oil drain plug?

 

That is correct. (But I don't do oil changes my self. )

 

Thank you. I don't either, I was just curious what took the place of the access opening on the second oem skid plate.

Do you happen to know what would need to be removed if one only got and installed the front RCI skid and not all three?

Sorry @BeavertonCommuter for hijacking your thread...

 

As far as I remember for RCI both these skids will be removed to fix the front skid only. RCI front skid covers both this as far as I can remember.

Even for full skids those 2 are the only items I removed. I kept everything else as is.

I believe some skid brands require removing some support brackets. But RCI don't need to remove anything else.

 

CTH is cheap junk. If you don't go with the TRD skid plate, buy a quality skid plate that'll protect your ride, from a manufacturer like RCI, Shrockworks, LFD Off Road, Bud Built, or Hefty Fabworks.

 

Im curious about why you think theyre cheap junk. Not arguing, just wondering how youre assessing it so I can learn some things to think about when getting skid plates.

 

Because everything that I've seen or heard about that comes from CTH is cheap, knock offs. The companies that I listed build only good stuff - more expensive, but definitely a case of getting what you pay for.

My choice was the Toyota TRD front skid plate, along with a full set of aluminum skid plates (including fuel tank) from RCI. They were easy to install, fit well, and provide excellent protection.

 

Despite your personal opinion of CTH, there are many on this forum with products from them that are perfectly happy with them. In some cases, they offer items that are not readily found elsewhere.

I personally had a CTH skid as @BeavertonCommuter is asking about, and while it was not quite identical to the OEM TRD skid, it was certainly multiple factors better than the stamped steel oem skid, and for the price, very worth getting. I ended up selling it after all, not due to the construction, but because I didn't care for the silver color, and I was on the fence about painting it or selling it to buy something else. I found a buyer for it, so I sold it. In retrospect, I wish I had just kept it and painted it black. It fit as advertised, shipped quickly, and would have served my purpose had I kept it. Not everyone is a fan of CTH, but to paint them as a vendor of nothing but cheap knock offs is too broad of a brush.

 

Here are a few choices at ~$300, from US companies who build and test their products to do more than just look like they offer protection.

https://www.lfdoffroad.com/catalog/toyota/5th-gen/armor/front-skid

https://rcimetalworks.com/https:/rcimetalworks.com/10-19-4runner-front-skid-plate/

https://budbuilt.com/Front-Skid-Plate-2010-2021-4Runner-Non-KDSS-2010-2014-FJ-Cruiser_p_539.html

 

Thanks for the ideas...

When ordering Steel...anyone have tips on painting to protect raw steel?

EDIT - Damn, lead times are a thing everywhere it seems...sheesh.

 

I know I'm using RCI for my budget and use. But anyone using C4 Fab? I think they are well respected skids.

 

@BeavertonCommuter - In my experience, to paint steel, it really comes down to the prep work

1. Light sanding to scuff up the surface. A synthetic steel wool works the best.
2. Clean it with mineral spirits to remove all oils and other contamination
3. Prime - Personally, I am fond of Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer as long as it isn't rusty - but any decent primer will do
4. Paint - Good old Rustoleum works for me (or any decent brand). Spray cans are fine. I do avoid off brand or dollar store paints but also don't bother with the expensive SEM type stuff if you don't need a color match

Personally, I wouldn't clear coat a skid plate as, inevitably, you are going to be touching it up from time to time.

 

for those of you with the RCI skid plate who change your own oil. Any issues with oil running onto the top of the skid plate because the hole in the skid plate to access the drain plug is so small?

Are there better aluminum options out there for protection and ease of oil changes?

 

I have a Toyota TRD front skid followed by Shrockworks TRD Integration Skid Plates.
Sticking with the OEM gas tank skid for now.





I had a local powder coating company - Powder Coat my 3 Shrockworks skid plates. They charged me $20 per plate for sandblasting and coating them.

Lead time was about a month. That seems like a steal to me.

Hind sight being 20/20 I probably wouldn't do the TRD skid plate again. It's already full of dents and looks (to me at least) that it hangs down lower than other front skid plates.

 

I have a question, is it common to have the bolt heads and nuts exposed like that?

 

I have the RCI & do my own oil changes. I personaly just un-thread the 4 bolts & drop the skid. It is so quick & easy to do this & I don't have any oil on the top side of the skid to drip down onto my concrete driveway. I use Grade 8 bolts & re-coat with Anti-Seeze every oil change. The RCI skid was the best $300 that I ever spent.

 

Doesn't the skid mount with 6 bolts?

 

Some do some dont. Some skid plate companies recess them or put a weld around them to protect them. There are also these spendy little things:

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/all-g...&gp=1&ef_id=YQ8iWQAAANP4A2MM:20210808001625:s

 

@glwood54 and @Gstick On my 4th gen, it was 4 bolts and you could just let the skid plate roll forward on the clips. Was simple enough and the skid plate was sturdy enough that I never considered swapping it for something else.

On my 21, it is 4 (or 5?) bolts + the clip to take off the front plastic piece, 4 to drop the front skid and 2 more to open the access to the oil drain plug. That's 10 - 11 bolts + 1 clip to remove some thin skid plates that probably wont protect from anything significant.

Ok, so its not the end of the world to remove and reinstall all of those to do an oil change. However, I was hoping to use "making oil changes easier" to justify a portion of the purchase price of a skid plate.

 

The access panel on the RCI skid removes easily enough to change the oil filter, and the hole at the rear of the skid allows removal of the oil drain plug. If you have a Fumoto valve, you could just attach a hose, open the valve, and drain the oil with no mess. No need to remove the skid at all.

 

Yes there are 6, but I have an early production RCI skid & the 2 bolts that hold the front of the skid don't go through holes. (the skid is notched out for the front 2) So I just loosen those 2 then remove the other 4.

 

Well, there you go. I did not know they did that early on. Thanks. Even if you took out the current 6, the aluminum skid would be easy to drop.

 

Sub'd

 

I ended up ordering the cartrimhome skid plate. Like my choice on the OEM rock rails, my use case doesnt justify paying near $400 or more. Looking forward to getting it...

 

Anyone know how to install the cartrimhome skid plate? Im using the long bolts with spacers at the top (nearest the letters), but the bolts dont reach. I have to be doing something wrong?

 

I think the spacers go on the top with the longer bolts, make sure the spacers go in the holes on the top part of member brace
https://youtu.be/RAzCkEz2rEc