5th Gen Armor, what’s needed?

I’m new to off-roading but currently building my SR5 with the intention of being able to confidently take it to places like Drummond Island, MI (localish to me) and Moab, Colorado, etc.. I’ve got 285/70/17 K02’s on it already and have a 2”/1” Dobinsons lift on the way. I am assuming I need some armor underneath, and rock sliders, but my question is what are the minimum armor upgrades folks here would suggest for that type of wheeling?

 

Take it as-is if you want.
Depends on how you drive and what specific trails you take.

 

I’m not a rock crawler, as we don’t have much out close to where I am (Toronto), so it’s mainly forest trails from logging. However, with the use of 4x4 vehicles over the years, lots of ruts and exposed rock faces. I leaned from local group rear diff is what gets scuffed the most, as lowest point not generally helped by wheel height. My rear hitch and spare tire rub on departure angle and lower front bumper scuffs on approach angle, and I have mild lift of 2”/1” from an Eibach Pro 2.0 non reservoir kit. As someone else told me, do your offroading then crawl under and see where you’re scuffing, then decide on skid plates. Let the trails tell you what you need, cost less, save on weight in the meantime.

 

It's a slippery slope how much protection to add. Sliders and front engine skids would be my minimum starting point if you are planning on taking it off road. Sliders help with protection from expensive damage. The more you add is just insurance to protect the underside. I agree above post on rear diff being the lowest point. How much you need is debatable and really comes down to your confidence level on trails and knowing you can handle some unplanned impacts. Safest is adding full underside but also $ and adds weight.

 

Drummond Island doesn't have much in the way of rock crawling, but there are some ledges and tricky spots plus a lot of mud and logs. A good set of sliders and a front skid plate will give you piece of mind.

 

I’ve got all the armor. Wouldn’t have it any other way, including a Full belly skid from 4xinnovations. It gives us peace of mind off-road.

For your question, the BARE Minimum:

• Rock sliders - doubles as a step and a way to reach your roof rack. C4, victory4x4, 4xinnovations, etc
  • Here’s ours: https://www.4xinnovations.com/2010--2023-4Runner-Bolt-On-Rock-Slider_p_157.html

• Lower rear link armor - these lower rear link tabs on the frame are critical to keep in good shape. Armor helps rocks/stumps/ledges from re-arranging these tabs:
  • Here’s ours: https://rcimetalworks.com/product/l...MIi5it38WOgAMVGCKtBh3OlQ2oEAQYASABEgJaAvD_BwE
• Rear shock armor:
  • Here’s ours:https://rcimetalworks.com/product/2010-rear-shock-mount-skids/

 

Look up Budbuilt sliders. Mine weight 78lbs on each side and are solid. A lot of people on here felt they might be overkill but they can take a crazy beating and have amazing reviews on the other Toyota forums.

 

All of it since the OEM skid bends with enough wind.

 

I hear nothin’ but good things about budbuilt stuff.

 

Truth!
The only skid we have dented is our stock gas tank skid…lol. Everything thing else just has scrapes and trail rash. It’s still doing it’s job tho.

 

The next hotly debated topic.......steel or aluminum. Strength or weight savings. I went aluminum and the RCI skids feel plenty heavy when removing them for greasing the zirks. Ask me in a couple years though if it was the right decision. All the extra weight definitely adds up and you notice it on mpg/gear hunting.

I am lucky living in a spot rust is not a concern. If I was in rust belt aluminum would be even more of a plus for corrosion resistance.

 

Pick a good line and follow your spotter’s instructions.

 

I've been to Moab twice. For rock crawling, sliders and full belly skids, including the gas tank are musts. I also have the 4x sliders and skids. They are thicker steel and have more coverage than most others.

 

Aluminum will "grab" the rocks. Steel will slide. I live in the rust belt and have steel sliders.

 

I appreciate all the feedback from everyone, it’s very helpful and gives me plenty to think about. Thanks!

@Deuxdiesel glad to hear your skid is still available. I’m out of town this weekend but will reach out again next week.

 

Sliders I think steel is the only option. Yes I have seen the aluminum sliders but not strong enough for most that need a slider. Just my opinion everyone has their own use case. Under belly protection aluminum is feasible. But yes I agree steel will slide over better than aluminum.

 

My understanding is the newer rear bumper incorporate aluminum and steel. That’s the best spot for any of rock crawling, my expo is research only of course

 

Start your armor upgrades with sliders first. Then upgrade the (front) engine and (mid) transmission skids next. The transfer case is especially vulnerable and not well-protected. Then do your gas tank. If you've invested in suspension, the rear shock mount skids are a good idea if you're in the rocks. Then maybe rear differential skid. Even though the diff pumpkin is tough, you want to protect it over the long haul.

 

If you intend to do heavy rock trails, steel all day. Get it powder coated and fix it as you go with Steel It or bed liner.

I went light steel Bud Built because I stay away from rocky trails. A warning about BB, they don't include spacers you may need. I stacked washers for now but I want to replace them with metal spacers from McMaster when I get around to it. Also the light steel will not hold up when you try to jack up from it.

 

Armor was the single best modification for me. You can do a lot on stock tires and suspension. Having the confidence to play in the rocks is a game changer.

I'm not sure about Drummond, but you're going to want armor if you're going to MOAB.

 

100% agree!

Or, get it raw and paint it yourself, as you'll be scraping the paint off anyway.

 

One other consideration if you get to the point of wanting/needing a transmission skid - look at those that have add-ons for catalytic converter protection, if that's something you need where you live. If not, never mind.

 

Yup, one big plus for the 4xinnovations skids that i had no idea that i would value as catalytic converter thefts skyrocketed in our city. They almost completely cover the cats.

i’m sure other full-width designs are similar.

 

We actually did back to back testing on our Bronco with Aluminum VS Steel skids. In all reality we didn't notice a huge difference in which dented more. That was driving with the "Put the biggest rock under the skid plates to beat them up" Mentality. Depending on that part of the country you are wheeling in it will make a difference too. Out in Texas the rock will dig in deeper and gouge the aluminum more, but we also noticed the same on a lesser extent on our steel skids. Out west in Moab/Sand Hollow the sand/slick rock didn't hurt the skids at all.

I didn't notice any difference between Aluminum or Steel sliding on any of the trails we have done. Actually, the only time I have really been hung up on a skid was on my steel ones... but that rock was much larger then I anticipated.




Shameless photo of our Aluminum front skid and Transmission skid/cat protection.

 

My .02 cents from what i’ve seen:

weight: aluminum wins
Cost: steel wins
Corrosion resistance: aluminum wins
Long term Durability: steel wins
Ability to be hammered back into shape: steel wins
Lead time/availability: even-Steven


Really not a clear winner, imo. If i lived in the salt belt or by the sea, where rocks were few and far between and corrosion was a huge problem? Aluminum all day.

i think folks just need to choose what problem is most important for them to solve (weight, corrosion, cost, lead times, etc) and let that lead them.