Off Roading for the 2nd Time - Hit The Skid Plates

I went off roading again and this time I made it all the way to the end of the trail at Hidden Fall Adventures in Austin, TX.

It was a lot of fun and the 4Runner showed that nothing could strand it, it was frankly, wonderful.

This was the 2nd time I do this trail and the first time with my Bilstein 1.5” lift, and the first time I’m ever able to make it to the end of the trail, with many Level 3 obstacles.

It appears however, that I hit three different skid plates, two I had no idea and one I did.

The passenger side rock slider did its job, eating up a 1” dent, not visible except from under the car, I didn’t hear it and don’t know where it could have happened.

The front TRD skid plate got a good scuff at its lowest point, and a small dent. Also don’t know where it happened, didn’t hear it or feel it and I always get out of the car to observe my line. Scuff not visible except when I go under the car.

The last one I did hear, gas skid plate. There was a steep stairway that when going down, I hit nothing. But when going up, the skid plate I guess, was lower than the passenger side on the way down. I had no choice but to let it be.

All in all the scuffs and dents are minor and the skids did their job?

What do you do in this case? Suck it up or replace the skids? I think I’m gonna suck it up?

Some photos.

 

Why replace? One time use skids?

 

Skid plates are for skidding. That's their job

 

Why would you replace the skids? They did what they were designed to do: Take a hit and protect your vehicle. Wear the dents/scuffs as a badge of honor.

You're like a Marine returning from Nam'. "You've been in some shit and seen some real action." We present you with the badge:

 

Heh - that’s what I was hoping to hear. Badge of Honor it is.

 

A couple times a year, I clean them up, prep the scraped areas, and touch them up with rustoleum.

 

Just keep an eye on your skids. It sounds like you have the OEM units. If you think the hits will be frequent, at some point you may need dedicated steel aftermarket skids that can handle frequent/hardcore hits. If only occasional, you should be good.

Looks like a good place to enjoy the outdoors!

 

What is rustoleum?

 

One time use is called aluminum lol

 

I’m not sure what the clearance is between tank skid and tank, but you might ensure that the dent in the skid isn’t causing it to rub on the fuel tank. It would suck to get a hole in the fuel tank.

 

It's a brand of spray paint. They offer several versions with different characteristics.

 

Each one of those dents or scratches are a reminder of a cool thing you did

If the skids have small dents or scratches, there’s no need to replace them. Just touch up the scratches with paint. I live in the rust belt, so I’m planning to do paint touch up before the snow flies each year.

I replaced mine with aftermarket once they deformed from a couple of big hits near, and on the LCA mounts. It’s a good habit to look around after each trip so you can keep track of what might need some attention. I agree with making sure the gas tank skid plate isn’t pushed up into the tank. I’d probably just hammer out the dent if it was that dented.

Aftermarket skids are nice, but they’re heavy and they can complicate maintenance. If you get them, check out the options and buy based on your needs. The stock skids are not the toughest, but they are plenty good for the occasional hit, and they do a better job at keeping salt spray and other junk out of the underbody than most aftermarket skid plates (many are more narrow).

 

Gotta check out Hidden Falls someday.

 

Beat the sh*t out of those skids and don't worry about them.

If eventually you want to upgrade the skids go with RCI or another reputable company. Buying another set of OEM skids after one use makes no sense imo.


Keep using the truck for what you want and it's weak points will get exposed. Upgrade those weak points if needed.
For the trails I run, I realized I needed sliders. Then a lift and tires. Then skids. After getting stuck a couple times and realizing the need for a winch that came last. Now it's a much more capable vehicle for what I do with it.

No need to rush to do any of that though. Everyone's use case is different! Different people will uncover different weaknesses based on their environment and driving style. Just my two cents.
Enjoy your rig and if you ever want to do some wheeling hit me up! I'm in North Texas and have been wanting to check out Hidden Falls.

 

It’s great but very very rocky. I don’t like that part too much, rocky in excess in my opinion. But it’s great.