Howdy, friends.

Generally speaking, would you rather have a commercial (shrockworks) gas-tank skid plate, or a custom full pan that effectively spanned between the crossmember in front if the tank and between both frame rails?

I'd have a lil skips one. Don't get the shrockwoks. There are fitment issues with it that they "addressed" after I argued with them about it for months and their updated one still doesn't fit without taking a grinder to it and modifying it yourself. Other members have had this issue too.

You also can't do a skid plate that spans the two frame rails back there as the driveshaft has to be able to drop down to the rear axle. Best bet is to fab one that fits close to the tank and mounts to the stock mounting locations if you have the skills, or get the lil skips one. RCI or someone I think was coming out with one also, but I haven't seen or heard anything about it.

Good to know about the shrockworks fitment issues!

And yeah, the belly pan skid would indeed have a notch cut out to enable driveshaft movement, but would overall still be a single piece if I did that.

Wanted to save you the headache I experienced with the fitment issues...

It would end up being a pretty big notch to get the driveshaft to fit since you have to account for the movement side to side when flexed and how much it drops when your rear axle is a full droop. I'd stick with just around the gas tank. The extra weight I don't think would be worth protecting the passenger side next to the gas tank which is basically the muffler. That thing would be a bear to wrestle under the truck. The normal gas tank skids are already a beast to get up under and in position.

Just shows how much they actually test the product. I had a issue with RCI LCA skid plates. As the suspension moves. The skid plate hits gusset metal piece that’s there on the frame.

Yeah, the idea was to have the flattest bottom possible to reduce resistance in mud, but indeed it might not be worth the extra weight and effort just to protect the muffler.

As to the weight, however, I am actually only using 1/8" steel, reinforced with angle iron on the top side (I did this with my front skid and hit a stump with no deformation). I dont do big rocks, so these skids are more precutionary and I don't mind if a hard hit dents them a bit.

Lil Skips here.... I had Shrockworks v. 1 and v. 2 gas tank skids.... and while they are easy to install....the overall fitment of where the driveshaft is was not the best in my opinion.

So you want a flat belly?

There’s a lot more to it than just a gas tank skid.

You need a custom crossmember, an engine lift, a clocking ring, and while you’re at it, get rid of the stock tank for a F150 aux tank.

Give me a couple minutes and I’ll snap some pics of my flat belly.

All I need to do, and will be doing here soon, is the F150 swap. My brother @midcoma , did an EXCELLENT write up of modding a F150 tank in the back of his Runner.

Here’s his link for that.

Ford F150 Gas Tank Swap into 2000 4Runner


Here’s my ‘flat belly’.

I have a 1.5” body lift; custom cross member lifting trans/tcase 1.5”; 1.5” engine lift to keep it all level. When I do the F150 swap, the rest of the cross members, as well as the stock tank, will be removed, and it’ll be flat.



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....Well.... "Flatter," I guess...