[Globetrotter78]

Ok so I'm new to the truck/off-roading lifestyle but I am learning as I go so please be patient with the novice question. I recently went trail riding at the Uwharrie Natl Forest in NC and had my first REAL experience with muddy, rocky, hill climbing awesomeness. The truck exceeding every expectation I could have ever had. I am trying to build my Runner to be as capable as possible and able to endure any novice mistakes I may impart on it.

I have a 3.5" lift, UCAs, Falken Wildpeaks and SSO sliders to give it a fighting chance but after seeing vehicles on the trail take some pretty nasty hits on the slippery rocks I have shifted my build plan towards armor.

Based on REAL WORLD off-road experience.....What pieces get impacted most frequently? Front skid, mid, rear diff, rear shock mount point?

I love the Victory4x4 skids so I just need to get some suggestions as to what to buy first.

Thanks in advance!

[SpeedyKevin]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter78

Ok so I'm new to the truck/off-roading lifestyle but I am learning as I go so please be patient with the novice question. I recently went trail riding at the Uwharrie Natl Forest in NC and had my first REAL experience with muddy, rocky, hill climbing awesomeness. The truck exceeding every expectation I could have ever had. I am trying to build my Runner to be as capable as possible and able to endure any novice mistakes I may impart on it.

I have a 3.5" lift, UCAs, Falken Wildpeaks and SSO sliders to give it a fighting chance but after seeing vehicles on the trail take some pretty nasty hits on the slippery rocks I have shifted my build plan towards armor.

Based on REAL WORLD off-road experience.....What pieces get impacted most frequently? Front skid, mid, rear diff, rear shock mount point?

I love the Victory4x4 skids so I just need to get some suggestions as to what to buy first.

Thanks in advance!

I like to do minor - moderate rock crawling and find that I hit/ding the front skid the most. I also drag the fuel tank and lower link skid here and there depending on the slope. Havent hit the shock mounts yet...

I have a front skid, transmission, tcase, fuel tank, lower link, rear diff skid. All steel except for the front skid. My reasoning behind that was I can generally see where the front of the car is going (slow speeds when crawling) so the chance for impact is low. However, when my tires are on some rocks, there is a chance I could slip and land on a rock somewhere near the middle of the vehicle. Thats where I'd want steel as I cant entirely "control" that area. If I could only have 2 skids, Id get the front and fuel first. If you have the Trail/Off road model, the factory Fuel skid isnt too bad.

Front alum skid has a few dings here and there


Transmission and TCase skid coverage

[-E5J-]

+1 for skids past the t-case... I have RCI and love that the underside is protected...

[Globetrotter78]

Originally Posted by SpeedyKevin

I like to do minor - moderate rock crawling and find that I hit/ding the front skid the most. I also drag the fuel tank and lower link skid here and there depending on the slope. Havent hit the shock mounts yet...

]

As you indicated, I would think the factory front skid (while inferior) would protect from an incidental impact but should be avoidable since I can see my approach better from the front than say accounting for a drop on the rear diff or shock mounts. I'm really floored I don't see rear diff skids more commonly given its the lowest point

[SpeedyKevin]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter78

As you indicated, I would think the factory front skid (while inferior) would protect from an incidental impact but should be avoidable since I can see my approach better from the front than say accounting for a drop on the rear diff or shock mounts. I'm really floored I don't see rear diff skids more commonly given its the lowest point

For overlanding I don't really have issues with it. But for rock gardens...yea Im really happy I have a diff skid! Scrapped it a few times before getting the skid so now its nice to know Im relatively safe there. Main reason I dropped the factory front skid was for easier oil changes as theres a little door on the RCI skid for oil filter access.

[angerbot]

Front skid is the first upgrade I'm planning after a few days out on the trails now. If you're the type of person to back off when you hit a skid then aluminum is great, otherwise go steel if you're just gonna brute force your way over (crawling).

The stock one is basically a pop can and makes oil changes more painful than they need to be. Less worried about skids further back as once I hit my front skid I treat it as a canary and find a new line.

[-E5J-]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter78

As you indicated, I would think the factory front skid (while inferior) would protect from an incidental impact but should be avoidable since I can see my approach better from the front than say accounting for a drop on the rear diff or shock mounts. I'm really floored I don't see rear diff skids more commonly given its the lowest point

A rear diff skid will make your low point lower... and the steel in the rear diff is thick and strong. The rear diff can take a pretty good hit and be ok... not so much for the oil pan, transmission pan, or t-case.

Gas tank OE skid is good...

Unless you're just beating the truck, my sense is to protect the engine, transmission and t-case.

[SpeedyKevin]

Originally Posted by -E5J-

A rear diff skid will make your low point lower... and the steel in the rear diff is thick and strong. The rear diff can take a pretty good hit and be ok... not so much for the oil pan, transmission pan, or t-case.

Gas tank OE skid is good...

Unless you're just beating the truck, my sense is to protect the engine, transmission and t-case.

Agreed here^ the rear diff skid was the last skid I got. Though it does lower the clearance, I would rather the rocks hit/slide on the skid rather than the diff itself. It is however the least scratched up skid I have so base your decision for that skid on the trail conditions youll frequent the most.

[Globetrotter78]

Ok, so next consideration is the need for gussets on the OEM spindles? Is that something any of you have done or seen a failure of due to hard offroading. I'm in VA so no baja level craziness btw.

[SpeedyKevin]

Originally Posted by Globetrotter78

Ok, so next consideration is the need for gussets on the OEM spindles? Is that something any of you have done or seen a failure of due to hard offroading. I'm in VA so no baja level craziness btw.

Id say get out more and enjoy the rig, after you bend one then thats the time to replace it That and maybe cam gussets

[mteolus]

Front skid was my first rock hit (bent the sheet out of the cheap thin stock skid plate). After that I got the RCI front, trans, transfer case, and just purchased the gas tank skid. Also installed RCI sliders. Just installed the C4 diff skid as well since RCI doesn't make one for KDSS. My buddy hit his rear diff in his Jeep Rubicon and it caused a leak. That made me decide to get the diff skid. Maybe you lose about 1/2 inch of ground clearance which isn't a big deal. If you take a hit with 1/2 inch less you will probably take it with the extra 1/2 inch as well.

All skids except for the diff skid are aluminum to save weight. I don't anticipate beating them up that bad that I would need steel.

Also if you think you may scratch the hell out of your paint, you could consider Goat Armor.

[SpeedyKevin]

Originally Posted by mteolus

Front skid was my first rock hit (bent the sheet out of the cheap thin stock skid plate). After that I got the RCI front, trans, transfer case, and just purchased the gas tank skid. Also installed RCI sliders. Just installed the C4 diff skid as well since RCI doesn't make one for KDSS. My buddy hit his rear diff in his Jeep Rubicon and it caused a leak. That made me decide to get the diff skid. Maybe you lose about 1/2 inch of ground clearance which isn't a big deal. If you take a hit with 1/2 inch less you will probably take it with the extra 1/2 inch as well.

All skids except for the diff skid are aluminum to save weight. I don't anticipate beating them up that bad that I would need steel.

Still no issues with your C4 diff skid and the Sonoran steel bar? I'll be installing my tracbar this weekend so looking forward to testing it out.

[comtn4x4]

I'm also in favor of replace them as you bash them. See where you really need them. Ultimately if you do armor you'll want a full front to rear set.
I'd recommend sliders early on if not first, they have saved me frequently and provide a good jack point for a high lift. Otherwise unless you have bumpers the only viable jack points are the rims if you carry a lift mate or the hitch receiver which isn't great. Sliders are also a great stepping point for getting gear on and off the top of the rig or stepping onto the rear tires.
I think someone mentioned lower link guards and I'd second that as well considering the low relative cost. I bent both mine and my lower rear control arms at one point or another before I got the guards and new control arms.

Edit: Oh and sliders are great shopping cart and car door armor. Every mall crawler needs that

[mteolus]

Originally Posted by SpeedyKevin

Still no issues with your C4 diff skid and the Sonoran steel bar? I'll be installing my tracbar this weekend so looking forward to testing it out.

Not so far. Just a note on installing the tracbar, just make sure when you are lifting the diff that you don't lift it too high so as to lift the vehicle off of the jackstands which will be on both sides since both wheels will be off. The jackstands need to be very strong too. Also make sure it is a very robust hydrolic jack you use to lift the diff that won't easily roll. Put chocks in front of both front wheels as well. Be careful, it's not like changing a tire, if the vehicle falls off of the jackstands it will hit the ground. I can tell you these things from experience. :-)

[Draggin]

Front skid for sure.
Since I have icon rebuild-able rear shocks I sprung for the shock piston guard. When I went to rebuild the shocks I was impressed with how much pitting was on the guards and was glad even 1/4 of that didn't hit the piston. Granted much of the guard is protecting the lower part of the piston vs the upper which is likely more important. Still, I'm happy I have them. If your shocks aren't rebuild-able then no need