...just some motivation...
Replacing the front skid on my 4Runner has been on my list of things to do for a while, and I finally got around to it. I ordered a Bud Built front skid with the black powder coating from Bud Built a couple of months ago. From the time I ordered the skid to the time I received it, it was under a week. Bud was very responsive to my questions and my order shipped the day after it was received. I highly recommend Bud Built. Here it is brand new right out of the box.
You can tell just by holding this skid plate that it is very well made and extremely durable. It is cut from 3/16" steel and is much beefier than the stock skid plate. The fit and finish are flawless, and it aligned perfectly to the factory mounting points. It's a shame that something so well made will be for the most part unseen, but it is well worth the piece of mind. Installation was simple, and is no different than installing the factory skid other than the added weight of the Bud Built. Below are a couple of pictures of my factory skid showing the amount of abuse it took.
Since I have the V8, I am hopeful that I will not have to remove this skid plate in order to reach the oil filter from now on. The factory skid plate comes up much higher on the sides than is really necessary, making it impossible to reach the oil filter without removing the skid. The Bud Built skid still offers protection on the side, but leaves a little more room between the skid and the sway bar. I waited until I needed to change my oil to do the Bud Built install since it required the removal of the factory skid, but I will report back after my next oil change to see how it goes with the Bud Built skid installed.
Here is a before shot with the factory skid. Notice how uneven it is from taking more than a couple of blows on the trail....
After the Bud Built install....
Seeing the quality of the Bud Built front skid first hand, I would like to eventually replace all of my skid plates with Bud Built skids.
Post #19
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/717570-post19.html
G.I.G.'s Build Thread
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gallery/64741-g-i-g-s-build-thread.html
via
G.I.G.