My 4runner custom skid

[turbo8]

So after my wreck, my bud built skid plate was pretty mangled. It ripped the stock skid plate mount off the frame. I strengthened the front of the frame with a new front cross member and a new custom skid plate.

What do you think?

 

[snivilous]

Awesome!

What did you use to cut it?

 

[Desert36]

Awesome!, I need mine done next.

 

[turbo8]

I designed it in Solidworks then had a shop laser cut the parts out.

 

[NateMob]

Job well done dude, including the front crossmember. I like the angle on the front plate the most, looks like it would help slide over rocks a lot better than other solutions on the market that have a much steeper angle.

 

[turbo8]

I did not like the steep angle of the other skids on the market. To achieve my angle you do need to add a new front crossmember.

My new front cross member really helped a few months ago when I was rear ended and pushed into another car.

 

[Skidmarcx]

Very nice work

 

[NHRunner]

If you don't mind my asking, how much did the shop charge to make the cuts?(and bends?)

 

[Whitson Metalworks]

looks awesome, i wish i had solidworks!

 

[turbo8]

$375 cut and bent, I had to weld the smaller pieces together.

 

[Broker]

What file format did you have to provide them to make the cuts and bend?

 

[turbo8]

.SLDPRT solidworks part file
Every shop is different though.

 

[snivilous]

looks awesome, i wish i had solidworks!

You can get a full student suite for free, it will just watermark your drawings as student files. I don't know if shops would care about that though since you aren't trying to sell the parts (assuming they ever cared you were trying to sell parts from a student version).

You can also get DraftSight, which is essentially AutoCAD 2D and totally free with no penalties.

 

[Broker]

I'll second draftsight as well. It is a free version of solidworks both are made by the same company. If I'm pretty sure it's a full 3D program.

 

[turbo8]

I wouldn't consider Draftsite to be a real 3D program. I have seen people use google sketchup to make parts in, which is a free 3d modeling program.

 

[jason in tn]

Mine was bent up at one point as well, I used a piece of 13/4x 1 3/4 square tubing 3/16 wall to replace it. Drilled holes and welded in captured nuts in the factory locations, it has worked great, the skid plate has been off and on many times since.




Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[MStudt]

I use Sketchup and it's pretty good. However the free version is only good for 60 hours of use.

 

[turbo8]

Been awhile and my 4runner needed an update. Even though the the steel one was really strong, it was difficult to remove for maintenance and way too heavy.

Sub frame is machined from 6061-T6
Skids are 5052-H32
Oil access panels
no more hump to clear radiator
light bar mount
integrated recovery points
strong front cross members
All bolt together

 

[Pyral]

Nice, making it a skeleton with removable steel panels is probably the best way to get something strong and easy to service.

Is the skid plate still using the stock mounting bolts? Because I don't know if those would be strong enough to pull off of.

 

[turbo8]

Mounted to the factory recovery point locations. The OEM front skid crossmember was removed too.