Skid plate experiences

[Jetboy]

Is there a skid that works in conjunction with the stock skids to better protect the exhaust and transfer case? I'm worried about flattening where the exhaust crosses over but am otherwise happy with the stock skids.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

That's what I built mine to do. I have not seen a skid that's for a 4runner just for the rear crossover/tcase. Trail Gear makes one for the FJ Cruiser.

I copied it.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

My trans skid has some pretty good sized dents in it. I also feel like I made a mistake with aluminum skids, sure its lighter but man do they bend easily.

You'll find that they drag/stick to rocks more than steel as well, it was one of the reasons I just can't see myself ever running polymer or aluminum skids.

If getting a lift is that much of an issue, get a set of Bilstein 5100's and call it a day. If you're at or bellow a 2 inch lift UCA's are not a must. I will say even a mild lift will look a little weird if you do not get wide/taller tires. 275's would be perfect imo.

About UCA,s they DO NOT require additional maintenance so long as you get the correct ones. Light Racing UCA's had a ton of issues with there first batch but beyond that I have not heard of needing additional maintenance. I am currently running an ICON stage II setup with Dirt King ball joint UCA's which are fully box welded and have had zero issues. No squeaks, rattles, etc...

Most people upgrade the stock UCA's because they have a 2.5-3 inch lift and want stay within the alignment specs and/or are looking for something stronger than stock.

As far as a lift v armor goes, you will gain a lot more from lifting your vehicle rather than adding metal to parts you know are going to get hit. Skids are not there to be hit, they're there as a safety measure. There's no substitute for a taller vehicle with more capable shocks and good off-road tires

I beg to differ! My skids are dented, scratched, and bent to hell! They're there to be abused baby! :evil:

Joking aside, it is true they're there as a safety measure; but honestly since they are such a strong element of the vehicle now (I'm running RCI skids front to rear on my 4th gen) they allow me to take some lines/go over obstacles I typically would not be able to because I wouldn't want to risk scraping anything. But since I do have them I can take a more aggressive line that may result in me using the skids to slid over a rock vs. having to take a much more off-angle approach that could put me at risk for a rollover.

Then again since it's armored I kind of stopped caring about scrapping the belly of the beast on some pebbles. 35's help avoid that as well. lol

To be frank, lifts on these Runners don't improve performance that much offroad to say other vehicles like the JK (talking the most popular 2.5-3" lifts - nothing crazy). It gives you some better approach/decent angles, but nothing substantial. You go from a 265 > 285 tire, not substantial in terms of added ground clearance. Suspension articulation is better...but again, not night and day.

It not like when you lift a JK wrangler 2.5-3 inches, and fit 35" tires from a stock 32" inch tire. There you are gaining approx 1.5 inches of ground clearance...a lifted 285 4R is maybe gaining .5" ground clearance.

For western states, skids are more important in my opinion that east, southern, midwest states...you just don't have the obstacles/rough terrain that demands as much protection. Not saying there isn't any...but just speaking overall. The difference in performance between a lifted 4R and stock one (with good tires) is very marginal. The difference between a stock 4R and one with added protection (aftermarket skids/sliders) can make a world of difference when the times comes.

My buddy is a little too wild with his 2013 Trail....his stock front skid plate looks completely crushed in. The stock skids are fine for what I call cosmetic protection...but they will fold like a beer can if any real contact is met.

Something you're not really mentioning is that while yes you're "bang for the buck" in regards to a lift adding clearance is not much in regards to inches (realistically your clearance will in most cases always be dictated by tire size, not suspension; the exception being something like a Portal Axle Swap or custom Long Travel set-up like on a Baja truck); it's not so much about the inches here as it is the package you get. The factory springs and shocks are very soft and not really made to handle decent off-roading for a long period of time, they bounce, jounce, and compress very easily.

Upgrading to a decent coilover style lift kit with a shock & sping set-up that has been roughly tuned for the vehicle provides a world of difference and capability to the vehicle for moderate to severe off-roading. You'll have better control and response because the suspension will take the abuse better.

Upgrading in tire size on these platforms is limited more by the physical body than by the suspension, hence why we need body lifts in conjunction to suspension lifts to achieve larger tires. The J120/J150 platforms were not well designed for anything over about 33" without significant modification to the structure of the vehicle. Even at 35" on my 4th gen I had to hammer, cut, trim, and bend the body and frame some to accommodate my tires. The Jeeps are more forgiving because the wheel wells are far more forgiving than our vehicles so a mild lift provides much better clearance.

Additionally, the benefits are apples to oranges; the Jeeps run a solid front axle, which while better for articulation, are not great for on-road and higher speed/repetitive off-roading such as moguls and uneven road surfaces you see on trails more consistently than giant boulders. They're good at crawling and that's where they really excel, but that's a very niche section of the off-road spectrum that most people will never really bother experiencing.

The IFS will provide a better "bang for the buck" in terms of drivability, capability, and comfort over a wider range of terrains with a moderate suspension lift than you'd get with a simple lift on a Jeep. I'm not trashing the Jeep of the benefits of a solid front axle, rather pointing out that while the SAS is a much better "hardcore crawler" set-up, the IFS/RSA combination makes for a far better off-roader/expedition set-up since it addresses a wider range of terrain and obstacles when off-roading/on-roading; which realistically is what 95% of the owners of off-road vehicles are really doing. I think anyone who's had their teeth rattled out driving in a Jeep on-road and off-road vs. something like a built 4Runner will appreciate the differences in those respects.

All in all, I'm just saying that while you don't get much in return in terms of inches of lift/tire clearance with a lift; what you do get a is a stronger, better adjusted suspension that will provide capability, comfort, and control to the 4Runner. It's not always about inches of clearance, you can slap on a 12" bracket lift on a pick-up, slap on 38's and it won't be more capable and better off-road than a stock 4Runner if you don't understand the dynamics you're changing on the suspension.

You're not wrong about a good driver being able to stretch a stock 4Runner vs. a lifted/modified one. There's an impressive video going around about a very skilled guy running a lightly modified Subaru Legacy sedan through MOAB. But again, it also comes down to how much abuse that suspension will be taking. I can almost guarantee you that if you're running relatively quick through a trail, even a moderate simple one, those factory shocks will be heating up pretty quick and losing their effectiveness combined with the softer stock springs; these vehicles were built more for road than significant off-roading in terms of suspension tuning.

Also I went through about 3 factory "skid plates" (they are gravel shields really) before I got a RCI Group Buy, they are flimsy and after a couple off-road sessions would be so smashed and bent up that I'd have to pry them off the frame to get them off (they did protect the differential and such though for one-use skids lol)

~

As for the OP, how craggy is this road we're talking about? While it road like crap I took my 4th gen out off-roading with only a SW Front bumper and the stock XREAS system, it hung with most of the lifted guys for most of the trail as it wasn't super aggressive where I needed a combination of lift/clearance/travel to get through obstacles. Aside from bending the crap out of the stock running boards, it did fine. You may want to invest in a decent lift and tires and learn to take proper lines and manage a trail better than weigh down the vehicle with skids at this point if money is an issue. Or better yet perhaps invest in an off-road driving course if they have them in your area; that may be a better "bang for the buck" in this case?

 

[cutty01]

Is there a skid that works in conjunction with the stock skids to better protect the exhaust and transfer case? I'm worried about flattening where the exhaust crosses over but am otherwise happy with the stock skids.

That's what I built mine to do. I have not seen a skid that's for a 4runner just for the rear crossover/tcase. Trail Gear makes one for the FJ Cruiser.
I copied it.

Doesn't this one from RCI protect the TCase/Exhaust and work with stock plates? That is the one I was planning on purchasing, but want to be sure???

10-16 4Runner Transfer Case Skid Plate

 

[e60ral]

Doesn't this one from RCI protect the TCase/Exhaust and work with stock plates? That is the one I was planning on purchasing, but want to be sure???

10-16 4Runner Transfer Case Skid Plate

Yeah I didn't realize they sold just that skid, I asked if it will work with factory skid but see no reason it would not

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

 

[coltm4]

You'll find that they drag/stick to rocks more than steel as well, it was one of the reasons I just can't see myself ever running polymer or aluminum skids.



I beg to differ! My skids are dented, scratched, and bent to hell! They're there to be abused baby! :evil:

Joking aside, it is true they're there as a safety measure; but honestly since they are such a strong element of the vehicle now (I'm running RCI skids front to rear on my 4th gen) they allow me to take some lines/go over obstacles I typically would not be able to because I wouldn't want to risk scraping anything. But since I do have them I can take a more aggressive line that may result in me using the skids to slid over a rock vs. having to take a much more off-angle approach that could put me at risk for a rollover.

Then again since it's armored I kind of stopped caring about scrapping the belly of the beast on some pebbles. 35's help avoid that as well. lol



Something you're not really mentioning is that while yes you're "bang for the buck" in regards to a lift adding clearance is not much in regards to inches (realistically your clearance will in most cases always be dictated by tire size, not suspension; the exception being something like a Portal Axle Swap or custom Long Travel set-up like on a Baja truck); it's not so much about the inches here as it is the package you get. The factory springs and shocks are very soft and not really made to handle decent off-roading for a long period of time, they bounce, jounce, and compress very easily.

Upgrading to a decent coilover style lift kit with a shock & sping set-up that has been roughly tuned for the vehicle provides a world of difference and capability to the vehicle for moderate to severe off-roading. You'll have better control and response because the suspension will take the abuse better.

Upgrading in tire size on these platforms is limited more by the physical body than by the suspension, hence why we need body lifts in conjunction to suspension lifts to achieve larger tires. The J120/J150 platforms were not well designed for anything over about 33" without significant modification to the structure of the vehicle. Even at 35" on my 4th gen I had to hammer, cut, trim, and bend the body and frame some to accommodate my tires. The Jeeps are more forgiving because the wheel wells are far more forgiving than our vehicles so a mild lift provides much better clearance.

Additionally, the benefits are apples to oranges; the Jeeps run a solid front axle, which while better for articulation, are not great for on-road and higher speed/repetitive off-roading such as moguls and uneven road surfaces you see on trails more consistently than giant boulders. They're good at crawling and that's where they really excel, but that's a very niche section of the off-road spectrum that most people will never really bother experiencing.

The IFS will provide a better "bang for the buck" in terms of drivability, capability, and comfort over a wider range of terrains with a moderate suspension lift than you'd get with a simple lift on a Jeep. I'm not trashing the Jeep of the benefits of a solid front axle, rather pointing out that while the SAS is a much better "hardcore crawler" set-up, the IFS/RSA combination makes for a far better off-roader/expedition set-up since it addresses a wider range of terrain and obstacles when off-roading/on-roading; which realistically is what 95% of the owners of off-road vehicles are really doing. I think anyone who's had their teeth rattled out driving in a Jeep on-road and off-road vs. something like a built 4Runner will appreciate the differences in those respects.

All in all, I'm just saying that while you don't get much in return in terms of inches of lift/tire clearance with a lift; what you do get a is a stronger, better adjusted suspension that will provide capability, comfort, and control to the 4Runner. It's not always about inches of clearance, you can slap on a 12" bracket lift on a pick-up, slap on 38's and it won't be more capable and better off-road than a stock 4Runner if you don't understand the dynamics you're changing on the suspension.

You're not wrong about a good driver being able to stretch a stock 4Runner vs. a lifted/modified one. There's an impressive video going around about a very skilled guy running a lightly modified Subaru Legacy sedan through MOAB. But again, it also comes down to how much abuse that suspension will be taking. I can almost guarantee you that if you're running relatively quick through a trail, even a moderate simple one, those factory shocks will be heating up pretty quick and losing their effectiveness combined with the softer stock springs; these vehicles were built more for road than significant off-roading in terms of suspension tuning.

Also I went through about 3 factory "skid plates" (they are gravel shields really) before I got a RCI Group Buy, they are flimsy and after a couple off-road sessions would be so smashed and bent up that I'd have to pry them off the frame to get them off (they did protect the differential and such though for one-use skids lol)

~

As for the OP, how craggy is this road we're talking about? While it road like crap I took my 4th gen out off-roading with only a SW Front bumper and the stock XREAS system, it hung with most of the lifted guys for most of the trail as it wasn't super aggressive where I needed a combination of lift/clearance/travel to get through obstacles. Aside from bending the crap out of the stock running boards, it did fine. You may want to invest in a decent lift and tires and learn to take proper lines and manage a trail better than weigh down the vehicle with skids at this point if money is an issue. Or better yet perhaps invest in an off-road driving course if they have them in your area; that may be a better "bang for the buck" in this case?

Most of the roads I plan on going on are paved with large cobble 8x10" and up rocks. The occasional 24' wide 10" tall 20" deep rock in the middle of the road, creek crossings with similar rock sizes. In the scheme of things, it isn't too hard or aggressive minus the steepness issues, but there is risk of damage. As for classes, I'm not sure who is putting them on, but yes, it would definitely be good to be taught how to do certain things. Youtube definitely shows a lot of what to and not to do, so there is that. So far, I'm hanging in with the Jeep crowd because the terrain hasn't been that crazy, and I don't plan on crawling over rock gardens, so there is that. Not sure what rock gardens look like where you are, but the one I have seen was at an ORV park and the rocks were easily 4 man rock in a pile 12' wide by 200'. One could safely say, I'm more overlanding vs rock crawling. Maybe one day, a light lift, but armor and driving skills will pay better dividends.

 

[Cincyvol]

That's what I built mine to do. I have not seen a skid that's for a 4runner just for the rear crossover/tcase. Trail Gear makes one for the FJ Cruiser.

I copied it.

This looks great. Has anyone tried the Trail Gear version on a 5th gen?