skid plate - why even put it back on if you dont go off roading??

[keakar]

on my tacoma i took the skid plate off then realized the radiator hangs down low so it was good "necessary" protection for it and i "think" i got about 1mpg less without it there so i put it back on.

just changed oil on my 4runner and unlike the tacoma, on the 4runner i see no reason for it, it ads no protection what so ever and all i can imagine is its there purely for aerodynamics and better hwy mpg.

i looked things over very carefully, and there is just no way anything you come accross driving on the road can hit anything under the 4runner except the frame rails or cross members if its not there at all. short of something shooting straight up in the air from under the truck such as a land mine i see nothing for the skid plate to do or protect anything from lol.

i put it back on "just in case" it helps with mpg but can anyone explain what it really does other then hide things from being seen or accessed when you go under the truck?

i "suppose" if you go rock climbing or drive over small to medium sized trees and thick bushes like you think you are driving a bull dozer it could help protect something but thats about it.

 

[techno]

I hit a deer a few years ago and the poor thing ended up nicely wedged directly under the skid plates and was still alive. I reversed off him and he jumped up and ran away. Without the skids, he would have got all mangled up.
Leave them on. They save deer. So they can be shot later on. Haha.

 

[duffdog]

They became popular in the 80's so that people couldn't just get under your engine with a wrench and steal parts really quick. Or see what performance parts you had installed.

I had the skid plate removed on my old 4runner, everything was great until a shredded semi-tire flew into the engine bay and took out all my belts.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Lots of things can be kicked up by the tires, such as small branches, that can gouge oil pans or hoses.

Why not leave it on? It weighs next to nothing and it's not in the way unless you're working under your engine every weekend. It's basically free protection. It may also act as a heat shield to keep your truck from setting dry grass on fire.

Besides, it just looks weird seeing the exposed front diff mounts sticking out.

 

[zidaro]

road debris!
and its only 4 bolts

 

[benztech82]

Less salt on the drive line in winter time ?

2005 V6 LTD 186k

 

[masphx]

They are also designed to help air flow under the rig so your mpgs might decline slightly with the oem ones off.

 

[keakar]

well i guess the "better" question was more about is it "really" doing anything or was it just precautionary ad-on rather then "should" i remove it, since i pretty much already came to the same conclusion of "it dont hurt nuthin to leave it on"

Lots of things can be kicked up by the tires, such as small branches, that can gouge oil pans or hoses.

Besides, it just looks weird seeing the exposed front diff mounts sticking out.

well obviously the 2wd are way way different because it covers and blocks nothing on a 2wd. nothing at all under there can be seen without the skid plate even if you lay on the ground right in front of the 4runner, the only thing that changes is you are able to see about 1/2" or so of the tranny cross member, thats just the viewing angle and not that the skid plate was blocking anything from hitting it.

They are also designed to help air flow under the rig so your mpgs might decline slightly with the oem ones off.

this is the ONLY reason i see for it being there on the 2wd, that and the one in a thousand freak thing gets kicked up under there while you are driving through the woods.

 

[NinjaOne]

Needed? No

Useful? Yes

It protects against road debris hitting important hoses, oil pan etc, could potential deflect excessive water away from the alternator when you hit a puddle rather sending it all straight up into the engine bay.

this is the ONLY reason i see for it being there on the 2wd, that and the one in a thousand freak thing gets kicked up under there while you are driving through the woods.

It still leaves the oil pan exposed to road debris + the alternator. Just as likely to get hit on the hwy at 60 mph vs in the woods. At hwy speeds a smaller object can do as much damage as a larger one offroad

 

[keakar]

It still leaves the oil pan exposed to road debris + the alternator. Just as likely to get hit on the hwy at 60 mph vs in the woods. At hwy speeds a smaller object can do as much damage as a larger one offroad

ummm, no it doesnt, not on 2wd anyway.

mine is its like a solid 2 piece floor pan, complete 100% covered all the way from radiator craddle all the way to the tranny oil pan, the ONLY opening is a 3"x4" area for draining oil from the pan and the drain bolt on the oil pan is a full 4 in above the skid plate so there is no way anything can get to the oil pan or especially anywhere near the alternator.

sounds like there is quite a big difference in a lot of things between 2wd and 4wd on the 4runners

now it may very well make a big difference in keeping the alternator clean and free from water coming off of the road so that alone is a pretty good reason to keep it on there.

 

[keakar]

i just had to replace my alternator and man o man that was a PITA :wtf:

i havent put the skid plates back on yet because im going to cut out an access hole in it to be able to remove and replace the oil filter without needing to drop the skid plate any more.

it needs to be cut out far enough so the oil doesnt drip all over the skid plate when removing the filter.

hopefully i can measure good enough to cut the hole out in it in the right place the first time lol

it just makes me shake my head that they didnt think to do this from the factory?

after all, they did it to let you get to the oil drain plug, so why didnt they do it for oil filter access as well?

 

[BackOff]

Another win for the V6...like the oil/filter change.
Worst part of the alternator install for V6 is getting the fan belt back on.

 

[keakar]

Another win for the V6...like the oil/filter change.
Worst part of the alternator install for V6 is getting the fan belt back on.

yep, i am so damn jealous of you guys with the oil filter right on top and the built in oil drain tray to catch any spilled oil. no reason in the world they shouldnt have done that on the v8 as well, engineers just being lazy i guess

 

[Prommy]

yep, i am so damn jealous of you guys with the oil filter right on top and the built in oil drain tray to catch any spilled oil. no reason in the world they shouldnt have done that on the v8 as well, engineers just being lazy i guess

Most likely they were being ignorant.

I've a friend who worked as an automotive engineer, and heard through him that there were more than a few engineers who knew next to nothing of maintenance and general automotive work. They tend to get those bolt-on sub-systems and are entirely ignorant of what it takes to access or manipulate filters, bolts, belts, etc. My friend once fired a guy for refusing to step foot in the factory to simply watch how the workers assembled the cars.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Most likely they were being ignorant.

I've a friend who worked as an automotive engineer, and heard through him that there were more than a few engineers who knew next to nothing of maintenance and general automotive work. They tend to get those bolt-on sub-systems and are entirely ignorant of what it takes to access or manipulate filters, bolts, belts, etc. My friend once fired a guy for refusing to step foot in the factory to simply watch how the workers assembled the cars.

LOL tell your friend not to hire or at least teach those engineers something himself.

Engineers do more than just part design.

 

[Shiftless Joe]

After replacing an alternator with bad bearings on my '07 v8, I'm putting the shield back on after having it off awhile; don't want to do that again as the stud bolt fought me the whole way.

I'm convinced the fine grit in road spray shortened its life.

 

[L8Shift]

i havent put the skid plates back on yet because im going to cut out an access hole in it to be able to remove and replace the oil filter without needing to drop the skid plate any more.

it needs to be cut out far enough so the oil doesnt drip all over the skid plate when removing the filter.

hopefully i can measure good enough to cut the hole out in it in the right place the first time lol

it just makes me shake my head that they didnt think to do this from the factory?

after all, they did it to let you get to the oil drain plug, so why didnt they do it for oil filter access as well?

I believe you can access the filter from the side, if you bend down the flap on the skid plate... lay some rags to catch the spillage..

 

[L8Shift]

I'm putting the shield back on after having it off awhile; don't want to do that again as the stud bolt fought me the whole way.

I'm convinced the fine grit in road spray shortened its life.

When I had the splash shield installed, I went with stainless bolts and gobs of anti-seize. Installed a riv-nut for the stripped out weld nut.

 

[Shiftless Joe]

When I had the splash shield installed, I went with stainless bolts and gobs of anti-seize. Installed a riv-nut for the stripped out weld nut.

I went back and read my post again, much confusion. Meant to say the stud bolt on the alternator backed out on me, damn near two hours of my life I'll never get back. That's why I'm throwing the skid back on, to keep the nasty road spray from rain off my alternator.

 

[keakar]

I believe you can access the filter from the side, if you bend down the flap on the skid plate... lay some rags to catch the spillage..

you can "reach it" but you cant prevent dumping gobs of oil all over the skid plate which drips everywhere for days after. its the oil that dumps out more then just being able to reach it. you can actually reach down from the top and change it if you have small arms and dont mind dumping a quart or more dirty oil all over everything everywhere.