I'm looking into getting a skid plate for my 95 4runner. I'm not trying to go rock crawling or anything so I don't need a full body one. Just one that will push mud and water rather than allowing a lot of water to go into my engine compartment.

 

My current skid is perf 14g aluminum. Ive got my cooler bolted to it.

Crappy shot. I have a 3/16 skid under the diff i sandwiched the tin with.

This is an area that beefier is better, thicker material needs less bracing.but if your set on thin. A couple 2x4s, c clamps and a mallet give good bends to 14g steel.

Fwiw my plan is to go 3/16 plate and do somthing about the cooler either e fan or manual swap

 

Cardboard, matte knife, aluminum diamond plate........ oh and a machine shop made the bends. I other words DIY......

 

That is definitely something I will be able to do. I have a good family friend that owns a shop that might be able to do the bends for me, thanks for the tip!

 

I will look into the cooler bolted to the skid plate.

 

If you can avoid it. My cooler is too big for behind the grill without ditching the ac so got shoved dowb there. It does work well though. No mud to clog it here in socal

 

Dude! First things first, a skid plate needs to be able to support the full weight of the vehicle at MINIMUM... Because when you smash something a 5 or even 15mph its going to have to widthstand much more then just the weight of the vehicle. 14g aluminum spaning a distance like that isnt going to support 500lbs much less a 2,000lbs front end in any circumstances. Sooo.... its not a skid plate, its a decretive useless thingy.

 

Did we switch to pirate? It works for me. Its advice, i did rec a heavier plate. Some people manage to keep their rigs from falling into the holes you apparently cant avoid.
End of rant

 

It works becuase you have never used it friend And no its not pirate, nobody name calling or slandering. Why not build it out of steel a little more "structural" and skin it with aluminum. Not just relying on a sheet of aluminum.

 

BUDBUILT

 

Wow, such hate. It's a 'skid plate' not an 'I just hit a rock at 20 and now it's toast plate'.

More realistically, it's an 'I have a big space under my bumper and I want to deflect air around the front suspension so I lose as little mileage as possible' plate.

One might actually be surprised how much weight 1/4" aluminum with 90* returns on the edges can support if it's not hit with sudden force.