Hey, I have run often with the tin factory skidplate and bumpers removed from both my 95 PU and 89 4R. I always looked at the powersteering hoses, ADD wires, bottom of the rad sticking out and thought "very soon I will rip something off" but never did. I have fixed it right on my 4R with the body lift/bumper/plate combo but still see lots of trucks with the factory stuff removed and they are getting wheeled. Anyone really made a mess of things running with the front end naked?

 

I tore my skid up bad on my 04 on some rocks, and took it off, I ran without for some time, and never made to much of a mess of things. I now have replaced the skids, and am good to go.

 

yeah i wondered that, too. Mine doesn't fit after my lift and it always worries me what I'm gonna put a hole through

 

I don't have one either and have had no problems

 

I removed mine after a Death Valley run where it got eaten by rocks for a week. One of the bolts sheared off. It doesn't even line up any more. Since then I've lifted the truck and am sitting on 33's now... haven't met any angry rocks sitting at this height, but with the new bumper and sliders I'm willing to do some harder stuff.

Thanks for the good reminder that I should be looking into replacement skids!

 

My Budbuilt is beat to hell.

I imagine it would have been VERY expensive to run without it...

 

Wheeling without it is like baseball without a cup, you can do it but I wouldn't recomend it!

 

x2...how important are the family jewels to ya?

 

sure makes a lot of sense to have one. here's the link to the budbuilt stuff:

http://www.budbuilt.com/new/ifs.html

 

I took mine off about 10 years ago and never got around to putting it back on...


I'm going to make a custom one though when I get around to it. The stocker wouldn't go on anymore anyhow.

 

i run my 88 with no skid palte witha 3" body lift and it is fine.
but right now im converting my old skid plate into a plate that will mount against my rad so i wont have to worry