Looks like the arm end doesn't have anything horizontal to drill & tap. Kinda need an "L" bracket that attaches vertically to the rear arm pivot and then provides a horizontal attachment point for the skid. This could provide the extra support that is needed for the rear pivots, w/o adding 12lbs to your truck. Just brainstorming.

 

I was actually thinking the same thing. The skid already has holes in the rear so attaching it to "special" brackets or a simplified truss would be awesome. The S.S. truss is nice and it should work but I don't really like the idea of drilling holes through a big square (sealed) tube.

Bud should fab something of his own. Seems like it would be fairly easy too. Bud, come on, i know you would sell a lot of "them".

 

Where the truss mounts, the tube is NOT sealed. It is in a pocket where the lower control arm mounts.

 

I may be wrong, but I think he was referring to drilling into the truss to bolt the skid plate to it.

BTW, (I) We need to be more patient with Bud. We kinda overwhelmed him. I called and emailed him to see if he was sending out tracking info. The original deal was for them all to get shipped to the same location and be the same 3rd gen/taco skids. This grew much bigger, and mine is a 1st gen, so I'll have to wait a little 'til it's fabbed & shipped. That may be the case with others as well.

 

Just wanted to say THANKS to all who ordered.
BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Total tally was 21 different people ordering 42 parts. THANKS!!!
I just wanted to remind folks that we had agreed to discount 5 or 10 Taco/3rd gen skidplates and ship them ALL TO ONE LOCATION. This huge response has caused a bit of a bubble here. We do not have a huge warehouse full of these things ready to go, yet.

All but 2 Taco/3rd gen runner front skids should ship by Wednesday. We ran out of the ones with drain holes but are cutting them in the remaining ones so we can ship them out. All Taco/3rd gen runner bellypans will ship by Wed. too.
1st and 2nd gen stuff will be a bit longer. As promised, we are working on them in the order we took them with the following exception: Right now, I'm the only one of the 4 of us here that can weld and finish these up so anything that requires no welding will ship faster. Does that make sense? I wish I could tell you they were all gonna be on your porch today.
But they will all be shipped by the end of Apr for sure.

Thanks again and thanks for the understanding and patience.
Bud and crew

PS I think we need a "tired" smilie

 

Bud: I'm so sorry, I jumped in this as of late and didn't realize that they needed to be to a single address for distribution. I also assumed that if you'd do 20% off for 10 plates that you wouldn't mind more or I would have limited it to the first 10 to sign up.

Again, I apologize for the screwup, and if I need to, then I will regretfully give up my discount on the skid/belly combo to help make up for it.

 

86Original, you may be right. Didn't think about that.

All bow to the allmighty Bud. I know I don't mind waiting for any Budbuilt product. From what I've seen, all your stuff is well made and worth the wait!

 

Bud,

I believe I can speak for everyone in thanking you for this group buy and discount. Any delays is completely understandable and no one should be rushing you for these parts. I don't think Andy or you expected such a large response to this group buy.

I hope this went or is going well with you and that you would entertain future group buys.

 

No Problems! Esp Andy! Who knew?!?! More is better it is just taking more time.
We'll do it again sometime! Maybe, 2054?!?!?!

Maybe see you guys at Tellico in a few weeks? Can a Taco join the 4Runner fun? I'm gonna need a vacation soon!

 

you should meet up with us, even if it is just for a day. drop me an email if it looks like you can make it on Friday or Saturday.

 

Yeah Bud you certainly do deserve a break, more than most of us. You could meet up with us in Asheville and drive the rest of the way with my group/caravan. Tellico will be a great place to see the fruits of your labor take some abuse.

P.S. Please discount all my babble about "where's mine" I ment nothing by it, justplaying around. I have no issues with waiting for quality.

 

I received an email via Bud with FedEx Ground tracking and my belly pan should be delivered tomorrow.

Installation question:

I'm trying to visualize how to install the skid and belly pan. Would you bolt the skid and belly pan together first. Then raise the skid and loosely bolt the front, move to the back, raise the belly pan, loosely bolt. Once everything is properly fitted, tighten down the bolts.

Thanks.

 

OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ian, you must be a REAL man to lay on your back and press 100+ pounds and 7' of steel with one hand, and install hardware with the other!

Just messing with ya Ian but once you are on your back and the skid on your chest, you will understand!

Us mere mortals should install the front bolts loosely in the front skid first. Then push it up ( a jack really helps ) and use the allen wrench stuck thru the hole in the skid to find the stock holes in the frame. Then push it up into place, and install the flat head screws.
The steering rack brace doesn't work quite right on some trucks, so we're sending a large square washer to help clamp it into place. I'll have pics up tomorrow of the fix and install. Thanks to Steve S for helping me with it!
Once the front skid is on, then the belly can go up. It can go over the top of the front skid or under it. See which way it fits best. Then, 2 grade 5 carriage bolts up thru the first crossmember, with flat washers up on top and the locking nut to finish it off. Then, repeat in the back with 2 or 3 bolts.
Does that help?
Bud

 

hey bud, i have emailed you a couple times trying to confirm that you got my shipping address correctly... can you verify that you have?



Thanks... just want to give the receiver the heads up!

 

Oh hell no.

I was thinking of raising the plate with my floor jack enough to get the front bolts in and then move it to the back and raise the pan up and bolt in. However, your directions sound better. Thanks.

 

Just got my crossmember, this thing is HOT!!! Bud, what else do you make that will work on my 85?

 

Has anybody mounted up the steering rack brace? I'm curious how the install went because it looks like it uses two of the bolts that bolt on the steering rack. Bud, maybe you have some pics of the brace mounted up?

 

got the shipping confirmation yesterday and scheduled for delivery today. both plates weigh a total of 55#. not too bad.

 

The brace on my skid doesn’t seem to make it to the steering rack. When I moved the brace forward I still had about a inch in between the brace and rack. If I decide I need the brace I might change the rack bolts to longer studs and mount that way, but since I have the belly pan I don’t think it will be much of a problem for me. This for a 2003 Tacoma.

 

I had the exact same problem on the one I installed on a 2003 Tacoma D-Cab as well. That truck has good factory rear skid mounts so I did not worry about it, but I did call Bud and tell him. Same distance off.