midiwall

I'm looking for a skidplate that would run from the stock rear plate to the 3rd crossmember in a 3rd gen. My goal is to find something that's bolt-on, not overly costly, and would generally protect my swaybar and header crossover pipe.

WATRD had suggested Rockstomper, but he's not doing them anymore.

Mad Chemist had a suggestion on Sunday and I forgot. (Sorry David!)


Thanks for any ideas!

Mark

KevyWevy

i bet david suggested trail carnage. not sure if that spelling is correct, casue im stupid and can't spell.

midiwall

Ahhhh! That's who it was!

Thanks Kevin!

Mark

loosehead

I believe Off Road Solutions (ORS) in Colorado is also making some. You'd have to use the flashing green thing to find the thread...

midiwall

Found it! (ref: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...threadid=17317) And I now remember reading it when it was new (but before I was interested in them).

Wow $250 plus shipping to add 50+lbs to my front end. Crap.

I'll have to sit on this one... Good thing that the general bashing-around season is about over up here.

There weren't any pics of the plate before install, so I dunno if there are strengthening ribs or not, but if it's "just" a steel plate, that seems really pricey. I understand that people are paying the price, and that I could be paying more if my crossover pipe gets whacked... hmmm, I'll be sitting and thinking for a while.


Thanks Jayson.

keisur

it also looks like a cumbersome lump of steel to have to remove for service and routine maintenance. but the benefits may outweigh that inconvenience.

Flygtenstein

If you wheel rocks with IFS, the belly skid will make life a lot more enjoyable.

I have wheeled with the ORS one and with the Trail Carnage one. Both seemed satisfactory and took the same lumps as my Rockstomper that has adjustments.

The ORS one is BEEFY, period. I would buy that and never look back.

My belly pan, one 6 foot long monster of a plate, weighs better than 80 pounds and makes oil changes a bear. The good side it is takes abuse and saved both my oil pan and my tranny more than a dozen times this summer all across the southwest.

midiwall

Yeah... I read all of your comments over in the other thread. Let me thank you now (that _I_ care!) for your insight.

My main concern right now is that with the addition of headers to my truck (Downey's) then the crossover pipe is sitting below the transfer case. It's high enough that it won't drag on something ad-hoc, or become the point of a high-center, but if I come off of say, a stump, then it's just "something major" that can pick up easy damage by a pointed rock.

Here in the PNW, we don't have the rocks climbing that you guys do. We spend a lot more time in rock _washes_, mud, inclines, off-camber rutts, etc.


At this point, I see myself waiting out the winter without making a decision.

StoryR

wow Mark, by the looks of your sig, it seems as though you have a whole new rig

holy mother...that all rhymed!!!

LOL, anyway, things with the 4runner are good for me, no more "starter" problems...lol, finally got my cb tuned by a friend, and I am in the market for new shoes

midiwall

Oh, it's become a bit fun these days!


Personally, I buy mine at like CostCo or Payless. I blow through shoes pretty quick and gave up on thinking that expensive ones last longer.




Cool on the starter and the CB tuning! Once we're back "in season", you'll have to come out with us on a ride dude!

loosehead

Hey Mark-

I was thinking some more about it, and remembered (then searched) and found these skids by DeMello Offroad. Something like this may also work. Personally, I'm not sure I would hack out my crossmember, but this may be a very good design, once it gets trail-proven...

The only other I have seem is Jeff the marmot's home-made Aluminium belly skid. I looked a little on his website but couldn't find many details.

Something to think about (this winter ) is making your own, or having it fabbed by a local welder. Aluminium would cost more but save a lot on weight...I need to look at all of these pictures again, and maybe print some of them and crawl under my truck and ponder...