hey all i just got the new ORS skid plates installed yesterday and i must say they are cool, very heavy duty and extremely well made. i will be trail testing them on sunday up at chinaman's gultch so i will let you know how they do but im certain they will work awesome im not sure on the cost so if your intrested give mike at Off Road Solutions a call and he will quote you one on a side note i must say that i believe mike and the whole crew at ors do some of the best work in colorado and i highly recomend them! ill report back after the weekend and let me know if you want me to post some more pics
kerry

 

Can you tell us more details as to what it's made out of, how it connects to the frame, how thick the cheet metal is, if there's anything protruding down, like it looks like some rivets do on the front top, etc? Let us know the details if you can.

Chris

 

mike and grant used dom tubing for the outside frame but im not sure what size it looks to be about 1.5" and 3/16 plate steele on the bottom and front. it uses all the factory holes to bolt up with. the front cover is removeable and intended as access for oil changes as well as inspection. the rivet looking things are actually allen bolts he went to great lengths to keep every thing nice and tight to the frame so nothing sticks out anywhere note the radiator protection built on to the end. the transfer case skid plate is of a similar design except he used 1/4" plate instead of 3/16 he believed the transfer case needed a little extra! on the front skid there is also some extra bracing just behind the radiator support here is kind of a side shot!

 

here's a pic from the back side

 

Man, why the heck did they choose allen keys? I hate them things. I like the design of it, and I was wondering what kinds of supports exist on the top sides of the plates on top of the sheet metal, in the even you hit the center of the plate on a rather small sturdy rock?

The front support look way beafier than any other plate I've seen out there so far. I like that!

Where are the locations of the bolts that secure it to the frame? Do they using a bushing of any sort to prevent metal to metal rubbing?

Thanks again man,

Chris

 

chris i think they used allens so if they get hit with rocks you wont wear off the sides of the bolts with an allen you dont have to worry about that as far at the supprt goes the dom tubing runs along both sides and due to the thicknes of the steel and the short span the result is solid steel across the full width of the plate im pretty sure i can stand the truck on the skidplate alone i will definitely get back to you after the trail test but i dont anticipate any issues here is a pic of the transfer case plate

 

It looks like the transfer case skid isn't welded to the tubes, but just bolted instead. Is this true?

Chris

 

hmmm...i guess these aren't made for muddin huh? Cuz i don't see any drainage holes or anything.

 

yes that is correct it would be a major PIA if it wasnt made that way as far as maientence is concerned that way when you have to work on it you dont have to take the whole thing out (it is very heavy about 60# id guess)just unbolt the plate and you are ready to go

 

there are a few holes fordrainage but im not sure about mud ? they didn't put alot of holes in them so they wouldnt hang as easily. here in colorado we dont have that much deep mud or at least the stuff that i tackle dosen't?

 

I wouldn't have thought having the bolts would have been a better approach to keeping the bolts from getting all messed up, because I guarantee with or without allen keys, they are going to get sheared off, don't you think? Even if they are rounded and semi flat! I just wonder after using the plates for a while if once they are bent up a tad they'll easy come unbolted and bolt right back up again?

I'm sorry for all the questions! You've been great!

Chris

P.S. Did ORS already do a lot of field testing on these?

 

I hear that. Those must be made for the West. East coast road salt and mud/debris would make rusty messes of those before long.

I'm "working" with Bud @ Budbuilt about a front skid/belly pan/cross member for the 2nd Gen Automatics. (He's working, I'm giving feedback )

Here's a sneak peak.

 

Those are totally different too! Lots of different ideas, that's for sure. How does the plate that goes above the swaybar integrate with the plate that goes under the crossmember?

Chris

 

they only had them on one other taco so i am sort of the field test for the third gen. they fit so tight to the frame i dont think i will have too much of a shearing bolt problem but i will definitely get back to you if i do. additionally im not sure you could even get enough side pressure on what little is exposed to shear the bolt off in the first place but im no mechanical engineer either. as far as after they get beat up a little and whether they will go back in will definitely be a good test (there are pretty good tollerances on the holes so i dont think that it will be an issue but i will let you know if it is)but as i said before because of the construction and materials i dont suspect they will bend much or even at all. we'll see? well ok maybe a little? im trying to be real!

 

Please keep us posted after your trip! I'd love to see how they hold up! I like most of the features, except for the stinking allen bolts!

Thanks for all the prompt replies,

Chris

 

no problem have a great day
kerry

 

Just another quick comment, but I can easily see this slid as easily having the strongest side of any of them with the incorporation of the tubing. I really like that aspect!

Chris

 

They obviously picked allen keys because ORS is a shoddy shop that has no idea what they are doing.

The allens looked to be out of the way, I have never hit my plate up there. They also appear to serve the function of getting in there to work on things. I have to drop 85 pounds on my belly and roll out from under the truck to dream of seeing that stuff with my belly pan.

 

I sense some sarcasm there! I'll keep quiet until we here back from his trail run, but you're probably right!

Chris

 

Kerry,

One thing I didn't see you respond to Chris on, but are there any type of bracing supports on top of the plates at all?

About the transfer skid, I couldn't tell, but does it extend back to the cross member behind it?

How about a wider angle picture as taken from one side of the truck?

I'm going to have to meet you at some point to check this thing out. Hopefully, it passes the tests.