I recently moved to Missoula, Montana, and I have options to buy nearly identical 4Runners. Are skid plates front and rear standard for 4wd [model year 2000] vehicles? If NOT -- one of the two has skid plate on front only, one I have no information about skid plates --

1. Would you advise having rear skid plate installed?

2. If YES to #1, have Toyota dealer install, or buy something after market? If AFTER MARKET, please identify what to buy. How many dollars am I looking at to invest?
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3. I do not care for having the spare tire beneath the truck. Is there tire carrier that allows spare tire to ride on the back of the truck, pivoting out of the way to allow trunk door to open? If NOT, is there any carrier that gets the tire from beneath the truck while not taking storage from the interior of the truck?

 

Rear (by the spare tire) never had a standard skid - unless you are talking about the transfer case skid. Fronts are standard. There should be two.

You can get all sorts of aftermarket ones. What will you be using the vehicle for?

I don't think I have ever seen a rear skid. Just a beefier rear bumper. No need for a rear skid IMO.

 

theres a skid plate that protects the gas tank...is that what you mean by rear?

 

I assume he is refering to the front 2 as front and rear, the one that mounts under the radiator being the "front" and the one that mounts under the the steering rack as the "rear".

You definitely want both of the fronts if you go off road, mine have been HAMMERED. Look on the classified sections here and on TTORA and you should find it no prob. and a lot cheaper than new, also, it is only 2 bolts so do it yourself, don't bother with the dealer. Aftermarket is much better, but if you don't plan to offroad much, don't bother. Check out www.budbuilt.com.

You can buy an aftermarket off road rear bumper with a swing out tire carrier but that isn't usually cheap. I think you can get one that slides into the hitch receiver but then you can't swing it out to access the hatch. I suppose you could strap it on the roof...

 

I'm not sure what I mean. Front skid plate would protect transaxle/differential, I assume. Would rear differential have same protection?

I never looked hard at my 1992 Isuzu Trooper to verify about ANY skid plates, but, then, I didn't live in western Montana at the time.
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The reason for my concern is that I will be shopping for rural property in the Bitterroot Valley. Thirty-five miles from anywhere, winter having dumped 50 inches of snow, is not a good time to need the protection of a skid plate I don't have.

 

Rear diff doesn't have a skid plate. You get the front (two peice deal), there is a small one that bolts over the bottom of the transfer case, and there is one on the bottom of the gas tank that is thoroughly unimpressive. I think that is it.

 

You could get, or make, a diff skid for the rear. They kinda look like cages that cover the bottom of the diff. I'd worry most about the front skid, T-case skid, and the Gas tank skid. Especially the gas tank skid. That's a bummer of a thing to puncture.