This was in the bed of my Toyota when I bought it...The guy said its for the radiator...but to me it looks like a diff skid of somesort. Here are th ebest pictures I have of it. Any help wold be really appriciated!!

 

The center are does look like "weld on" diff armor. The rods coming out off that throw me off,I guess it could cover the bottom of the radiator... It looks like something custom fabbed..

 

Its made by RANCHO...if that helps

 

If it is supposed to go on the truck, I agree that it looks like a diff guard. But the design makes little sense for that. Why have those outside bars to hang up on stuff? I dunno...

Maybe it protects the muffler throwout bearing?

 

yea im not sure....Funny with the muffler throw out bearing *rollseyes*

 

The more I look at it, the more I agree it's some kind of diff guard. You can see how the brackets on the ends would sit under the axle, and those holes are possibly for the u-bolts. The notch on the longer end could perhaps be for one of the "fins" that runs up the third on the axle housing. I could see how it would work, but I still can't understand why you'd risk those bars catching on something. That could cause problems...

Maybe someone who's used one will chime in...

Ok, maybe not muffler throwout bearing sheild. Maybe it's a thermal weevil valve protector?

 

Still cant figure this out...here is a number I found stamped on the back

RANCH 1718-1

 

It is a Rancho Diff guard. The U-bolts that go around the tubes to hold it on are missing.

 

Sweet! So all I have to do are find some ubolts and im good to go. Thanks man.

 

Yea it's a rear diff cover and the bars mount to the ends of the axle housing. I had one come on a truck I had. All it really did was rattle and drive me crazy. I would cut the bars off and weld the diff guard in place.

 

Its an axle truss.

 

Finally, someone got it. Yep it's a bolt on axle truss. Kind of ineffective. If it were mine, I'd cut it up and find something else to do with the metal.