This is the latest project for my Taco. As some of you may know the transfer case on Tacos sticks out like a sore thumb. There are no plans in the future for a SAS and 35's so I've been trying to beef her up in the meantime while running my 32's. I threw alot of ideas around until settling for this one. Most of the skids I have seen tie into the passenger frame rail but I'm going with something a little different. Time will tell how it wheels. Even with the two mounts it's pretty freakin stout so I'm confident it'll hold. I currently have the third mounting point bolted directly to the transfer-case in two stock locations. Material is 3/16. I'll try to get more pics downloaded tomorrow as I am getting close to paint and bolt-up. Just some minor welding and grinding to go.
Here's the stock t-case skid.

Starting out with the cross-member mount and bottom plate.


After a day of angles and figuring out what I wanted.


Here she is mounted without the frame mount

Got the side mount configured - similar to the crossmember.


After adding more metal and getting ready for final welding. I probably should have kept the side to one piece but I buid 'em as I go so the design just kept morphing. It's all about the weld-prep.

 

Looks good!

 

Nice work!

 

Very nicely done.

 

Love it!

 

more pics of that gas tank???

That looks awesome!

 

Got some more pics downloaded
Here's some pics of the crossmember mount and the frame-rail mount


Side profile - early in the process.


Got the majority of the metal in place and welded. You can also see the mount that goes to the transfer-case.

 

There's more here

http://s106.photobucket.com/albums/m253/affinis/skids/

 

nice job with the custom cross member. At first before i looked harder it looked like it was just attach to the stock cross member and not the frame either. I really need a new cross member for my 4runner even thoguh it is just a dd now thta i have my 81. But ya custom crossmembers are beef your looks good. Stock ones suck, there is pics of mine floating around on here and on pirate that someone always post after they get in an arrgument about how stong the stock crossmember is lol. They bend like foil.

 

Got some more work done today. I'm doing away with the transfer-case mount after all. The updated design will allow the transfer-case to move independent from the skid. Sooooooo I chopped off the transfer-case mount. Reconfigured the exhaust hangers and then cut some plate to bring the skid over to the pass. frame rail. I couldn't come straight over like I had hoped due to the exhaust/cat hanging too low. No biggie - I just put another angle in.

Here's the hanger mod.

Here's a couple with the new plate. Now to figure out how to beef up that long piece.

 

nice!

 

nice job!

id be suprised if the part under the tcase ever bends! to stiffen up the long piece. weld a small piece of anle iron on each end and maybe one in the middle. then it wont go anywhere!

 

definetly an awsome skid plate great job

 

Got some more work done today - finally!!! Decided to put a fat gusset at one of the more critical stress points. Need to to some final welding and also stick some angle along the long plate section going to the pass. frame rail.


[IMG][/IMG]

 

sweet work, looks real good.