Is What I Have a "skid plate"?

Dumb question, but... I just bought a 12 DBC v6 4WD SR5. I am not a hard core off roader, but will use the truck ocassionally off road (no boulder climbing). No lifts in my future - only stock. Under my truck is what appears to be a black skid plate underneath the front of the engine or sort of??? Is this enough protection for mild off road use? Is it really a skid plate? I appreciate your kind opinions.

 

It is a skid plate, but of course some people who have aftermarket 1/4" steel skid plates will just laugh at it and call it a skid plate wannabe.
I have the same factory skid plate and it works for me because I don't do heavy off-roading.

 

I found it worked fine in the winter and for no offroading. It saved me one day when I couldn't avoid hitting a bunny.

 

Colin- do you have any sort of skid plate on your fuel tank? The more I look at this truck the more and more I get pissed off. My front diff is wide open to everything and there is nothing on the tank. I cannot believe they wouldn't put something there since we got 4X4.

 

There is nothing on the fuel tank or anywhere else. My 93 4WD toyota 4x4 truck had skid plates in every key location. Sad!

 

+1

It'll work to keep small branches from snagging hoses and wires.

 

75% of 4x4 buyers never venture further off-road than the mall.
95% of 4x4 buyers never venture off of fire roads and established trails.
2% of 4x4 buyers mod the shit out of their trucks and wouldn't be happy if the factory fully armored the thing top and bottom.


Welcome to the 3%.

 

Ive got a stock one in my garage you can have for $20 after that one takes a shit.

 

Look closely under your truck. That skid plate doesn't actually cover the engine. TRD Offroad package adds another skid plate that covers the engine and front diff, and a plastic shield under the fuel tank. On my truck there's also a steel plate covering the lowest point of the transfer case, though I'm not sure if that's on SR5s as well.

The plate is flimsy, sure. It's strength comes from the two C-channels bridging the first and second frame crossmember. Those C-channels are removed when you install an aftermarket skid plate.

 

I was under my '06 Off-Road TRD lubing the drive train a couple of days ago. It has a front skid plate and one under the gas tank. It also has a mini U-joint skid plate that makes lubing the front drive shaft a pain. The material of these is much thinner than the skid plate on my '87, which almost broke my nose once when I let it slip when taking it off to change the oil. I doubt that they would hold up to a rock but they do help to keep tumbleweeds and brush out.

 

The skid plate makes a nice sound when your trying to drive over a rock that is too big. Its more like a warning indicator then something that could support the truck scrapping on rocks.

 

Toyota calls it a cover

 

It seems to me that the exhaust is extremely vulnerable on my 12 off road. Why they put it that low in nearly the middle of the wheel base is beyond me. What are the best skids and which areas do you all recommend protecting first? I'll be adding armor 1 piece at a time as the budget allows and want to get the vitals covered first obviously. Any thoughts?

 

The crossover pipe re-route to behind the transfer case is popular mod. Most exhaust shops can do it easily.

A punctured crossover pipe won't leave you stranded, so armoring it is optional.

 

To bad your not in San Diego. I would highly recommend pelfreybilt.

 

More of a splash guard but it'll save you from light wear and tear off road.

 

after reading some of your comments.....a light bulb turned on in my head.....I've been wondering what to do with my 2 pieces of 2024T351 1/4" aircraft grade aluminium.....both pieces will work under the tranny and fuel tank as skid plates.....although I don't go off road very often...it'll be a handy bit of hardware to protect vital parts!

Thanks for the ideas.....now gotta measure up and draw up plans

 

I have that factory skid plate on mine too. I realize that to hardcore off-roaders it's lame, but I find it helps having it for what I do. Mostly off road hunting trails and dirt roads where i'm not going very fast. It stops weeds and mud from getting up there and protects the occasional low speed bottom out.

I recently took it off and sanded all the rust and repainted it with some Rustoleum primer and then bed liner spray. Looks better than it did before. In a couple years, I'm sure I will do it again when it looks like hell.

 

I'd call it more of a scuff plate/ metal splash guard. It'll deflect any minor contacts with rocks, debris, small animals to keep these things out of the engine bay. I wouldn't call it durable by any means though.