RCI Transfer Case Skid Plate

After reviewing a few youtube videos regarding installs of the RCI transfer case skid, I believe my exhaust pipe would fit. The reason I say that is that compared to other trucks, and images that I have seen, the exhaust pipe on my truck looks wider and flattened a bit, which may or may not have been my fault while off-roading... (I actually do not know if it was bent due to going over a dirt berm or if it came stock like that)

If those who see this, can take a look at the images below and toss in their opinion, it would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Here is a screen grab from the install video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98FWNd-OSTI @ 4:00




Here are the images of my truck

 

Stock like that. Just get exhaust re route done and add flat skid. Like this

 

I second rerouting the exhaust and getting a flat skid. I regret not doing that a lot.

 

x3 ^

 

Any images of what yours looks like?

 

Here's mine:



And RCI offers a flat version of their skid. That's what I'm running.

 

So that’s the “exhaust reroute” option?

 

That it is. It might be minimal to some, but with that slight modification, you don't have to worry about getting hung up on that 2 inch skid plate bump.

 

Yeah I see the point. For me I do mostly forest trails and have maybe bumped it twice and snagged once going over a berm. I like the exhaust re route idea although I may not go that route.

 

Your pipe is perfectly normal. I run the Rci skids with stock pipe, no problems.

 

Here is mine (CBI, not RCI, but nearly the same damn thing), some photos before 35's. I don't have better photos handy but it gets the point across.

I snag that damn dropdown on a lot of things. At the end of the day, it just really depends how and where you will use your truck. If you are hitting just fire roads, and not really throwing your truck over rocks often, you'll get away with the stock exhaust route and the skids. When I first put these on, I was really chicken to cut anything on a relatively new truck, but boy have things changed. I also thought I would too chicken to throw my truck over rocks for a longer period of time, but that also fell apart quickly. Hence why I regret not just rerouting the exhaust and getting the clean, flush skids.

Also, as someone who has CBI skids, I wish I went RCI, so another +1 to your choice

 

Pics don't load unfortunately.

Do you know the point of the cross bars below the cat converters? Is it just supporting the frame cross member? Do I lose any structure secureness if I remove them for the skids?

 

Dang, I’ve got my RCI skids still in the box (waiting for a few more bits). Should have looked into that reroute before ordering the stock routing transfer case skid. RCI has 20% off right now.. Tempting.

 

I did the re-route and the flat RCI ski plates, and am glad I did.

I was in Moab this past week, drove over a 1 foot shelf, dropped the truck on the skids, right about where the exhaust bump would be. Then driving off it, scraped the skid plate for about 6 inches. Would've been a real pain if the bump was there, not sure how I would've driven off it, the bump might have prevent forward movement.

 

I have the RCI transfer plate. From the photos it will fit fine. I'm actually going to Uninstal my plate and add some 1/4 inch nylon spacers. I want to lower it and get it away from the exhaust more. It makes a terrible rattle when you get rocks or debris wedged between them.

If I had it to over, flat with reroute.

 

Follow Eric's advise. Do this right. I didn't think it through. RCI is great about exchanging products. FYI I do not work for them. I just happen to live 9 miles from them.

 

I do believe that they are structural members, for there was nothing else mounted to them other than the frame. One of my guesses is that they were there to box the frame in and make it act as a torque box. Though now that I think of it, they are hat sections ... typically that is more of a bending load piece. The skid plates actually tie into where the members were, so that helps, but: If they were intended to tie the frame in for torsion (for side loads), sending the load through plates is fine, but if it was truly for bending, most of the structural intent of those pieces is lost.

That being said, *knock of skid*, I haven't seen anyone report catastrophic failures on 2G/3G tacos because of running skids.

 

According to RCI they are not structural, only there to protect the catalytic converters. When you look at how they're mounted and to what, it makes sense.

 

They aren’t actually. Resident 3rd gen garage engineer @3JOH22A can explain better than me, but they’re basically just cat protection.

 

Well, TIL! Good to know.