Steel or Aluminum skid plates

Trying to figure out if its worth the extra $125 for the RCI aluminum skids vs steel and if they will hold up as good. Any info on real world experience helps.

Thanks

 

Myself, I went with the light aluminum instead of steel. Not going to be doing any technical off roading, steel won't get damaged like aluminum. I just want a little protection just in case I miss a log or stump when cutting firewood and bump something.
Duane

 

It all depends on how hard and where you will drive it. mine is the TRD From the fire sale this year but i am hoping that it will only be light duty stuff that I'm doing with it .

 

If your wheeling in rocks steel all the way. Aluminum won't hold up to abuse in the rocks.

 

I went with aluminum just want some extra protection from road debris and mild off roading, no rock crawling.

 

I went with aluminum to protect the truck from high centering and mis haps. I dont do rocks on purpose so the extra weight of steel wasnt worth it for me.

 

Steel.

Aluminum stops you when you encounter rocks. Steel will let you slide over the rocks.

It won't be 5 lbs difference between the 2 choices.

 

The aluminum skid is about 25 pounds lighter per RCI description. If your not dealing with rocks go aluminum, if rocks are an issue go steel. Or just buy the one you want! Lol.

 

No, it won't be 5 pounds, it'll be 40 lbs +. The IFS skid alone is 30 lbs difference.

 

Like mentioned previously, if you're planning oh hitting forest road, mud or drive on the beach, just go with aluminum. That's what I did initially....
Then I discovered AOAA and Rausch Creek in Pa, trashed the heck of my aluminum skids on rocks, and then promptly switched to steel... So the whole thing ended up costing me way more than double the price of steel alone
And the trip that broke my aluminum TC skid (among other things)
Sorry for photo spam

So yeah, if you're not planning on hitting rocky trails, aluminum might be option...

 

I went steel.. I don't do any serious rock crawling, but here in Mass the trails can go from dirt/ gravel road, to hidden rocks/ rocky in a matter of seconds. First time I went out I was stock (Wildpeaks) and I had a lot of butt clenching moments when I was hitting some rocks.. Tried my best to avoid them but not always possible. That was the trip that prompted me to get SOS sliders and the trio of steel skids. I've smacked them already and nothing but a scuff. Little paint and good as new.
I vote steel - better to have it and be protected, but ultimately depends on what you're doing/ where you're driving. I didn't notice any difference in drivability from the weight at all.. OV Tuned shortly after but still..

 

/thread

 

I should have said I put a skid plate under my gas tank, not a front skid plate.
Duane

 

Hey man if you're terribly worried about an extra 30 pounds on the front skid alone, wheel in a speedo take a crap and remove all extra stuff not neccessary to survive ( like random stuff you keep in the vehicle) I'm all about doing what makes sense for me. I've seen several aluminum skids crack or completely tear. Also seen aluminum hold up to some beatings. All depends on where you are exploring and how you plan to use your vehicle.


That being said I got a decent deal on my bamf skid.

 

Dang, slow'er down, bro!

 

I have the RCI aluminum front/mid skids. They're cool and worth the money, but it's not steel. I've dragged them across rocks and they're holding up ok. At some point you just gotta accept the limitations of the material and understand that they're a consumable item, like tires and brake pads. If you use them a lot, eventually you'll be replacing them.

 

Steel...

 

I'd only do aluminum if I was doing it for looks.

 

I got an aluminum mobtown skid because it was on sale and I don't do any hardcore offroading.

It's perfect if you aren't planning on dragging it all over rocks, keeps branches and stumps and whatnot from getting where they don't belong.

Other benefits are light weight means it's easy to remove and reinstall solo when needed, and aluminum doesn't rust which is a big bonus in salt country.

 

There are a few sandy strips on that route where I had to floor it, too. Just feels right.