Which skid plate brand?

Just picked up a 2005 DCLB TRD Sport with 137 000km this weekend. Needs some A/T tires and some armor! I'm even missing the stock TRD skid plate.

What do people recommend for a front/IFS skid plate? I'm debating between the big names (relentless/AllPro/Bud Built ...) but i'm having a hard time deciding which one would be best to go with, considering price?

I dont plan on 4x4ing the truck hard, but i'd like more protection than the TRD plate would allow. I don't foresee full underbody plates in the near future, just the front for now.

Recommendations?

 

Being in Canada I'd probably say go with whatever you can get to you cheapest.

I'm partial to Relentless but they're all nice, well... I will say I don't like bud's IFS without the rest, it kind of just hangs off, waiting to snag shit in reverse and bend

 

I'm close to the border so I'll be shipping to across the border and going to pick it up - not much of anything decent available here.

Good note on the bud built as I'll run just the IFS for a while. No quarrels with the All-Pro or Relentless then?

 

Well...

I believe the new all pros come in 3/16 not 7 gauge or whatever they were using, a little stronger and about the same as everyone elses.

Sounds like you don't really need 1/4 but a few companies offer it.

A lot of guys on here Bash All Pro and some of their products are lame, but they do a lot for the off road community and I wouldn't have any qualms about buying select products from them, just gotta know which to avoid. But hell even Marlin's bumpers get trash talked by some and he's the best in the business when it comes to a lot.

Anyway... I wouldn't have any problem buying a 3/16 ifs skid with their older style, as shown on their website. I have seen a new revision where the front kind of steps and I'm not sure I like it, aesthetically or functionally.

At any rate Relentless skids cover more side to side but I think they may hang just a TAD bit lower. Which I guess could be good in the event you do cave the skid in a little... depending on your view. But it's not too much more than any others.

I made my own out of 3/16 plate very similar to everyone elses and I've caved it in till it was touching the diff but not that big of a deal IMO. Did it's job.

At any rate just throwing it all out there to be fair and honest.

If there is a chance that down the line you may want full skids you may want to consider which full set you like the most as if you mix and match you may have to take on some custom fabrication to get them all to work together. I don't much care for all pro's mid or t-case skid. I will honestly say I think the Relentless t-case skid cannot be beat.

I think all the other IFS skids are pretty much the same, 3/16 plate (though I know Relentless and ATO -- if you can still order them??-- offer 1/4) and pretty much the same design with maybe a little more or a little less coverage.

Oh and again I don't like the way bud's skids mount, they mount over the stock brackets and it's kind of a goofy setup IMO. IMO not as strong as the rest.

So again... of the ones I like I would say consider the full set options and then price shipped to you.

One last thought

All Pro and Relentless both offer the exhaust crossover skid for the t-case so you don't have to re-route your exhaust if you don't want to if you get the t-case skid. I think this is the only option for All Pro, Relentless will build either way.

Not fond of ATOs t-case skid, not fond of all pros, uhh who else...?

That's about all I can remember for now.

 

Relentless is pretty good about minimizing exposed bolts on the full set too.

Also, Derrick of Famous Fabrication out of Vegas has a nice IFS skid if he's still selling them but I don't think has a full set, and it'd take a lot of extra work to mount any others up since he doesn't have any plate on the back at all. Still a nice IFS skid.

Sorry, lots of after thoughts, can you tell?


Price, options, design, needs, long term????

 

Matt123 is in Canada right? I got his skid plate and it is awesome. Look it up.

 

This guy is in Canada and is making armour for Toyota Landcruisers and more recently Tacomas

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6415010#post6415010

 

I got the Relentless full set.

 

Here's his website

http://www.cruisinoffroad.com/

 

Raising this one from the dead. Starting to shop for skids. I'm not sure if I'll do the gas tank, but def want to cover everything else. I've mostly been looking at All Pro (local-ish), ATO, Relentless, and Pelfreybilt.

I'm not a crawler, but like to have fun in my truck and would probably be more adventurous with some protection.

 

I've ordered the AllPro IFS and trans skids and they should be delivered on Monday. I'll let you know what I think after I paint/install them.

 

Here's mine lol 2$ swap meet!!!

 

We sell all 4 skids: IFS, MID, REAR (with or without exhaust reroute) & Gas)
Steel Options in all 4
Aluminum Options in 3. Kept the Gas skid Steel because it only weighs 31# anyway!

We would love to earn your business and we do ship to Canada so message me if you're interested!

 

Here is my Matt123 front skid. It's not a hard core bash plate, but does do well in the snow...

 

ATO (http://www.armortechoffroad.com/2005-Tacoma-Front-Skid-Plate_p_10.html) 1/4" bullet-proof IFS skid FTMFW!

 

At the end of the day most all of the skids are going to do their job and really just comes down to the best customer service, and cheapest shipping options.

I went with relentless fab stuff since he shipped Fastenal and I could go pick them up in the states. However, I had to modify them to fit better (rattling, bolt holes not lining up well etc.) minor stuff but still.

Just some FYI stuff