Relentless fab 2005+ Tacoma skid plate install guide

2005+ Tacoma skid plate installation guide:

Tools needed:
1. Floor jack and jack stands recommended
2. 3/8” or ½” drive ratchet
3. 10mm, 12mm, 17mm, 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 3/4" sockets for chosen ratchet
4. 14mm wrench (ratchet wrench recommended)
5. 15mm wrench (ratchet wrench recommended)
6. Drill and a drill bit kit with up to ½” bits(T-case skid install only)

Part 1- IFS skid installation:

1. Remove the stock front skid plate(splash pan) via the 4 exposed 10mm bolts. If your truck is a TRD off-road, you have one more additional skid plate under the engine, which will also need to be removed so do so at this time.



2. Next, remove the 2) U-channel brace bars which span from the front cross member to the second cross member in front of the differential, via the now exposed 17mm bolts. Save these bolts, as 4 of them will need to be reused.



3. Now you’re ready to install your Relentless IFS skid. Its best to do so with a floor jack to aid in lifting and positioning the skid plate into position as it is quite heavy and awkward. If a floor jack is not available, having a friend help with lifting the skids is advised.




4. After the skid is lifted into position and lined up with mounting locations, start installing mounting bolts from front to back. Reuse 4 of the 17mm head factory bolts for the forward mounts on the skid, and the supplied M8 flange head bolts for the 2 rear mounts into the threaded inserts in the 3rd cross member. It is best to install all bolts loosely at first, then once they’re all in, tighten them snug but still loose enough for the skid to move slightly.
5. If installing the mid skid, continue with the bolts slightly loose, if only installing the IFS skid then you can now torque the bolts down and install is complete.

Part 2- Mid skid installation

1. In order to install the Relentless Mid/transmission skid, you first need to have the IFS skid installed and the bolts slightly loose.
2. Next, locate the 4) transmission cross member bolts and remove the nut from the end. *DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THESE BOLTS, THEY HOLD THE TRANSMISSION UP* Make sure the head of these bolts face the front of the truck, with the threads sticking out the back. If they’re not in this orientation, they must be removed and turned around ONE AT A TIME. Most trucks should have them facing the proper way from the factory, but is has been found that some face the opposite direction and must be flipped(proper orientation shown below).




3. Now, take the mid skid and lift the rear of it up onto the exposed cross member bolt heads, then pivot the front of the skid up to mate with the back edge of the IFS skid. Install the 3) ½” grade-8 bolts through the IFS/Mid skids to secure them together. Keep these bolts finger tight at this time.
-Skip steps 4&5 if installing the transfer case skid at this time-

4. Now, reinstall the nuts onto the back of the transmission cross member bolts and re-torque them.

5. After the mid skid is secured to the cross member, tighten the 3) ½” bolts between the mid and IFS skid.

6. Once the mid skid is fully secured, the bolts on the IFS skid can now be torqued down tight, and installation is complete.

Part 3- Transfer case skid plate installation:

1. In order to install the t-case skid plate, you must first have the IFS skid, and mid skid installed in place, from step 3 of the mid-skid install.

2. In order to install the T-case skid, we need to replace the 4) cross member bolts with longer bolts. ONE AT A TIME remove the factory cross member bolts, and install one of the supplied longer 3/8” grade-8 bolts.

3. With the new bolts now installed, pivot the front of the T-case skid onto the ends of these bolts similarly to how the mid skid was installed. With the front of the T-case skid resting on the bolts, support the rear of the T-case skid with a floor jack/jack stands, then install the supplied 3/8” washers and nuts onto each cross member bolt and secure them snug but not torqued completely.

4. With all the skids in place, position them to your liking and then torque the 3/8” cross member bolts.

5. Now, with the rear mounts of the T-case skid resting on the bottom of the frame rails, mark center for holes to be drilled through the frame.

6. Start with a 1/8” drill bit for a pilot hole through the frame, then step up into larger bits until you have a ½” hole drilled through the frame.

7. Now, install the supplied 7/16” grade-8 bolts from the bottom-up through the mounts and install the 7/16” nut onto the bolt. Torque the bolts down tightly.

8. At this point, all the skids are in place, and the T-case skid is fully secured. Follow steps 4&5 of the mid skid install directions to complete installation of the skids.

Now celebrate a job well done and go out and enjoy your new underbody protection from Relentless Off-Road Fabrication!

 

Very thorough. Thanks!

 

Sweet, thank you.

 

no problem guys, hope it helps those that need it.

 

I had a couple problems installing the transmission case skid. The four holes that you use for mounting points were not completely lined up right for me. Two of them were perfect but two of them I had to take a dremel to and widen the hole to allow the bolts to pass through. I finally got them all mounted up but it took a while of playing with all of them to get them to line up correctly. I think my truck just likes to be naked

 

I think the lip of the mid skid is suppose to be on the outside of the IFS skid. Or does it not matter?

 

LOL. I hope it doesn't matter because there's no way in hell I'm moving all that shit around again.

 

yeah, you're right mj. But I doubt it will be a problem; as long as they fit together, then I'd just leave it the way it is.

 

I had the same problem with the rear thru bolts not lining up right On the mid skid, left to right... I too took a dremal and widened the holes on the back of the mid skid... Works now but still was a bit of a pain, I now have to use some washers too

 

hmm thanks for the heads up, I'll make the holes slightly larger in the future

 

thanks!

 

Does install require removal of the factory sway bar?

 

No.

 

Should this be rubbing on my skid plate like this? I'm thinking of grinding out a tiny bit of the skid plate so that it doesn't vibrate so much.

 

Weird, I have a fair amount of clearance there. Try dropping the skid down using the four slots for mounting. Like let it slide down to the top of the slotted bolt holes then tighten it up. You'll create a little lip but not that big of a deal. Or I suppose use an angle grinder or a cut off wheel on a die grinder to notch that out a bit.


This was how mine ending up fitting, quite a bit of clearance. Wonder why the discrepancy.

 

Nice. I want a set.

Did you get these powder coated or DIY paint?

12Tac

 

Well in a few posts up you can see I installed the mid skid wrong apparently. I don't think that would affect the tcase skid, though. Not sure why it's rubbing. I'll try unbolting it tomorrow and moving them around a little.

 

I painted mine FWIW.

Yeah I wouldn't think that'd be the cause. What I meant was that the 4 slots that you use to bolt the front of the t-case skid on are slotted vertically. Loosen the nuts and pull your t-case skid down until you reach the top of those slots and then tighten the nuts back up. It'll create a slight rounded lip on the bottom, where the t-case and mid skid meet, but shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

I'll run down and double check to see where they are exactly.

 

Like these but with the t-case skid. The first shows not tightened and hanging all the way down in the slots. The second shows tight and pushed up against the cross member. You can see the slots on the top.