Rough engine sounds and vibration since skid plate

so since I installed my set of skid plates on my Tacoma I've had a weird engine vibration on start up and idling. I don't know what the cause is and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this with theirs. Full set of RCI skids.

 

If it happened after you installed the skids then it's probably a loose bolt on the skids somewhere. Have you gone over everything to make sure it's tight?

 

Probably rattling against the exhaust

 

Front diff could be contacting ifs skid

 

If it's a full skis set with the stock exhaust routing, then I'd guess it's hitting the low spot on the exhaust. Otherwise, I'd guess you have a loose bolt. I needed to put a washer on one of the small bolts on my IFS due to stripped threads. I'll tap them some day. Maybe.

 

What torque did you guys torque everything to?

 

It's the exhaust. Worm drive band clamps on the exhaust hangers right by the T case skid will remedy your issue. I had to do it to mine for my T case skid.

 

I'm having this rattle, but it was because something happened to the heat shielding when I did an exhaust reroute. Do you think you may have knocked it when you did your install?

After you check for loose bolts, check the shielding.

 

What do those look like and do you have a pic showing me how yours looks?

 

My little guy might have knocked it so ill check that as well. Didn't think of that. Love this site. You guys are way more insightful than the Toyota dealer. Thanks for everyone's speedy replies.

 

Skids also seem to amplify sound in my experience, "trapping" it between the body and the plate. I've taken to spraying rubberized undercoating on the truck side of skids so long as it's not exposed to high heat like the exhaust. They'll hold a little more dirt and mud so you have to rinse periodically but I do that anyways.

 

I can take them. All they do is move up the exhaust and not allow them to rest on the hangers as much. Less sag.