Full Skid Plate Accessibility

I tried checking the website but do you only offer single skid plates? As in you only offer front, gas tank etc instead of a full setup that is linked and covers all the way to the transfer case?

It seems I can't even add to cart the transmission skid plate either. Lead times are one thing but I can't even create a back order.

 

To shed some light on this, global supply chain for raw materials is all jacked up. I work in aerospace, so all the raw material suppliers can and will prioritize aerospace manufacturing. Typical order of priority:

1. Defense/military aero and vehicle
2. Commercial Aerospace
3. Medical
4. Commercial Vehicle
5. Large scale other
6. Small scale other

Medical and commercial aero are realistically tied. Raw material suppliers can and will prioritize me (yee haw!) in aerospace, etc. Large Scale Other means something high volume, for example if Hasbro needs to buy 100k lbs of material, it will be prioritized over Small Scale Other which would be us here in Tacoma Land buying skid plates. Mob Town et. al. are buying what is on a relative scale, small scale purchases.

So yeah, @Mobtown Offroad and other buyers/TW Vendors making low volume truck parts are very much so not on the priority list for raw material.

....I am fun at parties


In regards to skid plates - prioritize the filter access, the drain plug is important but you can wrestle in a fumoto valve in there. I wouldn't do a valve without a skid since it would stick below, but with the skid it's protected.

 

I never thought about it that way, but that is definitely smart. A mangled flush bolt could be a real bitch to remove, but to your point some pliers could easily take care of a shank that is just threaded in.

Makes sense, sucks for small companies and their consumers though. On a national/global level it has to be this way to function properly. If Toyota couldn't get steel to make frames we would have no need for the abundance of skids and sliders if the supply chain worked from small to big companies.

I second the idea of a fumoto/ez valve. Makes oil changes much easier. Stick a short hose on it and flip the switch. I keep a small vacuum cap on mine to keep dirt from clogging it up, works flawlessly.

 

So... what I'm hearing is...

-Mobtown is the only one that manufactures skid plates that allow access for the oil drain and the oil filter
-Truck aftermarket mods are at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of available resources
-And Mobtown does not make a full, one kit skid plate

 

-Technically no, other companies make skids with filter/drain plug access, mobtown just responded with their reasons for the specific design.
-that would be correct
-you simply add them separately to your cart and there's your skid trilogy

 

I was wondering but on their site, it actually says you can't even add to cart as if it's discontinued

And that was kind of the point of this thread.. To find all the skid plates that come in trilogies with oil drain AND oil filter access but so far only Mobtown has been tossed around. I've found RCI now, Mobtown, and SOS

 

Yup. Global supply chain took a complete rewrite this year. Already, the textbooks are changing. There's rules and standards in place now - we have stuff we have to deal with, we have to have secondary suppliers on different continents, and if we cannot then we have to have a tertiary potential on another continent, with risk plans etc etc.

Setting up a new supplier line isn't more work than it was in 2018 for example, but the standards and documentation and routes taken are all completely different now.

I don't have a fumoto yet since I don't have skids, but I might do one when I get my setup. I like your cap thing on there too.

I think SOS has both. And all things considered, I would prioritize the OEM do the filter access, and all I would need is a hole saw and I could do a drain plug access quite easily myself.....

 

@Mobtown Offroad any insight on the availability of your skids?

As for finding trilogies, you won't save much, if any money getting them in a set compared to ordering them individually. I understand the convenience of it, but ordering individually gives you more options to customize (i.e. reinforcements or not)

Also as @GarlicFarts said, the OEM trd skid plate has both holes, but that doesn't help if you want a full set

 

Oh I have no idea about the OEM Pro skid plate. I do know the OEM Off Road/etc "skid plate" (splash guard...) does not have a filter cutout. The OEM Pro skid does have a filter cutout but doesn't reach back to the drain plug, I think. It's aluminum so I wouldn't want it for me anyway. Maybe the further back plates, gas tank etc, but for something at the front like that, I would want steel.

 

Thanks for the vacuum cap idea; I just installed the fumoto with the RCI skids. Wanted access to the oil filter without having to take out the OEM skids.

 

Cheap insurance for ~50cents

 

You have to drop most plates to access the front drive shaft zerks on a pre-2018 OR model and to change the tranny and front diff oil. Otherwise its easy to do engine oil changes...

 

I have seen people talk about these valves. What are chances of valve failure and dumping oil?
Don't mean to hijack the thread. You can PM me if you like.

 

Honestly I'm not sure. I have used mine for just over a year and haven't leaked a drop. I wouldn't use one without the skid for protection. Others have claimed 5 to 10 years without a problem.

 

Ok thanks.

 

Mid-thread wrap up:

Skid plates with trilogy plates, oil drain hole, and oil filter access port:
-Mobtown
-RCI
-SOS Offroad

and it is recommended to get a Fumoto valve to make oil changes easier with the skid plates

 

With a skid, I doubt anything could get to it to damage it where it is dumping oil. I had one on my truck and recently went back to regulate plug. It started to leak on me and the time it takes to drain is significantly greater.

My solution for cleanliness post fumoto.

 

I’m sorry I can see where this is confusing but here is why:

Because of the constant supply issues over 2020 which created constant delays, cancellations and customer service nightmares we decided to no longer offer back orders. So now, if the website doesn’t allow you to buy it that’s because it is not in stock. If it does this means it is in stock and will ship within a few days. This solves all those issues.

The good news is we are running large batches on all our products right now to get items on the shelf and ready to ship.

We finished around 10 steel skids for third gens yesterday, transfer case skids are done, building transmission skids this week. We are also doing the same with aluminum skids over the next few days too. Keep checking back, once we are done I’ll update the website and orders can be placed.

 

Have the SOS skids and am happy. Still need to install the TC skid because you have to attach to frame and drill.

Ordered mid November and were done in five weeks.

 

Wait what? Their website says completely bolt on, no drill?