How important is armor underneath?

How important is armor underneath the truck? The transfer case and muffler seem to sit pretty low. Is armor a good investment or should the truck just be lifted?

 

I'd rather have armor than a lift. At least to start.

 

Armor, especially if you plan to encounter rocky conditions.

 

Steel or Aluminum? It seems like the only reason to buy aluminum is because it’s lighter, but it’s so much more expensive and technically isn’t as protective. Is weight saving that important?

 

Depends on your uses. For me, the lift has been better.

My use for my truck is more about interesting places than obstacle conquering.

 

I’d say my goals are the same: being able to get interesting places. Why do you say lift is better for that goal?

 

What conditions do you plan on encountering?

 

Most scrapes happen on approach and departure angles, especially departure for the Tacoma. In the breakover situation, i most often touch dropping the front wheels down a step of some sort as the suspension compresses from the engine weight. Usually this is just bump stops touching though, not on the frame or other components

The lift makes more difference in each of these situations than armor.

Armor alone adds weight, compressing your current suspension, making you prone to hit bottom as your angles get worse.

There are still places i would be interested in going that i don't think my truck is ready for because it lacks some protection.

The lift opens more roads to passage than armor does though.

 

Main goal is trailhead access, like 14ers, but I’d like to get into over landing one day

 

It almost sounds like without a stiffer suspension armor is a little counter productive. Would it make the stock suspension ride that much lower?

 

So you plan on adding weight i.e. roof tent, heavy bumpers, gear for overlanding?

 

It's going to depend what you put on and where. Most armored front bumpers need a heavier duty suspension spring in front for the weight.

Suspension and armor go hand in hand in many cases

 

Someday, not soon tho. Like years out.

 

For easy-medium trails, just a skid plate under the front end is pretty sufficient. You're really just trying to protect from rocks making gashes in important things like oil pans and from big sticks stabbing up into vital components. Get into rock crawling and it'll be necessary to have more, but you end up having a lot more weight to deal with that way, which is its own problem.

I wouldn't lift unless absolutely necessary, esp on a daily driver. Tires get more expensive, you burn more fuel, your range goes down, your center of gravity goes up and suspension parts wear faster. Not a good tradeoff imo for the occasional weekend adventure.

 

If only I had the money to do it all at once haha

 

That’s all great advice, thanks!

 

I went

 

I've added RCI rock sliders, front and tranny steel skid plates. Adds weight but protection adds piece of mind when going offroad. No lift planned but may buy a set of tall skinny M/T tires for the used OEM offroad wheels I bought. 255-85-16.

 

All depends on what you do, I have a full set of skids and what I can't drive over, I can drag over it. 10K winch and lifted. Nothing gets damaged either.

 

Is the grabbing good or bad?