What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Shipping weight = 125 Lbs.
Bumper Weight = Guestimating 100-105 Lbs
Each section was inside a plastic bag.
The center section looked to be placed in the box first, then expanding foam.
The wings were then placed in, then more expanding foam was added.
Getting everything apart, and out of it's cocoon was a chore.

 

Will do. The winch is in transport, yet.

$670 Smittybilt X2O GEN2 10K Waterproof Wireless Winch with Synthetic Rope - 98510

I'll have one here on the 22nd

 

Anyone know any available options for rear diff skid plates for our trucks? Preferably with a pinion guard.


Or, are we 1st genners just out of options now because we're all "too cheap" to spend money on our trucks?

 

Try here for "our" options

 

LMAO... You realize there is literally nothing on that page that is actually an option for a 1st Gen Tacoma rear diff skid.

 

Although a 2nd gen 3rd member is identical so I bet if you wanted a quick and easy one to modify the RCI would be a good choice.

 

Yup.
Start Fabbing.

 

Why do you want one? Our rear axles are plenty stout as is imo and a rear diff skid will just murder ground clearance and add a bunch of extra weight.

 

So I spent about 40 minutes on Google before I asked that question... and you decided it would be helpful to post a Google link to nothing, and thought that would be helpful?

Thanks

 

The only thing you really "have" to do to make the RCI fit is drill another hole for the drain plug (since they changed sides), if you have an e-locker, then you probably don't even have to do that.

 

You can do a diff skid without murdering ground clearance. This guy doesn't make them any more, but this is what I'm looking for... except have the front bracket with bolt holes to add a pinion guard.



That only gives up about 1/2 inch of ground clear (if that)

The back of our axles isn't very stout, and I'm also looking for something that hugs the drain so I stop bending the ring to interfere with the plug.

 

I was thinking about the RCI, but it does give up a bit more clearance than I'd like.

The RCI does drain on the other side. Drilling a hole wouldn't be a big problem, just looking to see if there were other options I couldn't find.

 

Eh, 1/2" of ground clearance can make or break a lot of line choices.
As long as your not hammering down and just bouncing it off of rocks, that rear axle will hold up just fine. Slow speed is your friend.
And even if you are, it'll still take the beating. Just ask @Fernando lmao

Just my 2cents

 

You didn't ask but I would weld up the drain hole entirely on the axle tube and weld on a back cover reinforcement from ruffstuff. switch your bottom third member stud to a bolt and bam, new drain haha

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. It's the "Less filling" "Tastes great" debate of the offroad world. (At least one of them)

The amount of clearance lost on the pictured skid, would do nothing more than cause you to have to adjust your line... which would already be a better idea anyway, at that point.

 

Oh, I'm aware that's an option. I've talked that over with some buddies.

If I did a weld on option I think I'd do the LROR option. That would protect the rear from sliding over rocks and backing in to them. Which is a concern... but not as much of a concern as protecting the pinion, if possible.

 

You're extremely unlikely to do anything to the cast iron portions of the rear (ie, all of the third member) and none of the options except the discontinued bamf, protect the driveshaft flange portion, which it did so at great cost to clearance, it was a big funnel that caught on stuff

 

Wouldn't be looking to weld anything to the 3rd member.



This one has a clamp around the nose of the 3rd member (much like Jerry's did). The 1/2 steel that makes the clamp would need to be more under the nose to give a place where the bolts would be able to be added all the way around it, for a pinion guard to be bolted to it.

Pinion guards are often looked at as funnels that catch stuff, but they serve a purpose. It's a give and take some people are willing to make, some not.

 

Now we're getting to the place where I'm looking at how I'm going to fab this piece of shit lol
Was hoping for a quicker easier simpler solution... like

 

I'd be more likely to just carry a spare flange, I've dinged the driveshaft a few time and candy caned one. But the pinion flange always prevails, the aftermarket one from marlin I have on is thick and unlikely to be phased, Now if you could invent a driveshaft skid that moved with it didn't waste a ton of clearance like the pinion skid does... you'd be rich and folks would be throwing credit cards at you