Skid plate upgrade

Is there a direct replacement upgraded skid plate for a '23 SR5 2wd. Mine has the thin metal black one. Is there a better looking one?

 

TRD aluminum is popular. There are many steel and aluminum front skid plates to choose from: RCI, CBI, ARB, etc

 

Good deal, are they a direct bolt on?

 

Yes, it read and follow all directions for installation. Grease all hardware and use a torque wrench.

 

Many thanks.

 

Dose the OE air dam have to go on these replacements?

 

My 11 trd sport has 2 skid plates, the Trd silver one and a black in under it.

 

No, the air dam is not compatible with the aluminum skid plate. There are a few lunatics on this website that have trimmed their dam to fit the skid. Most of us choose instead to rip it off, shred it, and mix it into our garden mulch.




Also, if you're looking to save a buck, a lot of us have also bought the Lostar skid plate. Same design and material as the TRD at half the price.

 

that should be taken off the day you got the truck

 

Little lesser known company on here but okx makes a really really nice product would definitely check them out been really happy with mine. Bolts up far nicer than thr trd one and has far better front clearence not to mention it could be mounted with the ugly chin spoiler.

 

The oem thing is a "splash guard" and not much more.
The TRD one works if you you don't ever plan on changing your front bumper......you can see a pic above where it over hangs under the actually aftermarket bumper.

As others said there are a lot of other options that will be better than the TRD especially if you decide to get a new bumper later on or transmission & transfer case.......time it with a holiday sale, I guess labor day is the next option.

 

Why does it need to be taken off?

 

People like the look of the truck better without it and feel like it's an unnecessary thing that will just get ripped off when you hit the trails.

 

it doesn’t need to be removed on day one. Most here don’t care for it, most believe it detracts from the looks of the truck and provides no benefits.

Toyota built it into the truck to improve front end aerodynamics, reduce air, noise, improve handling, and increase fuel economy.

Or at least that’s what Toyota stated, my came off within the first few weeks.

 

I got mine on sale for $306 including shipping back in early Dec 2021.

Did not retrofit the Air Dam with the TRD Skid because it looked good to me without it.

 

Thanks for posting this. I agree, the mounting, i.e. elimination of the spacers is much-much better than others i've seen. The spacers look like a design afterthought and a PITA to install.

 

I just run the stock black one. No need for anything else for me. I'm no rock crawler.

 

The spacers are designed to work with the factory braces they are fine until the retaining washers fall off then it is a true pain. Most aftermarket skids eliminate these braces. I had no issues with my trd skid but the okx one is far better overall.

 

looks, departure angle

 

Rci full skids. BAMF gas tank skid.
Get the Rci cat guards while you’re at it.