Homemade skid plates?

quoted for truth.

 

Where in PA are you? I like the sound of this.

 

Same here.

I copied Box Rocket's method for making skid plates, and I love the way mine turned out! A lot stonger and way cheaper than buying aftermarket skids...

I found the key to making sure the skids fit well in the end is to constantly double, triple, and quadruple check the measurements, how they're applied to your blank piece of steel, and a lot of test fitting when you're making the bends and final cuts.

I used 1/4" plate for both my skids with 3/16" angle iron bracing on the transmission skid. (Since this tends to bed first, from the pics I've seen..) I do think 1/4" is overkill for the IFS skid, and adds unnessecary weight to the front end, it was cheaper for me to go this route since all I had to do was get a giant piece of 1/4" plate.

 

Here's mine:







After I added the Mid-Skid:



Unfortunately I don't have a write-up for the skids (sorry). It mounts to the factory bolt holes and hardware (except for some Grade-8 nuts and bolts I picked up) and uses the transmission cross-member studs to bolt the rear into place.

I basically checked out the different skids I liked (Relentless, Bud Built, ATO) and saw how they mounted to borrow ideas from. I had a rough sketch from a buddy with measurements for the front IFS skid, so that took a lot of the guess-work out of it.

I bought a 64" x 24" piece of 3/16" thick A36 steel and used a combination square to start marking my cuts, welds, and bends. I had never welded before, but with the help of a fellow Taco buddy, we cut out each piece with the plasma cutter, and started welding it together. We test fit each piece along the way to make sure the factory mounting holes lined up.

After we got the front skid done, we had to slot some of the holes to make it fit just right. I had originally planned to make (2) separate skids that bolted together, but simplicity and ease won in the end, and we welded them into a one-piece. I just got done mounting the whole thing up, and it was a chore. After some "persuasion" we got it mounted and it is pretty damn solid.

I guess my best advice would be to really check out your under-carriage, note what factory holes you have available, see where you need protection, and measure, measure, measure. Use a degree finder to dial in the rough angles you need to work around. Once you have the separate pieces ready to weld together, test fit them on the truck and tack weld them to each-other after confirming they line up. Remove the skid(s) and finish welding all the seams/joints.

Hope this helps, and gives you some ideas for your truck. Good luck!

 

I love Tacomaworld!

 

Sub for great info

 

This may be helpful:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...mission-flat-belly-skid-all-pro-ifs-skid.html

 

I'm sure many folks have seen these. They have been bouncing around TTORA since time began.

1st gen, man trans radiator (height) only
http://www.mikeharan.net/temp/skidplate1.pdf
http://www.mikeharan.net/temp/skidplate2.pdf
EDIT The above links are now dead. Photos of the original PDF's added at the end of this post.

My template with dimensions.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/homemade-skid-plates.262726/page-8#post-15542520

The front will NOT work with an auto trans radiator. You will have to add the "Bud Built Bulge" or swap to a man trans rad and stand alone cooler.

I made an exact cardboard template from the "front" PDF and it fit sort of ok. I would recommend doing the cardboard thing direct from the drawing and tweek that for your final piece.

By playing with the angles of the 3 main bends and the lengths of the flats there was no loss of ground clearance and full protection of LCA adjusters. The front cut-outs are only about 1/8" below the inner ends of the control arms.
The OEM mount locations are as light weight as the OEM skid and should be replaced. I made new rear mounts by replacing the stockers with 3/16" plate with heavy pattern nuts welded above. This allowed them to be placed higher in the cross member for ground clearance and enabled the use of "pocketed" mount bolts. The front mount "cross member", if you can call it that, is just as flimsy and should be replaced as well.

I have about $65 in it including $15 for the 3 main bends plus paint and hardware.


Really wimpy OEM rear mounts.



3/16" plate drop fresh from a 15 min. improvised acid bath, I hate mill scale.



Back from the bender.



Back from the bender, scenic version.



Rear bolt "pocket"



Virgin semi gloss lacquer.


Original PDF's

 

I am in the process of fabricating my on front skid plate. I will post pics as I progress. Hopefully it will work and I will also attach specs.

 

Started with this.


Came up with this. Not many build pics.


Rear diff skid. This will be removed and modified to cover the tailstock alittle better.

 

Without threads like this one, I wouldn't attempt half of what I've done.

Couple more pics. Using my little 120v welder she came out not half bad.

 

well that's one way

I've given out specs to a couple people but always ask they donate to the BRC or something similar.

 

Here are my skids. 3/16" thick and bolts up just like stock. I made my bash plate and engine skid separate so that changing the oil would be easier. I also put 1" square tubing on my trans. and t-case skids as bracing. Then I just plated my factory gas tank skid.

 

sub'd. planning on making my own as well

 

Here are some pics of my home made skids. They are all 3/16" like everyone elses and have see some serious abuse. Some unique details are the fact that I used 3 stand offs on the front skid instead of 2.
Also, my IFS skid can be removed without removing the belly or front skid for easier oil changes. I'll be updating the belly skid for my flat belly some time here. I'll post up more pics then



You can see how they sit on the truck here:

 

I forgot about this thread lol I have been riding my Grizzly quite a bit lately and because I bought it the truck mods have essentially stopped. I'm still gonna make my skids someday, but probably not for a little while yet. Keep the info flowing so I can make even better skids haha!