Armor Advice for 3rd Gen

So I'm a complete noob when it comes to off-roading. Have had my 3rd gen OR for not even a month yet, planning to get her dirty soon. Unfortunately, my job doesn't allow much free time, so I won't be going off roading all that often...thinking maybe 3-4x/year to get started.

I'm wanting to protect my investment and not end up with an insurance claim bc I was an idiot. That being said...where to start? Rock sliders or Skid plates? Recommendations for specific brands?

Rock Sliders: kick-out yay or nay? Is straight bolt on sufficient? What about the kind that requiring drilling into the frame?

Skid Plates: would aluminum be sufficient? I like that it's lighter, but if the protection is no good might not be worth it. When I used to ride ATVs I had an aluminum skid plate that worked great but obviously, that was much lighter than the Tacoma....


Thanks for your help!

 

The panels just under the cab are the easiest to damage. I spent $600 getting body work done to repair what my $550 sliders could have prevented. They have since prevented repeats on more than one occasion. Of course, having them I can drive a bit more aggressively, because I know I can drag the sliders. That's kind of what they are for.

 

which sliders did you go with? r they the kind that require drilling into the frame?

 

Mine did yes. I went with SOS Concepts, great guy and a pleasure to work with. Will strongly recommend his products. I also got mine with the Kickout. You can look at the third gen version here: http://sosoffroadconcepts.com/2016-tacoma-100-bolt-on-sliders/

His vendor page here on TW is: https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/sos-offroad-concepts.162/

 

Relentless Fab sliders.

 

I'd definitely go with sliders first. Of all the 4x4's I've had, sliders and low range gears have been the 2 most used things for me when offroad. That's what I needed most in a mountain environment, but now that I live where it's all flat, it's all about lift and bigger tires to get through the mud.

 

All Pro sliders, TRD OR comes with factory skids that will suffice for the time being.