Factory skids

I'm a little confused and annoyed as to market a truck as Trd off-road and not actually put any skids on it. Got an 18 taco off-road and on my first trip out driving into my camp road pushed them into the components underneath making a brutal rattle. This is an access type road with ruts and the center sticks up decent in spots. I did this going slow and easing into the road. Creeped across. I know how to wheel, so it's not that. Denting the crossmember that hangs down and separates the plates. Nothing it's actually protected under these trucks. Exhaust hangs low af. Trans case just chilling. Weird design choices. I don't expect 1/4 plate from the factory but 1.5mm of stamped sheet is pointless, and no coverage on things that should. At least the pro skid covers more and can actually take a hit. But again the weak point in those is the poo tack welds. Just want people to know that they don't actually have a skid if you didn't get a pro or dealer that put one on. Or aftermarket obviously. Just want people to know so they don't mangle there "off-road" rated truck before making it off-road rated.

 

Ha. I bought the PRO skid just a few weeks after picking up my OR. Those factory skids are pathetic.

 

I don't know of any stock vehicle that is really off road rated. My jeep needed to get skids, dif covers ect. This truck needs the same. I wouldn't hit any trail or terrain beside a normal road without looking under my vehicle and understanding limitations. But then again I do know how to wheel.

 

P E R S O N A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

 

Although it IS marketed and named as an off road vehicle. Lol

 

Yeah and my jeep IS "Trail Rated." Do you expect the TRD Sport to be a SPORTScar and hit the track? Common sense does apply.

 

Not saying the jeeps are the best, but from the factory they work. Oem jeep skid 4mm and pressed for some rigidity

 

Plenty of people offroad it and never have an issue with the skids, and plenty of people change the skids before they ever hit the trail

 

Woah easy killer!

 

Very few people wheel their 3rd Gen harder than this guy (IG alex.busta)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nVDB7sC3nAs

He is (proudly?) on factory skids, so although they may look and feel like cheap crap, and dent up like cheap crap, there does seem to be some thought put into them by Toyota to survive what he has put them through.

 

My pro skid plate has a full weld on the outside. The tack weld on the inside is just that, a ‘tack’ to hold it in place while they fully weld the outside. If yours is not welded on the outside you should return it as that is not the way they are supposed to be.

 

This is what the outside of your “pro” skid plate should look like (note the full weld bead):

 

That was the inside, just saying it should be a fully welded seam. Especially at that price. Good for that guy, I hit them once and it folded into the arm. I want protection from stuff. Most of the people wheeling these trucks are on what I wheeled in my jeep and we considered blue trails at best. Even that cute Little Rock garden. I can’t even get the taco into the trail head on places I used to wheel. Even that guy above fully locked would be stuck. Why leave your belly open. Was just trying to make a point that they are insufficient.

 

Guess you should have bought the pro then. Or maybe Toyota should raise the stock off-road price by a few hundred and put better skid plates on them even though they are sufficient for 95% of users.

 

I agree those stock skid plates are mostly just mall rated

 

If you know how to wheel, you'd have made a check list of where everything that can drag under your truck is. And also probably would have checked the tin before taking it anywhere and should have noticed how thin it was. So if you did all this, dented sutff and are still upset with Toyota I don't really know what to tell you.

I think it's a common sense prevails kind of thing. On a side note I have the RCI plates and am a big fan. The welds are nice and they fit up real well.

 

Sorry some of you got butthurt by my observations. Was pointing it out for others.

 

Knowing how to pick lines and not taking catastrophic hits = $0

 

It didn't come with 35 inch mud terrains either. Engineering a product for general consumer involves endless compromise. But I agree that the underbody needs attention before serious off-roading. The worst thing IMO, is how the exhaust cross-over is completely unprotected and is the lowest point on the underbody.

 

Wait so factory skid plates aren’t suppost to look like this????




Guess all throw these babies on then....