Homemade skid plates?

I didn’t, it was a skid I bought I just have been modding it.

 

Hole saws work wonders....and they are relatively cheap check Amazon.

 

Yeah, I've got a few I can use, but @cynicalrider's hole was an odd shape so was wondering about it.

I'm kind of torn about making a hole for oil changes. I never used the hole in the stock skid (always took the skid off for oil changes) because the hole wasn't really big enough to fit my hand in there and I'd always drip oil all over the skid and make a mess. But if I make the hole bigger than the stock one, it doesn't do as good of a job protecting the oil pan.

 

The hole is fairly large on mine and I’ve never worried about oil pan damage after all the years of hard wheeling on it. The oil pan is a solid 3-4 inches higher than the skid surface.

 

Hi there!

Do you have by any chance measurements for trans skid and t case skid ? I have front oem pro one, thinking making my own... thanks in advance!

 

Just get some cardboard and make a template.

 

That’s the plan

 

Here is what I have. Don't have the center mount points, was not sure exactly where they were going to be at the time I made this. I think I had to trim on the skid around where the sides bend upward to the OEM crossmember, because of the close tolerances. Downloadable file was made in SketchUp. If you don't have SketchUp it is free to use online.

Rear Skid Download

 

Thanks man! Will try sketch up!

 

I tried going through to find them, but does anyone from this thread have plans for a 2nd gen skids? I am looking to make some out of 1/4" aluminum!
btw this thread is kickass, sweet read

 

Everything I've done is for a 2nd Gen... Here are the links:

Front skid
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/homemade-skid-plates.262726/page-13#post-18562769

Mid/Rear
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/homemade-skid-plates.262726/page-21#post-22252782

 

Are the bolt location measurements accurate? My front 2 bolt holes are at 17"?

 

Just remeasured and it is 18 11/16". Are you measuring the factory skid? It has supports under it that must be removed to install this kind of skid plate. You will use the mounting location of these brackets.

 

Gotcha. I just went w looked and my bumper is covering the outside hole on driver side, I was using inside hole. But the back 4 holes is what is giving me trouble. Measure and Remeasure and still always off a little somehow.

 

Fixing that measurement may actually fix my others too. I’ll have to go check that out. Hate it when I overlook something so small

 

Alignment on all the 6 holes was quite tricky with the bends of the front angle. Once I got the front 2 holes lined up the way I wanted, I ended up bolting the back 4 spacers on tacking them lightly to verify everything lined up right.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

I will. I have 2 different ones made out of a plastic material just have to get the bolts squared away and decide which I like best.

 

Have you seen victory 4x4 sells skids just like this but without the supports in the middle. I wonder how they hold up? Something you reccomend?

 

I've seen their skids. Was already committed to the design I was working on. I thought about changing, but my skid had a slight slope up toward the front of the truck and with no spacers it would have contacted the differential. I'm glad I put the secondary supports in the middle of the front skid. I dropped it on a rock while wheeling and put a dent in the skid. If those supports hadn't been there it would have definitely hit the differential.

 

Did you have a differential drop when putting your skid plate on? I'm debating whether to remove mine or not, its been on for probably 5-6 years.