Skid plate recommendations

On my 2010 I went with a steel Bullet Proof Fab. plate. The bad news with steel is, even with good powder coating, it will rust. Especially in an application like a front skid plate which is being hit by rocks and road debris. Mine lasted 3 years, but even with touch ups it started looking dingy around the leading edge.

On my new truck I went with the Pro aluminum. I figured I wasn’t going to be taking my brand new truck down any trails where aluminum was going to be a problem, and I was tired of fixing every little chip that begins to rust.

FWIW, I went with the Talon Garage catalytic converter plate in aluminum as well for the same reason.

 

This is exactly what I am doing. My truck came with the TRD front plate.

 

Actually the Southgate Mall in Yuma is only 91 miles away. I could run the Arizona Peace Trail down to Yuma...that would be a "Mall Crawling" trip for sure.

 

Ya, the aluminum one was difficult enough for me. Didn't help that the bolts came pre attached, by those clip washer thingies, in the wrong holes.

 

Whatever came with my Off Road. It has served me well so far. I don't rock crawl....

 

Went with aluminum skid by Element. Locally made, works great. They are working on mids with catalytic wings as well.

 

RCI Group buy in the works..

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rci-group-buy-fall-2022-coming-soon.780714/

 

Anyone considered a kevlar skid plate? This is a home made 1/2" one on a Nissan armada. It's not mine. It does seem like an ideal material for skid plates.

Thoughts?

 

CBI or RCI. I was going to get the CBI to match the front bumper and because of their extra coverage up front but shipping from their place to my house was 275 dollars! RCI was only 35 dollars for shipping.

I got steel because aluminum will not slide off of rocks.

 

DIY all day.

 

Full steel RCI all the way.

_MG_4038 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

I set the truck down on these so many times while in The Maze. Literally not a care in the world. Having done some serious trips with stock OR bits on my last Tacoma (even ripped off my 4wd actuator on Lockhart Basin Road, which ruined my ability to join in on Hells Revenge and Top of the World, and then cost a fortune to replace) I can tell you that the constant worry of damaging something, the clenching as you drop off a ledge, that stuff wears you out.

Just get steel and call it a day. Leave your worries at home.

 

I Just installed RCI front and transmission skids with cat guards this past weekend. Great quality product. Process was very easy and straightforward.