Bashed the stock TRD OR skid pretty good...

Well, I was out at Azusa OHV this weekend with a buddy. Followed him and took it pretty easy, but went a little more after he took off.

Well, I ended up slamming the front skid into a protruding rock at about 5mph that I clearly misjudged (thought it was short enough to straddle...but it was right at the bottom of a dip so the suspension compressed and thud it went). After getting out I saw a couple new scratches but it doesn't appear any more bent than it was.

Just wondering if I have to be worried - how much of a hit can the stock skid take?

I know most of you guys consider it the equivalent of a sheet of tin foil in terms of durability, but I'm looking for a more realistic answer. I might eventually get an upgraded skid if I can find one that doesn't cost enough money for me to wonder if it's made from adamantium.

 

Stock skids are crap. Tinfoil wrapped cardboard is tougher.

Skids may be a little pricey now, but if you're going to wheel, they're pretty handy. $150 now sure beats a new front diff. ect.

I ripped mine off the first trip I took off road in my truck.

 

Should be fine, there's not really anything that you can smash behind it, its more to keep rock out of your rad and condenser than anything, just get something beefier and you'll be good. SOS concepts is a good company to get armor from, they don't have ludicrous lead times and don't overcharge like Relentless and the others do.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/sos-offroad-concepts/

 

The stock skid works for dirt and mud. No rocks. I had an RCI skid for awhile. There is a discount code for tw members to. Probably the cheapest skids around

http://rcimetalworks.com/05-14-Tacoma-Front-Skid-Plate-TACO-05-13-01.htm

 

The stock skid plates take a lot of criticism by some here, but the reality is that skid plates are by nature sacrificial and absorb impact that the parts they're trying to protect aren't supposed to. I've mangled skid plates on bikes, buggies and trucks and while they took a beating, they did their job. Plates that are so rigid they transfer the full impact to whatever they're bolted to may not be doing you any favors. Nothing replaces common sense and good judgment. My biggest problem with the stock "accessory" Tacoma front skid plate is that the bracketry isn't robust enough to give the plate itself a fighting chance. If you buy aftermarket (and there are some good ones), check how it's fastened and supported and get user/owner feedback.

 

They are called skid plates and not "bash plates" for a reason. Slowdown.
I'd suggest an upgrade as well. Something more substantial is money well spent.

 

ATO 1/4" - http://www.armortechoffroad.com/2005-Tacoma-Front-Skid-Plate_p_10.html

 

Hmm...some of those skids that cover all the way to the rear of the truck in one continuous piece seem pretty nice...but still total almost $1000 for the whole set.

So it seems I don't have much to worry about so long as I don't repeat the process of smashing it into stuff. I'll just slow down a lot next time I attempt to straddle anything.