RCI Skid Help

Id say Toyota owes you some straps with studs for mounting an aftermarket fuel tank skid as they decided to build a truck without a fuel tank skid (even a cheap, crappy steel OEM skid).

It definitely doesnt change that you were sent wrong instructions/hardware but good that Josh called you back and talked through the issues to help resolve. I have met Josh, his wife and his brother in person and spent some time talking with him about his background and how he developed his business. Smart young man and very conscientious. He has a lot of supporters on the FJ, 4Runner and Tacoma forums. He has also been very good and generous about offering sales and group buys on his products.

 

Yeah I will say I spoke to Josh during my install process and he was good to deal with. And his skids are solid quality too! Definitely beefy stuff.

 

I would have to agree, Josh was very informative and pleasant to deal with. I definitely wasn't a disgruntled customer despite my frustration. The skids are quality as well... Has anyone by chance had experience with removing and drilling the OEM sport straps and adding carriage bolts to the existing to accommodate the skid?

 

I'll look into this when I get home, thank you for the insight. My back is starting to hurt like hell at this point and I have an OME suspension with leafs to install when these are finished lol.

 

Here are some pics of my rci ifs.most aftermarket skids have you remove the brackets to which the factory skid attaches. Some aftermarket bumpers such as Allpro also have these removed too. ARB bumpers do not. I get that the new skid replaces these and hold everything together but I feel as though the brackets provide alot of strength to that area. I was unhappy with taking them out. Plus if you bash in the skid in a wreck or on a rock it might hit these brackets rather than fold all the way in,. I put in a fumoto valve so i wanted all the protection i could get . I was able to leave the brackets in place. I drilled the skid and reused the smaller bolts that held the factory skid to the brackets. (I later upgraded to grade 8 actually) let us know how the install goes and good luck

 

I emailed RCI and asked how the exhaust needs to be rerouted to run the 4 cylinder transfer plate. I never got a response. Does anyone know?

 

I installed the front skid a while back and had no issue. Several other members also posted pics in the thread that you may find useful.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rci-skid-plate-vs-oem-trd-or-pics.446315/

 

Just got done reading through the thread. It sucks to hear that guys are having a struggle with a part install. I have to say that josh is a great guy and supper helpful. I have found if you have a question or concern all you need to do is call him and he will work with you. I have brought some some concerns I had when I first bought his skids and sliders, and he helped me with some changes and explained his reasoning for others. The quality of his skids and slider are top notch. I have put his products to the test on way more then one occasion. They have literally stood up to me dragging my truck, on its belly, over a rock hill and 4' tall boulder. I have become well versed in his products so I can answer most questions for you but you can always get ahold of josh or amanda at rci during the work week. I hope you get your skids all bolted up smothly.

 

I am VERY happy with my ifs skid and would buy it again without question. It came super clean with perfect welds and finish. Though I chose to mod it in order to leave the brackets in place I am still very happy with my purchase.

 

Ya I am looking to get his new design that gets rid on the brackets. You gain about 1" of ground clearance, and the gussets will end up strengthening the weakest part in my opinion.

 

I for one was happy to sacrifice the <one inch of clearance to leave the brackets, which in my opinion are structural. They also back up the skid if you bash something way hard. Mine has gussets that fit around the brackets, you can see them in this pic

 

Hi guys, I just came across this thread and wanted to provide some input. I apologize for your initial struggle with the install of the parts, I can assure you we try our hardest to put together a high quality product that is as simple as possible to install. That said, we are constantly seeking to improve our products and the unfortunate side effect is that installation instructions don't always keep up with the pace of our progress.

I did call the OP this morning as soon as I saw his email and we walked through the entire process. All hardware was correct but a recent improvement might have caused some confusion on the trans/t-case hardware. We only made this update LAST WEEK but he got an old instruction sheet that has since been updated. The fuel tank skid does NOT come with instructions because it is simply 4 nuts and is more self explanatory when the proper straps are purchased. These straps are provided on our website and also noted on the product as a mandatory component for the install. I am sure install would be no trouble if his truck had the correct Toyota straps.

I understand that many people are installing our products on their brand new vehicles and have concerns over removing OEM components to install our (or most other companies) products. In the case of the Tacoma this includes the two front brackets as well as the two catalytic converter protector bars. We too have a 2016 truck and our goal is to provide the absolute best protection with no compromises. We have tried everything under the sun including leaving these items in place, then tested them out in ways we hope nobody would in their new truck. The fact is our products are what they are today because of serious testing and product advancement, making them the best RCI has ever produced, and likely the best on the market.

As IronPeak4x4 has shown above there are simple modifications that can be made to avoid removal of any parts but I would strongly encourage you to contact us first because I personally would be happy to discuss any of the engineering behind our product improvements which will likely change your mind!

Sorry that was long winded but just wanted to make sure there is no confusion! As always please give us a call directly if you have a question since that is the quickest route to reach us.

PS. Hope we got you all squared up and taken care of OP!

Josh
970-222-9195

 

I don't want this thread to spiral out of control... I will start by saying first and foremost that RCI makes an awesome product and I couldn't be more thrilled with my purchase (post installation)... This was my first installation and it came with frustration no doubt, but I must add that I am in no way bashing RCI or their product and a lot of this thread was due to my own inexperience.

I merely started the thread because I needed some guidance and had a measurable amount of frustration. I spoke to Josh multiple times after the fact and he was super helpful and I now have a full skid system installed with the exception of the gas tank skid of which in hindsight the only error was mine for not looking further into things to realize that it fits the off road trim not the sport.

These skids are bullet proof and I would recommend RCI to anyone wanting to go this route. I must regretfully admit I was hasty in posting some comments in this thread due to a lack of experience. This fueled a help me now please mentality of which I feel appeared as a unsatisfactory consumer, definitely not the case. Josh you have been most helpful and kind and have created an awesome product.

I did however find a way to install the front skid, tranny, and transfer case skid without having to remove the stock brackets in front which do imo add a substantial amount of support on the front end thanks to the help of everyone that contributed. Unfortunately after completing the installation I realized someone had backing into the front of my truck while it was not in the driveway....

Looks like I'll be upgrading to a winch bumper sooner than I had originally planned vs paying the deductible for the insurance.

 

I went this same route for the same reasoning.

 

Which brackets must be removed? Can you provide a picture?

 

You can see them in my pic from the other thread. The new skids don't need any additional brackets, as they're 3/16" steel plate, versus the tin of the old ones. I really can't see any additional support/ strength that would be provided by the tin skid plate brackets from the factory.



Check here for some additional shots.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rci-skid-plate-vs-oem-trd-or-pics.446315/

 

thank you

 

Just wanted to point out that Josh was attending to business and his customer's concerns on the forum in post #32 above.....at approximately 1230 AM (e.g. 30 minutes past midnight) to make sure they are satisfied and that other forum members are understanding the situation.

I think that level of effort speaks for itself.

 

The brackets that hold the original skid plate need to come off as well as the tow hook pictured below.

 

This is incorrect. I've done the install and you do not have to touch the tow hook.