TRD Skid Plate Install

Just installed a TRD Pro Skid Plate on my TRD OR, and after installation, it looks unaligned/bent.

I’ve tried removing it completely and reinstalling, but still getting the same bent results. Any ideas why?

 

If I remember correctly there were spacers on the bolts, were you missing any?

 

They had washers attached and a circular tube around the bolts. They were all there.

 

Your the only one who's ever going to notice.

 

I'd notice the crap out of how crooked that is.

 

Try this

 

Had that happen to me after a local oil change. Kid put skid back on crooked. Wife noticed after I got home. I crawled my sorry old ass under the truck and loosened all bolts slightly and then tightened them back up, beginning at the front and working to the back. I did have to put significant pressure upward on the front of the skid to get one bolt to stop spinning and finally catch. Turned out fine, looks great, but it was aggravating as fuck. I ain't 40 anymore.....crawling under stuff sucks...

 

Did all the bolts thread in trouble free? I had to re-tap the passenger side threads at the front if I remember correctly.

 

Exactly what happened to me when I installed mine. Had to put a lot of upward force towards the front of the plate so that the bolt went in properly. After you loosened them all slightly and re-tightened, it was good? Did the plate stay bent after leaving it the way it was for a few hours?

 

So you tightened rear and middle bolts completely, then went ahead to tighten the fronts?

 

I tried all the ways and still got bent results. First tried starting from the front to the back, got bent results. Then tried back to front, same thing.

 

I think that’s your problem.

I think the best way is, start with middle ones, but don’t tighten them. Then go back and forth between front and rear and slowly tighten all the bolts till your skidplate looks straight.

Also, did you use longer spacers in middle and shorter up front?

By any chance, did your skid come bent?

 

Seriously? That looks terrible, haha!

 

Is the skid plate catching on the tow hook by chance? I've seen that happen with this skid plate before.

If not, when you remove the skid plate, is it still bent?

 

It’s a pain but undo & re torque until everything lines up paying attention to sequence.

Or you could add a 1in lift to the passenger side only…

 

Looks like that front PS bolt isn’t even in the threaded hole. It appears to be angled slightly.

 

Prerequisite of TW membership. OCD.
Mixed with ADHD.

 

I don't see how the order of tightening the bolts could possibly affect this. Is the skid plate caught on anything? If the frame possibly bent?

It can be a bitch to install the skid just because the bolts all need to be threaded in a little bit at a time due to the spacers being clipped on which doesn't allow the bolts to move much vertically. However, I still don't see how order of bolt install could possibly tweak the skid like that. Seems like a physical problem with the truck or skid, or something the skid may be caught on screwing the install.

Here are some pics of mine if it helps.

 

+1 on the hook interference