Underbody Protection, which to do first

Brand new Tacoma owner, getting back into offroading in the Reno NV area.
Lots of trails here, but very rocky conditions. Have 2015 crew cab short bed TRD offroad pkg. Read lots of threads about underbody protection. Seems to be 5 general spots.
If you weren't going to do everything, which spots are most vulnerable and should be done first?
Also, aluminum vs. steel. Save lots of weight, but are you giving up valuable protection level?

Any consensus that one brand is better than another, cause prices seem all over the place. Leaning towards All Pro
Thanks!

 

I'd do sliders first. And then a full set of skids, front, mid, xfer case. If you're gonna be in the rocks a lot, go steel. Lot's of reputable market offerings for the second gen Tacoma.

 

Are the factory plates in the front totally useless? They seem pretty thin.
On the sliders, want the truck to look as well finished as possible. Slee offroad product seems to be the best I've seen.

 

I have the factory metal splash guards, that's what they really are... and they only protect against VERY light scrapes. I've hammered mine back into shape and occasionally will paint them. The transfer case is totally exposed. If your wheeling in the rocks I'd get real skids. My truck has only survived because I go very slow and use very careful wheel placement.

Sliders are a crucial first step IMO. Lots of options to choose from, not gonna list vendors in my post, but there is a show me your sliders thread around here somewhere.

 

I have the Slee Sliders on my double cab and would highly recommend them. The inset that comes with is strong and ruffed up a little to allow you to use them as a step even in bad weather. It also adds to that finished look verse a look of a couple pipes strapped to your truck.

 

sliders first, fixing body work is more expensive than replacing mechanical parts

 

If you are planning on using a winch to drag your truck across jagged rocks I would go with the thickest steel full skid package you can find. If they're there just in case then light aluminum will do. You could do thinner steel if you're somewhere in the middle. I have sliders and factory skid plates on mine. I think it has a couple scratches and one big dent, but it's held up fine. I don't drag the truck over rocks or try to power through anything though. I would work front to back if I was installing them piecemeal instead of all at once. No reason to protect the gas tank if you split the oil pan open first.

 

Personally, I add protection in this order.
Sliders
Front bumper
Rear bumper
Skids

For the skids I'd start with the IFS skid, then a belly (t-case) skid. The factory ones are minimal protection at best but will work fine if you're not regularly dragging yourself through rocks. If you are, then those factory skids will quickly be so mangled that you'll know you need new skids. Also, I would use steel on all of it. The one area of protection I'd consider aluminum is on the skid plates but only if I wasn't getting into the rocks a lot. And even then you'll want to use thicker aluminum than you would with steel for the same protection.

 

I was really disappointed to see what was "protecting" the gas tank on our trucks. I didn't expect people to say sliders first before everything, but it makes sense.

 

The first thing I did was re-route the exhaust crossover pipe and then get a beefy t-case skid from ATO. The wheelbase is kinda long on 2nd gens and the low hanging t-case is right in the middle. I took one look at that and said this is the most vulnerable area and addressed that first. Glad I did too, it saved my ass when some rocks slid out and I landed square on the skid. You can drive home with body damage. Notsomuch without a t-case.