What are these 2 bars below the sway bar for?

I don't exactly understand what these 2 bars are for?? It's the 2 bars that are below the sway bar. Can they be removed without harming anything?? Thanks in advance....

 

Pretty sure those are for mounting and supporting the front skid plate. Kind of hard to tell exactly what’s pictured but that’s what I’m thinking.

 

Correct.

 

That’s what I’m thinking too. If you removed them then there’s lots of things that can get out in harms way. I wouldn’t remove them unless they were being replaced with something else

 

I removed mine when I installed my skid plate

 

@Micatom33, could you possibly send me a pic of your skids with these bars removed?? These aren't even attached the the skidplate.. Skid plate attaches to the two fore and aft bolts. Maybe there are some in the center, but I'll make sure before removing. Thanks fellow Taconians!!!!

 

Those bars are for securing the stock skid. If you have an aftermarket skid you should be able to remove them

 

@hoarder23 /alright, thanks. I.appreciate it!!

 

I had to remove mine to install my front @SOS CONCEPTS IFS skid but considering my IFS skid is a huge beefy piece of steel, it is much stronger than two c channel stamped steel pieces that come on the truck in your picture. Here’s a quick little IG post SOS did showing the process. Very simple.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuG0bEVBYpi/?igshid=1q5do7f5f003e

 

Ooooooo!!!!!!!! Awwwwwwwww!!!!!!! Bad asss!!!!! What made you choose that brand plate from all others???? Price, warranty, reputation???

 

Scored the BAMF set here on TW . It was a deal I could not pass up.

 

What are you trying to gain by removing them? They also help form part of the subframe support by tying the differential crossmember into the front radiator support. Aftermarket skids get away with that because the skid bolts directly to both crossmembers.

 

Bracing.

 

im a firm believer if it came on the truck, leave it on. Toyota put it there for a reason.

 

Take them off,and your motor mounts will most likely end up cracking at the welds over time.

 

Yes- leave those alone. Those skid plate brackets are actually intended to be semi-load bearing. If the front lower center of the truck comes into contact with big rock or piece of road debris- those oversized brackets with the skid plate will help the truck to deflect and push back at the rock to avoid damage. Thats why they’re thick and have 6-8 19mm hexcap head bolts to mount the brackets to the frame. It’s an over designed feature on this truck.

 

So I'll leave them on because all replies make sense and I do understand their intentions. On that note, why do they get removed when installing new skid plates?? Are there brackets from the new plates that would bolt up to the same areas for the same reasons??? I only ask because I have yet to buy my skids, and trying to get an idea of which plates to buy, and why, along with what's involved of course!!
Very good info from everyone. Thanks again for ya'lls time.. A nation of Tacos indeed!!!

 

Skids are beefy enough to take the place of those braces, and they need to use the bolt holes anyway so they have to come off

 

So I bet when you call the skid plate manufacturer and ask hey since I have to remove the Toyota structural members to install your skid “ does your skid plate offer the same structural support “ and ask for it in writing you probably won’t get it from them.