How important are skid plates?

I'm about 2 months into ownership of my 2016 SR5 4x4 and love it.
I bought it because I knew that I'd need it at my hunt camp / weekend cabin. They started logging a few hundred acres and until now I'd gotten by with my old 4x2 F-150 but I knew that would change.

Long story short, the roads are a mess, but my Tundra got me in and out with no problem.
A worthwhile investment.
BUT, I was in some pretty deep ruts and could hear the mud scraping at my undercarriage. Definitely unsettling.

Is it worth investing in some skid plates?
To be honest, once the logging is finished I probably won't deal with this again for another 5 or 10 years and off-roading is not something I plan to do.

What would you do?

 

I would get rock sliders right away, before skids, to protect your rocker panels (along the bottoms of the doors). Then make a habit of placing your tires on every high point on the path (instead of straddling it, which allows it brush your undercarriage). Good tires are made for this. Doing this, your tires (not your undercarriage) will move over obstacles, and if the tire goes over and the obstacle is tall enough to reach the truck, the rock sliders will protect your truck.

It'll be more comfortable if you air down your tires, plus less likely you'll damage the tires. You can get a cheap-ass air compressor on Amazon.

Wait and, if you still want skids, there'll be great Black Friday sales. But I'd prioritize sliders over skids.

Where are you? Post pics. We love pics!

 

Skids offer some protection from road hazards as well as off road obstacles. There's also a tranny skid made by Desert Eagle that offers some protection from thieves trying to get to your cats. I guess if I didn't off road I wouldn't get 'em, maybe just the the tranny/ anti theft skid. But I am off road a lot and am fully armored underneath.

 

What do you think, Warren, skids before sliders?

 

I dunno. Sliders will protect from cosmetic damage and maybe, worse case, not being able to open a door. Skids protect some pretty vital, making it home or not, stuff.
I don't know which is actually a priority. Which ever one I'm missing.... That's where I'd have a problem.
Sliders protect you somewhat in parking lots too.... That's huge to me...... cause you know..... my paint is pristine... Sliders make for a good step too. If you have "steps" on your truck, take 'em off quick. Littering is a big fine and they generally leave a mark on their way off. They're the most common part I see on the side of trails.

 

I'd get a nice engine skid to protect the vitals (like the oil pan), and call it a day. Depending on how many rocks and roots there are, or if you want extra insurance, or want to spend the cash, get trans/gas tank skids.
Doubt you'll need sliders if you're just driving on dirt/gravel roads torn up by logging equipment.

 

I don't think they have any value. I pulled mine the 1st oil change and tossed the things.

I do lots of trail running.

 

Thanks all.
I plan to get underneath it this weekend to change out the diff. and transfer fluids. I'll see what effect the mud and rocks had and go from there.
...providing I can get it clean enough to work on it.
Took it to a car wash (because I'm lazy like that) and they turned me away - too much mud in my wheel wells.
It's been an insane deluge here on the east coast this year.

 

Well here is my front skid plate after my mud romp. Took a few scratches and a decent sized dent which is hard to see in the photo.
Oil pan, transfer case, transmission pan, gas tank and rear differential all seem to be unscathed.

I guess the stock plate doing its job, but I'm tempted to buy an RCI plate for the extra coverage.
Of course, as soon as I get it installed, the roads will be repaired and I'll never use it because that's how it goes

 

Get some RCI skids

@RCIoffroad

I hear about the sliders but don’t spend that money if you have no intention to off-road later.

 

Rci plates dont really cover the whole under frame though.

I would go with trd pro skids but it all comes down to personal preference

 

RCI is having a tax refund sale 15% off right now. I'd get some skids before the sale ends.

 

That plate is more of a dust shield than an actual skidplate. Pick up a rock and hit it to see how little it does against real obstacles. I'm sure that someone around you is selling a gently used TRD Bro or other skid plate...

 

Can’t endorse skid plates more! They are crucial! I used to think I would never REALLY need them. You just never know when you will need them. @831Tun make a great point about road debris as well! I just had to replace my grill from a chunk of retread tire. The bottom takes even more abuse.

 

So what would you cover first? Engine? Transfer case and transmission? Fuel tank?

 

My vote if the choice was between REAL sliders and skids... sliders all day long. Here's my reasoning.

These trucks are long. You're more likely to encounter turns in trails that, due to the length of the truck, require sliding along a tree trunk, or boulder, or outcropping or or or... on the inside, as you try to make the angle of the turn and not lose traction on the outside by going off it (if you can even do so; sometimes not an option).

Also, sliders free you up to pick the best line over stuff, which in theory should mean you can avoid the crap that would otherwise hit a skid. Especially if you can pick that line that might otherwise get you high sided, which means you're more likely to slide on the sliders on the low side.

Just my opinion based on lots of trail running and very little rock crawling.

 

What I meant, but you explained it better!

I'd start frantbto back. Under the theory that this is how you'll encounter most obstacles. If you put on a trans skid without an engine skid, not only does any potentially damaging obstacle hit your unprotected engine first, but then it can hang up on the front edge of your trans skid. As for the gas skid, the plastic one that comes on with the TRD package is strangely effective; do you have any kind of skid already on yours, from purchase?

And, I really stand by the advice @Cemented explained above. If you have real rock sliders, you can stop worrying about resting the edges of your truck on obstacles. This allows you to position to walk your tires over obstacles most likely to damage your undercarriage. The obstacle encounters rubber - (maybe slider) - rubber again, and you don't incure damage. So far, this has been workin' for me.

 

Well said @Sunnier

A follow up thought: I capp'd REAL sliders because you gotta pick equipment that can take the weight of the truck. I'm sure that's not news to anyone here, but just in case... steps are NOT sliders. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to inform people of that who otherwise assumed their steps were sliders. Saved more than a few guys some serious damage.

If you're shopping for sliders, use these forums. A lot. When you find options you're interested in, call the manufacturer directly. Ask them questions like "Are these sliders and not just steps?" "How do they mount, where and with what grade hardware?" "What was the thought/design process behind how they attach?" "How many attachment points?" "Can I use these as a lift point for the truck..." If you don't get good quick answers that instill you with confidence in the product, keep looking.

 

If you ever have no choice on the road and have to hit debris (or a turkey in my case) you learn quick how a skid plate is huge even on a pavement princess. My 2010 stock skid got pretty banged up by the bird (along with a few other plastic pieces)

 

Doesn’t sound severe enough to warrant buying skids nor sliders.

 

Ah......top requirement for mall crawlers......preferably custom chromed........

 

I agree you're right. But I've managed to "need" my rocksliders several times after installing them on my mall-crawler rated 2WD Tundra. Which is why I can keep a straight face encouraging there's to spend $1200 on this functional bling that works. Anyway, OP may not be the only one checking in here; might as well spread the doctrine.

 

For my own needs, I chose the TRD Pro skid plate. Sliders are nice to have, and I may get some one day, but the skid has already proved its worth on the highway.

I’ve off-roaded quite a bit with Tacomas, a flatfendered Jeep Willys, a 4Runner and a fullsize Bronco the past 25 years, but most of it has been mild, 2 and 3 diamond rated trails with only one 4 diamond trail under my belt. I’ve never done a 5 diamond trail. I managed to land on and scrape the bottom of the frame on the 4 diamond trail and that was without sliders. Had I picked a line a bit to the side, I probably would’ve landed on and crushed the rocker panel. So I can see the value of sliders if you plan to do 3 diamond rated trails or harder. They’re also good as jacking points with the proper equipment.

The Tundra is a different beast, though. Although my old, fullsize Bronco was wide, it had a much shorter wheelbase and a twin traction beamed front suspension that gave it a great turning radius. The Tundra, however, has the longest wheelbase I’ve ever driven. It also feels heavier than my old Bronco. So I don’t have the confidence to take it out on some of the tighter and off-cambered wooded trails of East Texas. I also have never taken it on some of the adventurous trailriding that others have taken theirs on as noted in this thread, and probably never will. So sliders for my needs are not a priority, but I do see their value in protecting the Tundra’s longer rocker panels if taken on difficult trails. I just don’t see myself taking a heavy behemoth of a Tundra rock crawling or on 3 and 4 diamond rated trails, but that’s just me.

The skid, on the other hand, took a decent hit at highway speed from a wooden block that was spit back at my front end by an 18-wheeler. That happened the day after I installed it. The main reason I got it is because my ‘15 SR5 never came with one, not even the thin OEM skid that many bemoan for its skimpiness. I often wonder what kind of damage that wooden block could’ve done to the oil pan had the Pro skid not been on.

 

My two cents, for what they're worth. I've been around the block a while and agree with what @equin had to say. Been off-roading since I could reach the gas on my dads 72 Jeep. I've seen the difference between stock mall crawler skids, and aftermarket, purpose built plates. If you want to protect your trucks' vulnerable underbelly, and you're going to be doing any off-roading, you want something that will actually protect your truck. I've seen fence posts go through radiators, rocks hole an oil pan, and cooling lines get ripped out by scrub brush - all with stock skid plates.
Stock plates offer some protection, but they are thin and designed to save the company some money, not you. TRD Pro skids are great, they have a cutout for the oil filter and are Toyota OEM. Personally, I went with RCI and won't be looking back. Pretty sure that after a nuclear attack, only cockroaches and my skid plate will be left. I'd rather have the armor in place and never need it, than need it and not have it on the trail. Nothing ruins a great day wheeling faster than your rig bleeding out in the dirt because you cheaped out on trail armor.
As far as sliders go, I'm not sure how pumped I'd be to tackle a tough trail, wash, or canyon in a truck as expensive as a 3rd gen Tundra. I mean, to each his own, but if you're running Moab, then weld on sliders is a pretty smart decision. Heading to the mall via a gravel road? Try some bolt-on N-Fabs.
In the end, it's your money, your truck. Check out what @RCIoffroad has to offer. A decent skid plate and sliders where warranted are a good investment and worth the peace of mind.
Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

I strongly disagree with one of your comments though:

OP, do NOT bolt on any kind of step, no matter how heavy-duty, and think they'll afford you any kind of protection. What Cement said earlier is true: if you attach anything other than sliders strong enough for you to use to jack the truck up, you introduce one more thing to break on the trail, and possibly impale itself into your truck. Look at SDHQ, BAMF; White Knuckle; Pelfreybilt (second-hand); etc.

P.S. @Opus5150, I'm not arguing with you. I understood your point, just don't want the OP or anyone else taking what you said as a recommendation to use N Fab or any other (affordable) alternative to rock sliders and think they'll get any protection.

Edit to list rock sliders recommended by forum members:
SDHQ (bolt-on, into existing frame holes)
BAMF;
White Knuckle;
Pelfreybilt (no longer in production);
P&P Engineering
Victory 4x4
RCI


For 1st gens:
Stubbs Welding
White knuckle

 

I look at it this way...Skid Plates aren’t important or needed until they are. Kind of like insurance.

 

No worries @Sunnier! I would hope no one would try to use bolt on sliders as a jack point or rely on them for any real trail protection, but I should have been more clear. N-Fabs are great steps as long as that's the expectation. Use them to bounce off rocks, you're going to have a bad time...

 

So, if someone had the tools....what thickness/dimension's would you experienced off road guys recommend for sliders?

 

1/4” aluminum would be my preference. I think that’s what most desert racers use. 1/4” steel would be stronger and cheaper, but kind of heavy. If weight is a factor, I remember reading a number of years ago about a few rockcrawlers who made theirs out of 1/4” cutting board to further lessen the weight. I looked into it, but the material at the time was costly. Don’t know if anyone uses cutting board material now, though, or if it was proven to be not as protective.

 

full 10 guage steel RCI skids - engine/tranny/fuel. best purchase