steel engine skid KDSS compatible (search feature not helping) (1 Viewer)

[DRANGED]

I'm looking for a steel, engine/front skid plate for an 07 GX w/ KDSS. Turns out it's not so easy to find them...
I'm compiling a list of aftermarket 3/16" steel engine skidplate mfctrs who make a KDSS compatible skid.

Thusfar (updated 8/11/19):

• rci - no steel for kdss (started with GX skids in steel, took too long to sell and customers wanted Al, so that's what they offer ... Maybe a group buy run of 12+ would get another batch of steels out there)
• Shrock - nothing offered/advertised for Lexus
• BudBuilt - no steel for kdss Lexus
• C4Fab - none offered 4th gen 4r/GX
• CBI - per email they suggest their skid works, new design incorporates engine and trans skin into one unit.
• trailgear - not offered
• heftyfabworks - YES, STEEL for KDSS (not on their site, must contact directly...719-600-1242)
• ARB - yes steel KDSS: 150, so GX460 but not 470? (Not fondly reviewed: What Did You Do With Your 120 Today?)
• Victory4x4: 3/16".steel or Al, KDSS or not:
  
  

  Front Skid Plate | 4Runner (96+), GX (03+) & FJ - Victory 4x4

  Offering quality steel and aluminum goods for Toyota and Lexus 4x4s.

  www.victory4x4.com
  
  What pro are you running under your GX?

 

[bravoleader]

I am running the 150 series ARB Skid plates, they work and are cheap, but I am not impressed with their fit nor their strength.

 

[slowLC]

interested in this also. mine took a real hit from the previous owner and i want to replace it with something more substantial

 

[DRANGED]

Others have reported great things from the available aluminum skids: ASFIR and RCI as far as I've found.
There are SEVERAL steel offereings for NON-KDSS gc 470s, but KDSS makes steel skid offerings very limited.

 

[JLee]

You can trim them to fit - I had Budbuilt on a KDSS GX.

Why steel, though? Aluminum is dramatically lighter and still plenty strong.

 

[DRANGED]

You can trim them to fit - I had Budbuilt on a KDSS GX.

Why steel, though? Aluminum is dramatically lighter and still plenty strong.

HA! I'd come across that pic in my research! Rad. Is that pic similar to how you'd trimmed a budbuilt to accommodate KDSS?
I live in Moab and am trending towards steel for repeated hits. I'm not lifted and am starting to use my rig on trails now a bit over a year and a half of ownership... (spontanious elephant hill run, planned fins and seven mile, etc.) and the "lower" front skid is an issue. I'm careful and try to be precise but occasionally and when on trail for a while I'll bounce or come down something a bit harder than I want. factory skid is working but definitely losing it's shape

Steel for impact and sliding (hard and malleable) vs aluminum's metallurgical brittle (crack and gouge) properties.

But steel KDSS is hard to come by. Hefty has one, but don't advertise or show it on their page. I've Googed it and it's pretty abrupt of a plate, rather steep pitched like a wall....but KDSS compliant and 3/16 steel. I feel like with access to a break and some better tools I could fab something fine (at least it's in my mind..whether I really have the skill to produce it even if I had the right tools, is another thing

@DanKunts reports admirably of his ASFIR aluminum skids so that's a solid plus mark for Al.

I'm thinking just a steel front then maybe aluminum behind, but they're proprietary in mounting so you kind of have to stick with whichever for all skids and not mix and match. The RCI front is growing on me. It's KDSS-compliant and covers first 2 cross members, then maybe a steel x-fer case and leave the trans plate off, but that could leave a gap which may promote a hang-up point underbelly.

I'm definitely open to conversation and I'd like to hear all sides of this continued discussion...

 

[JLee]

HA! I'd come across that pic in my research! Rad. Is that pic similar to how you'd trimmed a budbuilt to accommodate KDSS?
I live in Moab and am trending towards steel for repeated hits. I'm not lifted and am starting to use my rig on trails now a bit over a year and a half of ownership... (spontanious elephant hill run, planned fins and seven mile, etc.) and the "lower" front skid is an issue. I'm careful and try to be precise but occasionally and when on trail for a while I'll bounce or come down something a bit harder than I want. factory skid is working but definitely losing it's shape

Steel for impact and sliding (hard and malleable) vs aluminum's metallurgical brittle (crack and gouge) properties.

But steel KDSS is hard to come by. Hefty has one, but don't advertise or show it on their page. I've Googed it and it's pretty abrupt of a plate, rather steep pitched like a wall....but KDSS compliant and 3/16 steel. I feel like with access to a break and some better tools I could fab something fine (at least it's in my mind..whether I really have the skill to produce it even if I had the right tools, is another thing

@DanKunts reports admirably of his ASFIR aluminum skids so that's a solid plus mark for Al.

I'm thinking just a steel front then maybe aluminum behind, but they're proprietary in mounting so you kind of have to stick with whichever for all skids and not mix and match. The RCI front is growing on me. It's KDSS-compliant and covers first 2 cross members, then maybe a steel x-fer case and leave the trans plate off, but that could leave a gap which may promote a hang-up point underbelly.

I'm definitely open to conversation and I'd like to hear all sides of this continued discussion...

I don't think I have any good pictures handy...best I have is this one (lower right corner).

@DanKunz has been running aluminum ASFIR skids for many years.

 

[DRANGED]

I don't think I have any good pictures handy...best I have is this one (lower right corner).

@DanKunz has been running aluminum ASFIR skids for many years.

looks like that has a much better angle than Hefty's. Does that tie in tot he rad supports or all the way up to bumper support mounting?

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Dan is way high off the ground, so he doesn’t hit his skids as much.

IF you are stock height or even sagging stock height and you add metal skids, you might be lower and hit even more rocks. So, figure out how to get a metal front skid and get going on a lift.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Oh and one of the asfir plates has a bracket that got bent on @Bluetribal at Moab and he has to get it straightened and reinforced. I think @DanKunz might have said he had to do the same to his asfir bracket.

I haven’t installed my RockSteady aluminum skid plates, but no weak brackets on this set.

 

[DRANGED]

Oh and one of the asfir plates has a bracket that got bent on @Bluetribal at Moab and he has to get it straightened and reinforced. I think @DanKunz might have said he had to do the same to his asfir bracket.

I haven’t installed my RockSteady aluminum skid plates, but no weak brackets on this set.

Good to know. @DanKunz said in the ASFIR thread that he's pounded them pretty hard and they keep on truckin'. Yeah his rig is high and climbs 6' walls so I bet he still hits them.

Oh right, and @Bluetribal pounded his out here pretty well too... Bent one a bit IIR.

Also a point for steel, aluminum is less compliant with malleability.

A local buddy can weld aluminum so whichever I get I can reinforce it. Good point about low and sagging springs. Ive got that, skids will reduce ground clearance but I do have a band-aid lift to try. I'll install in August and report in my building about it....

Rocksteady?

I'll have to look that one up and add it to my spreadsheet and list.... Thx.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

They only sell aluminum as far as I know

Rocksteady Motorsports

Here’s my set waiting to be installed

 

[JLee]

Dan is way high off the ground, so he doesn’t hit his skids as much.

IF you are stock height or even sagging stock height and you add metal skids, you might be lower and hit even more rocks. So, figure out how to get a metal front skid and get going on a lift.

Steel, yes. Aluminum, not so much. They're barely heavier than the OEM skids (the math worked out to just under 40 lbs).

 

[DRANGED]

Steel, yes. Aluminum, not so much. They're barely heavier than the OEM skids (the math worked out to just under 40 lbs).

o
For the insurance plus negligible weight difference Aluminum is intriguing ... But steel still holds my captivation...

But thats exactly the challenge. Steel for KDSS are not plentiful.

Thusfar I've only found two ARB (not the best report in them) and Hefty Fab (not an awesome design). :-/

What's odd is RCI makes an Al one for KDSS and both Al and steel for non-KDSS. Why can't they use the pattern for a steel product?
EDIT
I contacted RCI about that. They replied, "We actually manufactured a steel KDSS compatible front skid plate for the 470 first before offering it in aluminum. It took us a long time to sell through all of them and kept getting orders and suggestions for the aluminum version. So once we finally sold out of the steel we made some aluminum ones. We are still sitting on about 5 aluminum ones we have had for almost 9 months. So while trying to make everyone happy it just isn't in our best interest at this point to tie up a bunch of material into skid plates we just don't see a lot of demand for and might end up sitting around."
This was June, 2018. So I understand the economics of predicting demand and that makes inventory difficult for slow-moving products. I wonder what the co$t would be for for a custom order of one....

 

[HomersCanyonero]

The rocksteady alumninum skid plate full set is 50 lbs probably due to the heavy duty steel bracket to hold the transfer case plate in place.

The oem skid plates are close to 35 lbs? Are you sure?

 

[JLee]

The rocksteady alumninum skid plate full set is 50 lbs probably due to the heavy duty steel bracket to hold the transfer case plate in place.

The oem skid plates are close to 35 lbs? Are you sure?

ASFIR 4x4 Skids are back
ASFIR 4x4 Skids are back

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Got it. It’s only 18 lbs for the oem skid plates not counting the gas. My aluminum ones are 50, so I’m 32 lbs heavier. Time to upgrade to 650 lbs front springs! Lol

 

[Bluetribal]

You will be wishing you had Aluminum skids when you are underneath the rig installing them.

Yeah, my gas skid took a few bad hits trying to get out of a water hole so I hit the ledge about 4 times on the front of the gas tank skid which is the low hanging fruit. Bent both the front of the skid and the steel bracket from the skid to the frame.

All the brackets on the ASFIR skids are nikle coated steel and I reinforced the long middle support as preventative because it looked like the weak link and @DanKunz had done it also.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Ah...that was the gas tank skid plate whose bracket bent. I didn’t get a gas tank skid plate. You think the stock oem gas tank skid plate is strong enough to bet beat up at Moab?

 

[DRANGED]

You will be wishing you had Aluminum skids when you are underneath the rig installing them.

Yeah, my gas skid took a few bad hits trying to get out of a water hole so I hit the ledge about 4 times on the front of the gas tank skid which is the low hanging fruit. Bent both the front of the skid and the steel bracket from the skid to the frame.

All the brackets on the ASFIR skids are nikle coated steel and I reinforced the long middle support as preventative because it looked like the weak link and @DanKunz had done it also.

yeah, that reinforcement looks good. Looking at how that skid is made, I'd have those Al joints TIGd closed. more strength and structure to that pan.