Skid plate questions (1 Viewer)

[WVU fan]

‘12 GX - I have the Victory 4x4 front bumper and planned on getting skid plates before 2023 wheelin’. Noticed today that Victory is having a good sale and free shipping. RCI is having 20% off with no minimum purchase. RCI is ‘local’ to me so no shipping. Victory video shows drilling required and RCI looks to be bolted in factory holes. Is that true? Also, can go different thicknesses with RCI. Anyone know if there are any issues with mixing/mounting Victory bumper with other brand skids? I’m kind of leaning towards the 1/4” aluminum from RCI.

 

[re_guderian]

I have the Victory Strike front bumper and RCI steel skids. No issues mixing and matching. I have Slee sliders just to make it more confusing, and am considering an expedition one rear bumper...

 

[WVU fan]

Yeah - I have RSG sliders, Kaon pet barrier, TRD wheels, the Victory bumper… side note - I am accepting bribes for brand loyalty if a fab shop is interested!

 

[Rednexus]

IMO 1/4" alluminum is kind of thin for a skidplate. For reference, my wife's Outback (3,200#) has a 3/16 aluminum skid that has a nice bend in it from a single hit. I think 1/4" aluminum would get mangled pretty quickly on a 5,000# GX.

 

[BigSwede]

Yeah - I have RSG sliders, Kaon pet barrier, TRD wheels, the Victory bumper… side note - I am accepting bribes for brand loyalty if a fab shop is interested!

Victory front bumper, Coastal rear bumper, Heftyfab engine skid, Ricochet trans skid, Asfir t-case and gas tank skids, Dave's homebuilt sliders, Metalcloak HD rear lower links, Ironman lift and panhard bar, Kaon rear door table and hood hinge antenna mount...

 

[re_guderian]

Victory front bumper, Coastal rear bumper, Heftyfab engine skid, Ricochet trans skid, Asfir t-case and gas tank skids, Dave's homebuilt sliders, Metalcloak HD rear lower links, Ironman lift and panhard bar, Kaon rear door table and hood hinge antenna mount...

Dude, you need stickers, like all over your windshield!

 

[Banandalorian]

‘12 GX - I have the Victory 4x4 front bumper and planned on getting skid plates before 2023 wheelin’. Noticed today that Victory is having a good sale and free shipping. RCI is having 20% off with no minimum purchase. RCI is ‘local’ to me so no shipping. Victory video shows drilling required and RCI looks to be bolted in factory holes. Is that true? Also, can go different thicknesses with RCI. Anyone know if there are any issues with mixing/mounting Victory bumper with other brand skids? I’m kind of leaning towards the 1/4” aluminum from RCI.

I Have the Victory Blitz front bumper and there were no interference issues with the stock engine skid or my Budbuilt skids.

FWIW I would suggest at least a steel front skid based on the weight and dimensions of the GX. I think aluminum is fine for everything behind the engine if you aren't doing rock crawling, but our front skid hangs pretty low.

 

[r2m]

‘12 GX - I have the Victory 4x4 front bumper and planned on getting skid plates before 2023 wheelin’. Noticed today that Victory is having a good sale and free shipping. RCI is having 20% off with no minimum purchase. RCI is ‘local’ to me so no shipping. Victory video shows drilling required and RCI looks to be bolted in factory holes. Is that true? Also, can go different thicknesses with RCI. Anyone know if there are any issues with mixing/mounting Victory bumper with other brand skids? I’m kind of leaning towards the 1/4” aluminum from RCI.

Regarding material (steel vs. aluminum) and thickness, consider the type of wheeling you'll be doing.
For me I have aluminum skids, but most all my wheeling is overlanding. I don't plan on bouncing off rocks or tree stumps. Have I? Yes, but that's why I have them for that time when you think you've cleared something and then you hear that, "BANG!!". You get out, look underneath and see just the smallest indent in your skid. Wipe the sweat off your brow and wheel on. Albeit, I wouldn't want to beat that skid all the on rock gardens, but the rare times I've hit it, it's held up great.

 

[JDUB fab]

I Have the Victory Blitz front bumper and there were no interference issues with the stock engine skid or my Budbuilt skids.

FWIW I would suggest at least a steel front skid based on the weight and dimensions of the GX. I think aluminum is fine for everything behind the engine if you aren't doing rock crawling, but our front skid hangs pretty low.

Agree with the banana on this one.
3/16 steel can do the trick although I have heard of people going 1/4 for a bomber setup.
Lots of support gussets help.
Peep this thread for my current skid build.

JDUBs DIY Skid build (with files)

I’ve been working on a front skid design for a couple weeks now. Using my Tacoma design as a starting point, this skid has an oil drain hole, and as much clearance as I could get (with a diff drop). Was going to do an oil filter trap door, and I still might, but decided pulling the skid down...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[ducktapeguy]

I agree with the others. If you're trying to save weight, do it in other places, but the front skid should be at least 3/16" thick steel or better. That's the one that's going to take most of the punishment.

 

[re_guderian]

Most of my biggest dings are on the tranny and gas tank skids, think break-over point. I don't see the point of aluminum skids.

 

[JDUB fab]

I recommend against 1/8”… hence the beefier build.

 

[Rednexus]

I recommend against 1/8”… hence the beefier build.

It must depend on the wheeling . My 1/8" steel ARB's have some bends and dings but have overall held up just fine. I've hit some rocks hard and drug them over some berms, but haven't yet high-centered on a rock. I'm also not rockcrawling my GX, have no intention to do so, and generally pick pretty conservative lines (from my past life of wheeling a Subaru and having no other choice!).

I do think a GX would pretty easily shred a set of 1/8" alluminum skids though - these things just weigh too much. 3/16" would probably be OK for more mild wheeling, but aren't something I'd want to drag over rocks (as alluminum gouges so easy).

 

[BigSwede]

Aluminum doesn't rust.

 

[Rednexus]

Aluminum doesn't rust.

Certainly true, but it does gouge easily. Aluminum has a mohs hardness of 2.75, while silica (main mineral in sandstone/granite/volcanic rocks) has a hardness of 6.5, which is the same as steel. A rock will almost always win vs. aluminum. I've successfully ran 3/16" aluminum skids on two Subarus, both have dents and one that was heavily off-roaded has gouges. A GX has a full ton more weight to tear up the skids. If you aren't hardcore rockcrawling 3/16" aluminum is probably fine and does save a lot of weight - otherwise I'd avoid it. 1/4" aluminum is basically a splash guard IMO - I wouldn't even run that on a lightweight Subie.

 

[Bang Bang]

‘12 GX - I have the Victory 4x4 front bumper and planned on getting skid plates before 2023 wheelin’. Noticed today that Victory is having a good sale and free shipping. RCI is having 20% off with no minimum purchase. RCI is ‘local’ to me so no shipping. Victory video shows drilling required and RCI looks to be bolted in factory holes. Is that true? Also, can go different thicknesses with RCI. Anyone know if there are any issues with mixing/mounting Victory bumper with other brand skids? I’m kind of leaning towards the 1/4” aluminum from RCI.

I would guess it would depend on what kind of wheeling you do as to whether you go steel or aluminum. I always say I'm not going to do stupid s*** in my rig and then I do stupid s*** in my rig. So, I went with the full set of Bud Built steel skids. Glad I did because in the first 2 trips I banged them up pretty good. To me, saving a few pounds on skids that are at the lowest point of the rig is not wise. Even if you have no intentions of wheeling in rocks, you may find yourself in a situation where you have no choice. Rocks and aluminum don't play well together. I just crawl under the rig (or if I can get it on my friend's lift at his shop) and spot paint them from time to time. As for mixing and matching, I have an Ironman bumper and the BB doesn't exactly line up with it but it's close enough. You can't tell unless you crawl under.

 

[JDUB fab]

I ran both 1/4 AL and 3/16 steel on my old Tacoma. (Just slightly lighter than the GX) Prob only 20lb difference in weight for the exact same skid. I think the aluminum held up fine enough, was not as strong as the steel, and as people have described really gouges over rocks. Steel slides better feels less gummy, which means less resistance. Here is a pick of my skid after getting stuck on this rock, needed a tug to get out.

 

[Thealmightyme]

Any comments regarding the CBI skid plates?

I currently run the CBI bumper and am looking to upgrade/expand skid plate coverage and am looking at the CBI setup expecting an easier install with the CBI bumper in place already.

 

[Washingtontaco]

‘12 GX - I have the Victory 4x4 front bumper and planned on getting skid plates before 2023 wheelin’. Noticed today that Victory is having a good sale and free shipping. RCI is having 20% off with no minimum purchase. RCI is ‘local’ to me so no shipping. Victory video shows drilling required and RCI looks to be bolted in factory holes. Is that true? Also, can go different thicknesses with RCI. Anyone know if there are any issues with mixing/mounting Victory bumper with other brand skids? I’m kind of leaning towards the 1/4” aluminum from RCI.

Yes RCI skids will work with Victory front bumper just fine. That is exactly what I am running. Demello rock sliders and LFD Offroad rear bumper.

 

[WVU fan]

Pulled the trigger on the RCI steel engine skid. Probably will add the gas tank and transmission before the sale ends. Thanks Mudders for your input.