BudBuilt 200 Series Skid Plates, Sliders, High Clearance Rear Bumper

[Taco2Cruiser]

The ARB plates go back to the transfer case but there's nothing any further back than that. Any sense of whether the gas tank skid and rear LCA skid could coexist with the ARB skids?

While the ARB skids technically go to the transfer case. The ARB transfer case skid still requires your transfer case and transmission to take the impact load from a hit, just like the stock bash guard.

With Bud's transfer case skid, nothing is touching the transfer case, so your t-case and transmission can just worry about moving the vehicle, and not holding up your truck.

And when you are in a rock garden, you won't have a recessed area to get a rock caught in. When you look at the ARB "skid" it's higher than the cross member, gas tank, and exhaust around it. I learned a long time ago that getting high centered sucks, but getting a rock caught in a high point of the belly, really sucks. That's why this is smooth from front to back.

The control are skids are definitely seperate from any other skid, so no worries there. The gas tank will most likely be separate from the transfer case skid, but that's not final yet. That said, the stock gas tank skid mounting points aren't much to write home about, probably one of only two things we've found that isn't "land cruiser" like in its strength. That's not say it isn't strong in there. We actually test things, so we'll get a jack in there and see if I can bend the frame, I'll know if it is strong enough or needs to be reinforced then.

 

[indycole]

While the ARB skids technically go to the transfer case. The ARB transfer case skid still requires your transfer case and transmission to take the impact load from a hit, just like the stock bash guard.

With Bud's transfer case skid, nothing is touching the transfer case, so your t-case and transmission can just worry about moving the vehicle, and not holding up your truck.

And when you are in a rock garden, you won't have a recessed area to get a rock caught in. When you look at the ARB "skid" it's higher than the cross member, gas tank, and exhaust around it. I learned a long time ago that getting high centered sucks, but getting a rock caught in a high point of the belly, really sucks. That's why this is smooth from front to back.

The control are skids are definitely seperate from any other skid, so no worries there. The gas tank will most likely be separate from the transfer case skid, but that's not final yet. That said, the stock gas tank skid mounting points aren't much to write home about, probably one of only two things we've found that isn't "land cruiser" like in its strength. That's not say it isn't strong in there. We actually test things, so we'll get a jack in there and see if I can bend the frame, I'll know if it is strong enough or needs to be reinforced then.

Got it -- thanks for the insight. It sounds like one could consider these to be a pure upgrade over the stock or ARB skids. Looking forward to see how this progresses.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Got it -- thanks for the insight. It sounds like one could consider these to be a pure upgrade over the stock or ARB skids. Looking forward to see how this progresses.

Well, that's kinds why this happened and why I went with BudBuilt. I've known Bud for almost 10 years now. We did the first FJ tummy tuck with stock transfer case on my FJ.

But I moved to El Paso, TX and that's where I switched to the 200. Looking at the ARB skids and being very disappointed with the design of the transfer case skid, for the reasons I just mentioned, the lack of easy oil changes, and the few amount of attachment points (I've bent in Prado 120 frames from other companies 3/16" skids with few mounting points) I realized that the ARB skids are kinda like their rear bumpers and sliders, not really meant for American type rocky trails. It's more for long Australian sandy tracks (which makes sense).

Then when I knew that I was moving back to the east coast, I called up Bud and told him my ideas, and of course he was all in. Bud by trade is an engineer that designed and built some amazing industrial projects for decades, but he was also a rock crawler. Then he decided to take his engineering background and his years of hard core wheeling experience and start his own business. That's why his skids are so good, anyone can make metal fit on a truck, but he has so much formal education and experience to know how to distribute load, reinforce stress areas, and the angles to make it right, plus real world off-road experience. I'm not paid by him, and yea I'm biased, but at least for me, I've sent a lot of money over the years on off-road stuff, and the few things that haven't let me down are Toyota 4x4s, ARB winch bars, and BudBuilt skid plates. Past that, I've broke it.

We are looking at if his transfer skid might work with an ARB transmission skid. That way, if someone with the ARB set up already, wants real protection for their t-case, they can get it without having to take such a big financial hit. No guarantees on that though, just thinking of all possibilities.

 

[Markuson]

Would definitely be nice to supplement existing ARB skids where it makes sense. I hate re-buying stuff. But my plan is for some serious abuse once my bumpers & winch go in, and belly-busting stuff wouldn't be fun.

 

[mark71]

That's why this is smooth from front to back.

So more aerodynamic...possibility of better fuel mileage...yeah, I can sell this to the wife.

 

[Chocolate]

Those skids look great powder coated in red.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Everything is looking to be available in about a month, he's also making sliders (which, duh. It's BudBuilt) it was just a surprise for me as I already have sliders.

They will be offered in any material and strength you want, with 3 or 4 different designs of fill plates, with or without a kicker, and absolutely will be the strongest slider on the market. So I bought a pair, and well, Slee sliders are for sale if anyone wants them.

Also the control arm skids are getting close to being done. Instead of other where you have the armor requiring the control arm bolt to also hold the skid on, Bud's uses different holes and is fully boxed. So easy bolt on and off. They work with or without Slee sliders.

There is also a rear differential guard, it's bomb proof. I mean just damn.

More to come, especially my favorite little thing. Transfer and gas tank are very close to being done.

 

[Markuson]

 

[sPaulp]

Wow, awesome stuff. Sign me up for the skid plates, and rear diff guard for sure. I may even take a pair of the sliders as well. Very nice work.

 

[Chocolate]

Hey Taco2Cruiser, it would be great if you could get weights on the set of skids and sliders. Whatever it is it's worth it, just curious to know total weight of the truck.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Hey Taco2Cruiser, it would be great if you could get weights on the set of skids and sliders. Whatever it is it's worth it, just curious to know total weight of the truck.

Yea I'll be back up there in a couple weeks, so that's too easy.

There will most likely be standard and "lite" mild steel versions of the skid plates, as well as aluminum, if that is what you want.

For the sliders, again, since he makes everything in house (unlike a lot of other manufactures that design something, but then have seperate machine shops actually make the stuff) he can make them out of whatever you want, based on your needs.

So he can do the normal .120 HREW that you see most of the time, and also .120 DOM for if you pound on rocks hard. And aluminum, if that is your thing.

Then he has .187 DOM!! So no joke, you won't bend this stuff, if you do, he'll give you a new one. With strength comes weight, as we all know.

Then there is if you want a kicker on the back or not, if you want full fill panels or just half or none at all. Then there is the design of the fill panels from smooth to two different dimple designs to diamond plate.

Sorry about the long response, it's just he is having a website overhaul and all these things are not up right now, so figured I'd just say it.

 

[Chocolate]

.120 DOM should be just about perfect.

 

[vapilotda]

Looking forward to a set for the Breckinridge trip this summer! Is there a chance you can or will build the diff guards for an 80 series? I've already destroyed the OEM guards and stripped my front diff drain plug out this summer wheeling.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Looking forward to a set for the Breckinridge trip this summer! Is there a chance you can or will build the diff guards for an 80 series? I've already destroyed the OEM guards and stripped my front diff drain plug out this summer wheeling.

Yea know, I think there is an 80 series guy by him, so that would be too easy. And if not, one of Bud's good friends own a shop by you in Fredericksburg, VA called iron pig off-road. Those guys are some crazy land cruiser fabricators, and just some good people.

 

[Rigger]

I'll be watching this thread.

 

[vapilotda]

Yea know, I think there is an 80 series guy by him, so that would be too easy. And if not, one of Bud's good friends own a shop by you in Fredericksburg, VA called iron pig off-road. Those guys are some crazy land cruiser fabricators, and just some good people.

You are right, those guys are good dudes!

 

[NLScooby]

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle....I just looked up BudsBuilt and they are less than 60 miles from my house! Finally - something that is actually close to me!

@Taco2Cruiser , let me know when you are passing through!

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Well, the off-road gods smiled upon me and I got time off of work and will be going with Bud to the Lone Star Toyota Jamboree. I'll take a bunch of pictures of the sliders and skid plates and frame and suspension armor for everyone.

This is also the real world test to make sure everything is good. I think we might paint them red for this event just so they are easier to see. My set is all stainless steel.

 

[Doc Bones]

Following, sign me up for the skids!

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

All the items in red are the "test set." Real world testing, I think, is not only fun and rewarding, but the only way to know if a product is actually ready to handle abuse.

The inside of these has some engineered reinforcement thing that Bud does (I don't know, he's the automotive and industrial engineer, I'm just a guy who can add metal till I think it is strong), it took about double to pressure from the press in a crush test verses a skid that is just simple plate steel with some attachment points to the frame. Also, one of those skids will change again.

The gas tank skid, transfer case mounting system, shock guards (which are really weird, they are very different, and Bud is going to paint those black to not draw attention. They are experimental, and out of context, they could be perceived wrongly)

Umm, what else. Control arm skids that don't require removing the control arm bolt or drilling. Rear diff armor is on the truck also.

Oh, so Bud's front skid actually offers more clearance than the stock skid. It may be a 1/32", but hey I'll take it.

Sliders have changed quite a bit from the first picture. They are different in design than other sliders. Once they get cleaned up, I'll post a picture.

Definetly more to come.