Does anyone here have first hand experience with the durability of the plastic skid plate on their 200. I get the benefits of steel and aluminum one...perhaps down the road I will get some for my 2017. Curious why did Toyota use that material for factory skids on their "flag ship" off road vehicle?
Factory Skid Plate
- Thread starter bozochu
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Durability?
Meh... It's sort of like the plastic bumper covers.
They are "durable" (like you can beat the snot out of them and they can be popped back out), but not strong.
Those skids might help keep mud/crud from blasting upward as violently, but that's about it.
Why does Toyota slap these on their beast vehicle?
-Because most LC owners never hit a rock.
Ever.
For the rest of us who do hit rocks...we have options.
I have ARB skids on for now.
-My top $ priority right now is collecting pennies for gears/lockers.
But after that...my next largish expenditure will involve trading my very decent ARBs for BudBuilt's superior alternative.
Meh... It's sort of like the plastic bumper covers.
They are "durable" (like you can beat the snot out of them and they can be popped back out), but not strong.
Those skids might help keep mud/crud from blasting upward as violently, but that's about it.Why does Toyota slap these on their beast vehicle?
-Because most LC owners never hit a rock.
Ever.
For the rest of us who do hit rocks...we have options.
I have ARB skids on for now.
-My top $ priority right now is collecting pennies for gears/lockers.
But after that...my next largish expenditure will involve trading my very decent ARBs for BudBuilt's superior alternative.
Our 2015 still has steel skid plates, but they are pretty thin and dent relatively easily. But, they can also be hammered back easily too.
Markuson's right: Most LC owners will never see a real off-road trial, let alone a rock they might hit.
Markuson's right: Most LC owners will never see a real off-road trial, let alone a rock they might hit.
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The front skid plate works-ish... With my stock cruiser, I've caught some low points while bounding across the desert and it does it's job. Even had a decent stump put a dent in my fuel tank skid plate. Still, when the money arrives, I'll be getting aftermarket skids. Peace of mind with armor underneath is priceless if you're off-road much!
I’m guessing you’re planning the full steel set from Bud. When I was shopping for skids, I noticed the budbuilt lite steel was essentially the same thickness as ARB. I have the budbuilt aluminum on my other truck and they work nicely. I did mangle the front skid, so I got the full steel for the front and it takes a beating. I’ve been high centered on my aluminum gas tank skid and it was fine.Durability?
Meh... It's sort of like the plastic bumper covers.
They are "durable" (like you can beat the snot out of them and they can be popped back out), but not strong.
Why does Toyota slap these on their beast vehicle?
-Because most LC owners never hit a rock.
Ever.
For the rest of us who do hit rocks...we have options.
I have ARB skids on for now.
-My top $ priority right now is collecting pennies for gears/lockers.
But after that...my next largish expenditure will involve trading my very decent ARBs for BudBuilt's superior alternative.
I think the ARB will serve my purposes well. I don’t know that I’d want heavy steel all the way back personally. But then again, my Tundra wasn’t built for technical trails. We usually do them once or twice a trip at most.
What you are referring to is actually called a "splash shield". The large, two-piece, center splash shield on the 200 is metal, which puts it a step above the shields on most vehicles which are plastic. The smaller shields towards the side are plastic, but not the center one. The 200 has skid plates under some other vital components, but not a front "skid plate". As far as I know, there are very few vehicles that actually come with a front skid plate from the factory. Shields yes, actual skid plates, no.
Hi - re skid plate can anyone direct me to a picture of what the underside of a 2013 lc200 in North America should look like? Can’t tell if dealer took something off and didn’t replace. Thanks?
Snap a photo and post one of yours if you can.
Dealer should be able to check that for you even by just asking the parts desk to show you the pieces normally there on his parts screen.