LX570 skid plate recommendations

[levster2023]

You raise some good thoughts about weight in your other posts, and it’s real - my SS setup is heavy! I run my build light (no rear bumper/drawers/fridge/roof rack) and my only added stuff is a front bumper/winch and sliders. If you’re adding weight elsewhere AND you don’t intend to really rock crawl, I’d rock aluminum. I’ll also give a controversial thought - although I run bud skids, I don’t run a fuel skid, and my fuel tank doesn’t have a scratch on it - I’d save your weight there as well.

Thank you.

I’m thinking aluminum as well just for the fuel savings and to preserve as much riding dynamics as possible given I already have so much weight on the vehicle.

My current build sheet is below.

Front bumper - 100lbs
Winch - 80lbs
Sliders - 115lbs
Rear bumper - 110lbs
Tire swing out - 57lbs
Ladder - 52lbs
Aux tank - 87lbs
Gas - 112lbs
Spare Tire - 82lbs
Spare Wheel - 25lbs
Lights, harnesses, misc - 50lbs
Total - 870lbs

So most of the weight is below the headlights, but it’s still a net increase in the center of gravity compared to stock, especially considering it’s riding higher due to Dobinsons suspension and 35s.

Before these mods my car was actually lighter than stock because I removed the rear seats and AHC. It will be interesting to see what it will feel after all these mods.

The other dynamic with the skid plates is also moving more weight towards the center of the vehicle.

Right now with the front bumper/winch, rear bumper/spare tire, there is a lot more weight at the ends of the vehicle, which decreases handling.

Adding skids would help mitigate that to some degree, assuming that effect isn’t cancelled out by the additional weight.

 

[levster2023]

Trail tailor. It is possible they aren’t made anymore. I haven’t looked recently.

Got it, thank you!

I think Budbuilt has some suspension armor too.

 

[grinchy]

Got it, thank you!

I think Budbuilt has some suspension armor too.

Looks like they are still made Other Series - https://www.trail-tailor.com/store/c4/Other_Series.html

 

[hoot504]

Does anyone else have any input on the longevity of aluminum skids?

I'm thinking of buying the aluminum slee skids for my 200. This is on a truck with 2" of lift. I don't do any rock crawling. Just moderate forest road use out in the desert west. Would hate to drop the $2k and have a few errant flying rocks destroy the aluminum. Anyone running aluminum plate for a few years that can attest to its' longevity?

 

[Wafflroo]

Does anyone else have any input on the longevity of aluminum skids?

I'm thinking of buying the aluminum slee skids for my 200. This is on a truck with 2" of lift. I don't do any rock crawling. Just moderate forest road use out in the desert west. Would hate to drop the $2k and have a few errant flying rocks destroy the aluminum. Anyone running aluminum plate for a few years that can attest to its' longevity?

I have budbuilt skids mixed aluminum and stainless. Fuel tank skid and front skid are aluminum. I use and abuse my LX, skids are bent and scarred all over. The aluminum definitely doesn’t hold up as well, which is why I’ll switch my front skid to stainless soon. That being said my fuel tank skid doesn’t make contact nearly as often as the skids forward of it and because of this it’s in great shape. You’ll be fine with aluminum if you’re not planning to drag your vehicle over rocks all the time. Aluminum will still take hits, it just bends and gouges easier than the steel.

 

[tbisaacs]

Does anyone else have any input on the longevity of aluminum skids?

I'm thinking of buying the aluminum slee skids for my 200. This is on a truck with 2" of lift. I don't do any rock crawling. Just moderate forest road use out in the desert west. Would hate to drop the $2k and have a few errant flying rocks destroy the aluminum. Anyone running aluminum plate for a few years that can attest to its' longevity?

I was dead seat against aluminum for this reason but check out skids from @turbo8

200 series skid plate system | E&E Off-Road

Skid plate system for the 200 series Land Cruiser\Lexus LX570High strength sub frame made from 6061-T6 aluminumlightweight skids made from 5052-H32 aluminum Full set includes: front skid, engine skid, transmission skid, transfercase skid, power steering cooler guard, all sub frame components...

www.ee-offroading.com

The billet aluminum frame underneath add so much rigidity and the bottom is completely smooth.

 

[grinchy]

I wrecked a basic aluminum front skid in an impact with a cross ditch at speed. Replaced that with a Bud Built 1/4” steel front. That AL front also did the area between front wheels, so that area was also replaced with budbuilt steel. It rarely sees any action and would be fine AL or thin steel. The rest of my skids are aluminum and seem to be managing fine.

I wouldn’t do an AL front, or if you do, it’s probably best to think of it as replaceable / one impact use. Even the basic AL front that got replaced did its job - no damage to the stuff underneath.