Skid plates: Victory 4x4 vs. OEM, Fumoto oil drain valve.

[urinalcake]

133k miles at the time of these photos in 2021. The original skid plates on my truck were crispy with cancer…

Front skid plate. Bottom view. So much cancer. But the visible bit is just the tip of the iceberg.

Front skid plate, top view. notice foam and felt on top. Ridiculous. Typically material like that serves to isolate or reduce noise. Why would there be foam on the bottom of the engine? What else does foam do? It collects/absorbs water. What does water do to steel? Makes it rust. It gets better...

...removing the foam and felt pieces reveals the crispy beauty underneath.

Transmission skid plate, bottom view.

Transmission skid plate, top view.

 

[urinalcake]

…which meant time for an upgrade. If you haven’t priced the three OEM skid plates, there’re about $1200 retail or about $900 discounted. Decent aftermarket sets can be found for about that much or a slight bit more.

Primary options are aluminum vs. steel. I chose steel for two reasons:

1. Slides over rocks rather than catching on them.
2. Less expensive.

I considered Bud Built, ARB, Slee, Ironman, Victory 4x4, and Dissent. Ultimately, I chose Victory because they are local (MI) to me and offered 4.8 mm (3/16”) thick steel. Powder coated to thwart cancer. Time will tell if I should have purchased aluminum for its corrosion resistance in the salt belt.

Installation is pretty straightforward. Having access to a lift would certainly make it easier.. Two things I would have preferred / changed about the design:

1. Stainless steel mounting bolts. The ones that came with the kit were lightly zinc plated, so I replaced all the hardware with stainless steel.
2. Reuse the factory mounting points. Only the front crossmember (under radiator) reused the three factory mounting points.
3. Enlarge / change the clearance for oil drainage during oil changes.

Here is a side-by side comparison. The transmissions and transfer case are so much more protected. As a bonus, the catalytic converters are also protected from damage and theft.

And the appearance from a low, front point of view. Rawr.

The engine skid plate already did its job last fall on my trim to the south rim of the Grand Canyon:

I installed Fumoto oil drain plug so oil doesn't spill onto top of skid plate, which was so annoying and messy. Fumoto valve is a game changer.

Next replacements will be, although I don't know what order yet.
1) Fuel tank skid plate (few areas are pretty thin from cancer)
2) Rock sliders. Probably replace the rocker panel covers with Land Cruiser ones.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

@urinalcake I may do this mod even though my skid plates are in relatively good shape due to my fluid-filming the crap on everything.
I have a Fumoto valve like yours.

Question: how is the oil filter changing experience with the new plates as compared with the OEM plates?

 

[urinalcake]

Great question. I haven't changed the oil yet with the skid plates and Fumoto valve in place yet. However, I bought the Fumoto B103SX Position Adjustable Oil Drain Valve. Notice the white hose nipple it rotates 360 degrees to optimal angle. I connect a short pic/vinyl/rubber hose to it.

Here are pics of the two drain plugs next to each other for comparison.
Disassembled.

Assembled.

Here's a video of the valve in action before installing the skid plate. I'll report back on full oil change experience in a few thousand miles.


As for draining oil from the oil filter cap, I also found this handy insert that comes with STP oil filters.

It threads into the oil filter cap.