Bad Skid Advice on Youtube

[Don]

Aluminum skids are sold by small companies that can't afford to make/order pressed lightweight steel. Toyota and ARB skids are lightweight steel. Note the horizontal corrugations in the FE Toyota front skid. Engineering and pressing metals is a major expertise of all auto companies. The reason small company skids are flat is that they don't have Toyota and ARBs resources and knowledge.

There is a place for heavy steel on rock crawlers that literally rest the vehicle on the skids. This protection costs 150-200lbs.

So, unlike what Youtube says, the choice is not between aluminum and steel. The choice is between aluminum, lightweight engineered steel, and heavy steel plate. Aluminum is relativeley weak and tends to snag on rocks being dragged underneath. Alunimun skids are sold because its practical to fabricate and sell at a profit. It's promoted by influencers who mostly don't know better.

In the last youtube I watch the guy was advocating for an aluminum front bumper so that heavy skids could be used. Maybe that's good logic for a rock crawlers, but I think its backwards for most people. Only a steel front bumper/bull bar will prevent a disablement from an animal strike. I think lightweight steel skids and a proper steel bullbar maximizes risk reduction within a proper vehicle weight budget.

Pressed steel

 

[mkg]

Can't say I agree. There is a time and place for aluminum skids, and would trust the 1/4" Aluminum Greenlane skids over the ARB ones any day. Unless you live in an extremely rocky area or rockcrawl, the aluminum skids are generally more than enough. Of course all are not built the same, but thats for you to figure out. Another bonus of aluminum, if you live in an area that salts or true winters, you have nothing to worry about rust wise.

 

[Don]

Neither the Toyota or the ARBs skids are going to rust becuase they are designed and manufacturered professionally. They are not made by a couple of dudes who a laser cutter.

 

[mkg]

Ive personally seen ARB skids with rust.. you scratch through the zinc coating and powdercoat, it goes to bare steel. Which rusts.

Bottom line, there is no right or wrong answer, it comes down to your personal needs and requirements.

 

[Nuke]

Neither the Toyota or the ARBs skids are going to rust becuase they are designed and manufacturered professionally. They are not made by a couple of dudes who a laser cutter.

If made of steel, they will rust. Just take for example the treated/painted Toyota frames. Thankfully, it appears the insides of the frames are now treated with more corrosion protection.

 

[Don]

If made of steel, they will rust. Just take for example the treated/painted Toyota frames. Thankfully, it appears the insides of the frames are now treated with more corrosion protection.

They are not going to rust any more than rock rails. They can either be maintained or not, like rock rails.

Skid plates are not permanent items. The front plate should be removed and debris cleaned with each oil change. I expect the Toyota plates to last three or four years. At that point ARB will have skids for this vehicle and I will compare.

In moderate to heavy contact light weight steel skids are going to last longer than aluminum. Both because of the material and the fact they have structure that has been pressed into the material.

If the need for protection is only out of caution then the stock protection is good enough. The use of plastic in the second plate is probably smart, not cheap. Handled off the vehicle the plastic piece is substantial.

 

[MattInAustin]

I have been going back and forth on Toyota OEM plates or aluminum ones since the costs are pretty close. I had an ARB bumper and skid on my 2000 Taco which didn't age well. I know Toyota is manufacturing for cost in materials, process and shipping. They are great at stamping and agree the plate is probably engineered to some degree, but it doesn't mean aluminum plates are bad. For Toyota a 1/4" thick skid plate might be much more expensive to produce and ship. Aluminum can be as strong as steel, but there will need to be more material...which costs more than the steel and makes it heavy. I do think those large flat surfaces of the aluminum ones will create suction in mud. Having some void spaces will allow air to get trapped in a good way. 1/4" thick 6061 plate should be stiffer than 1/8" stamped steel and I believe it would spread a point stress better. I'm guessing you could even use a thick aluminum skid as a jacking point (at least in the areas that are close to the mounting bolts)? That said, leaning towards the Toyota skids.

 

[EOD Guy]

I don't agree at all. My 08 Taco has steel skids and they only have minor surface rust, The Alum skids on my 20 Taco are holding up just fine. Depending on the composition of the Alum it will bend easily or break easily. While you would be able to bash a metal skid back into some shape with a hammer after being smooshed, alum takes more finesse but can be reshaped. Both Alum and steel can be pressed into just about any shape, providing rigidity and thus strength, both when bashed on a rock with bend/break/crack.

 

[EOD Guy]

I have been going back and forth on Toyota OEM plates or aluminum ones since the costs are pretty close. I had an ARB bumper and skid on my 2000 Taco which didn't age well. I know Toyota is manufacturing for cost in materials, process and shipping. They are great at stamping and agree the plate is probably engineered to some degree, but it doesn't mean aluminum plates are bad. For Toyota a 1/4" thick skid plate might be much more expensive to produce and ship. Aluminum can be as strong as steel, but there will need to be more material...which costs more than the steel and makes it heavy. I do think those large flat surfaces of the aluminum ones will create suction in mud. Having some void spaces will allow air to get trapped in a good way. 1/4" thick 6061 plate should be stiffer than 1/8" stamped steel and I believe it would spread a point stress better. I'm guessing you could even use a thick aluminum skid as a jacking point (at least in the areas that are close to the mounting bolts)? That said, leaning towards the Toyota skids.

Agree, there's a reason airplanes aren't skinned in thin steel..............

 

[Don]

We don't know the material used in either Toyota or Arb skids, but steel can be superior in strength to weight. Particularly for sheer forces.

From photos it looks to me like the 5th gen 4runner TRD skid might be aluminum. Either it's aluminum or Toyota didn't take advantage of the steel. The LC front skid has the deep corrugations and recessed fasteners to create a beam to resist perpendicular loads. Two guys in the garage are mostly restricted to selecting material thickness.

If sliders aren't rusting it's because they have not rubbed made contact.

Lightweight steel in automotive design and manufacturing.

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