Yet another attempt at an IFS 3rd gen skidplate

[Bighead]

Some reinforcement

[img width=800 height=600]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Skid%20Plates/DSC07611.jpg[/img]

Nice job. The reinforcement points look similar to the ones on my old Azrain skidplate.

[4x4mike]

Do you have a picture of your old skid plate? Does it have mounting points similar to mine or does it have the "feet" towards the middle? How did it hold up?

[Obi..]

Scuba, show him your current one, how'd it hold up so far? I still think those are the chit for design.

[Scuba]

Scuba, show him your current one, how'd it hold up so far? I still think those are the chit for design.

Agreed, I love it as well. Very sturdy, But to tell you the truth I havent had the chance to beat up on it much..

And in the beginning of this thread mike did say he was going to make some feet brackets like this, but never ended up doing it.
Then when this thread surfaced again I mentioned it in post 55

If you can get it flat maybe try making some extra supports like the one on the Skid row skids..?

[img width=800 height=600]http://www.skidplates.com/Images/Toyota/Tacoma/Radiator_clearance.jpg[/img]

Anyway, I believe the ribs will make it sturdy enough..

[Obi..]

You gotta do the feet, I still wonder why you guys with the 95+ don't just chuck those pos plastic capped radiators. Beter yet, why hasn't someone designed a better one that doesn't poke so low?

Part of why if I go ahead later and build up a 3rd Gen Runner, one of the first things on the list is these things and a 1.5-2" body lift. *Bonus will be accessability to starter/etc.

[Scuba]

You gotta do the feet, I still wonder why you guys with the 95+ don't just chuck those pos plastic capped radiators. Beter yet, why hasn't someone designed a better one that doesn't poke so low?

IDK reall, havent really thought about it before tell you the truth..
I never scraped it or damaged it when I still had the stock tin foil skids on..
I worried about it a few times but never had a problem

[Seanz0rz]

why would we mess with the rads? they work great, ive never really heard of many problems with them, etc. why pay money to fix something that really isnt even a weak spot? just put some good protection under it and youre fine.

as for the feet: mike, i didnt realize you didnt have any attachment to the #2 crossmember! thats why yours folded in like it did. i designed that part of my skid plate to never bend, so it would keep rocks and such out of my oil pan, etc. my front will bend slightly, but not much. my skid plates are alot more for skidding than impact protection though, at least from fixed objects.

[4x4mike]

why would we mess with the rads? they work great, ive never really heard of many problems with them, etc. why pay money to fix something that really isnt even a weak spot? just put some good protection under it and youre fine.

as for the feet: mike, i didnt realize you didnt have any attachment to the #2 crossmember! thats why yours folded in like it did. i designed that part of my skid plate to never bend, so it would keep rocks and such out of my oil pan, etc. my front will bend slightly, but not much. my skid plates are alot more for skidding than impact protection though, at least from fixed objects.

I didn't do the feet because my second cross member is messed up from the factory skid plate. In the first place I think it would difficult to make everything line up and work right and when you throw the bent cross member in there it's all out the door for me. When I had everything off the other day I was thinking about reworking it and maybe building another one but I have little to no time for that right now. I think I'll run it some more (as it works) and use any more damage as a reason to rebuild.

As for the radiators they're fine. They hang down low because they are big and cool really well. My skid and the factory skids cover them so you can party down.

[Obi..]

Ahem, cough-cough..took a little for someone here to have the issue and why I suggested the idea: http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.ph...78550#msg78550

Copper and aluminum caps hold up better overall. Imagine if he had not caught it, I have seen both the top cap and the bottom having completely separated while the engine was under load. Imagine going over 45mph when one decided to take a dump all of a sudden.

You gotta do the feet, I still wonder why you guys with the 95+ don't just chuck those pos plastic capped radiators. Beter yet, why hasn't someone designed a better one that doesn't poke so low?

IDK reall, havent really thought about it before tell you the truth..
I never scraped it or damaged it when I still had the stock tin foil skids on..
I worried about it a few times but never had a problem

why would we mess with the rads? they work great, ive never really heard of many problems with them, etc. why pay money to fix something that really isnt even a weak spot? just put some good protection under it and youre fine.

as for the feet: mike, i didnt realize you didnt have any attachment to the #2 crossmember! thats why yours folded in like it did. i designed that part of my skid plate to never bend, so it would keep rocks and such out of my oil pan, etc. my front will bend slightly, but not much. my skid plates are alot more for skidding than impact protection though, at least from fixed objects.

[slosurfer]

What does that radiator failure have to do with the skid plates. Looks like it cracked on top, not on the bottom from getting smacked?