Aftermarket skid plates or stock?

[Jc1986.carter]

Quick question for everyone. Did you get a full kit of aftermarket skid plates for your second gen frontier or xterra or did you keep the stock ones in place?

I just ordered a set of hefty fab sliders but, after doing more reading on the subject and crawling under my truck it looks like there are some major gaps and short falls with the stock skid plates. The radiator and front diff/ engine look like the places I want to guard the most.

I would be interested in everyone’s take on the subject. Also at the moment I haven’t had a need/ significant event to warrant the addition of more armor.

 

[jhberria]

It really depends on what kind of trails you plan on hitting. After 3 years of owning my X, I opted for a full set of Hefty Fab alluminum skids. Before that, I ran the stock skids through the trails of Southern Arizona and the Pacific North West with no issues. The aftermarket skids were simply for peace of mind. If i was constantly hitting trails with tall rocks, the need for skids may have been more imminent.

Good move going with the sliders first. I would also reccomend a good rear diff cover or skid, as a peeled back differential cover could make for a bad day.

 

[MCX]

Agree with @jhberria...depends on what type of off-roading you do. I do some pretty rough wheeling in the desert and I'm often by myself, so I wanted more protection than the stock skids. And, like you mentioned, the stock skid pates leave a lot to be desired. So, I went with the Hefty Fab steel skid plates. If I was to do it again I'd probably opt for the Hefty Fab aluminum skids, to save on weight.

 

[Jc1986.carter]

I’m in central North Carolina, not super rocky. The closest area to truly test skid plate durability is at Uwharrie national forest. There is a dedicated off road trail system them the runs the gambit of difficulty. Most sections I could run aren’t that rocky, my biggest concern are the gaps in the stock skids. It sounds like I should be fine with the stock skids if I don’t get crazy.

 

[justbecause]

at the moment I haven’t had a need/ significant event to warrant the addition of more armor.

Then I wouldnt spend any money on it. I havent changed mine yet, it was high on the priority list years ago, but my OEM front skids are still clean, I havent taken a good look at the gas tank skid in a long time.

 

[Obrianmcc]

I opted for a Shrockworks Engine Skid mainly to provide protection for the front diff. To do over I would look at the Aluminum option from Hefty to save weight.