Box Rocket
Well-known member
Thanks Jeremy! I dig the Expedition Ops sticker and like being able to turn a little attention your direction with it.
Box Rocket '03 DC Tacoma Build
- Thread starter Box Rocket
- Start date
Thanks Jeremy! I dig the Expedition Ops sticker and like being able to turn a little attention your direction with it.
Nitetrain04
New member
I really like the skid plate. Did you use a press break? I'd like to build something similar.
Nice work!
Nice work!
24HOURSOFNEVADA
Expedition Leader
Adam, I liked your "Money pit 40" a lot, but this is probably one of my favorite taco's on the site. Do you guys use the 80 much for off roading much anymore?
Box Rocket
Well-known member
No Press brake. I have a pretty basic tool set at home with the exception of the welder. Skid plate was formed with "whiskey bends" by cutting most of the way through the plate with my cutting wheel, then making the bend and welding the seam. Of course I cleaned it all up with a flap disc afterward.
Thanks. I miss my 40. The 80 still gets used, but it was recently retired from Daily driver duty after 10+ years as my wife's DD. Its got almost 300K miles on it now so it needed a little break. If the whole family goes we take the 80 because we don't all fit in the Tacoma (4 kids will do that to you).
You'd be suprised. If all you do is drive fireroads then departure angle isn't an issue. But get onto any sort of technical trail with ledges or big rocks and departure angle becomes a big factor.How much do you need
Twistedfreedom
New member
Great looking truck can't wait to see it in Moab.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Built the trans skid last night and used the same 'whiskey bend' method as I did on the front skid. I had several people ask about how I did that so here are a few pics.
using a cutting wheel I cut almost all the way through the plate ( on the outside of the bend) and bent the plate. The gap is then fully welded and ground smooth.
Couple pics of the trans skid. Like I said, it still needs paint and a couple holes drilled so I can bolt it to the back of my IFS skid (the slanted peice will attach to the front skid) and there are a couple custom brackets welded to my stock crossmember where it will attach on the back.
It covers just the tranny pan. The upright peices are notched to clear the tube going into the pan on the passenger side, and the driverside is clearanced a bit more for the driveshaft. I could have made the skid wider but I chose not to in an effort to keep the weight down as much as I could. It still covers what I need it too. It's tucked up pretty high and I think it will be pretty rare that I actually drag it on stuff. The t-case skid will get more abuse.
Bottom side
Lastly, some had asked to see better pics of the brackets on the rear of the front skid where it attaches to the steering rack. I had to custom shape these to fit around the steering rack but they're solid and should work well.
using a cutting wheel I cut almost all the way through the plate ( on the outside of the bend) and bent the plate. The gap is then fully welded and ground smooth.
Couple pics of the trans skid. Like I said, it still needs paint and a couple holes drilled so I can bolt it to the back of my IFS skid (the slanted peice will attach to the front skid) and there are a couple custom brackets welded to my stock crossmember where it will attach on the back.
It covers just the tranny pan. The upright peices are notched to clear the tube going into the pan on the passenger side, and the driverside is clearanced a bit more for the driveshaft. I could have made the skid wider but I chose not to in an effort to keep the weight down as much as I could. It still covers what I need it too. It's tucked up pretty high and I think it will be pretty rare that I actually drag it on stuff. The t-case skid will get more abuse.
Bottom side
Lastly, some had asked to see better pics of the brackets on the rear of the front skid where it attaches to the steering rack. I had to custom shape these to fit around the steering rack but they're solid and should work well.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
finished up the transmission skid last night. My guess is that it won't take too many hits so it's attached to the IFS skid with a single bolt for now. I'll add more front attachment later if needed.
At the back I welded a heavy angle bracket to the factory crossmember that the skid bolts to. The belly skid will attach the same way to the back of the crossmember so nothing will be lower than the factory crossmember. Used a couple carriage bolts so they'll slide over the rocks better than regular bolts.
Here's the bracket welded to the crossmember
from this side you can see how the side is clearanced for the driveshaft.
On the passenger side you can see how the side is notched for the trans fill tube.
I got started building the belly skid last night. I'm using one of the super beefy brackets from Ruffstuff for the rear belly skid crossmember. A pair of these will be welded to the frame behind the tcase. Another heavy angle bracket will be welded to the back side of the factory crossmember for the front attachment of the belly skid. Nothing will cover the holes in the factory crossmember so that I can get to the tranny mount bolts easily if I need to.
At the back I welded a heavy angle bracket to the factory crossmember that the skid bolts to. The belly skid will attach the same way to the back of the crossmember so nothing will be lower than the factory crossmember. Used a couple carriage bolts so they'll slide over the rocks better than regular bolts.
Here's the bracket welded to the crossmember
from this side you can see how the side is clearanced for the driveshaft.
On the passenger side you can see how the side is notched for the trans fill tube.
I got started building the belly skid last night. I'm using one of the super beefy brackets from Ruffstuff for the rear belly skid crossmember. A pair of these will be welded to the frame behind the tcase. Another heavy angle bracket will be welded to the back side of the factory crossmember for the front attachment of the belly skid. Nothing will cover the holes in the factory crossmember so that I can get to the tranny mount bolts easily if I need to.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Skids are all done. Finished up the belly skid today. Pleased with how it turned out. Pretty beefy 2" crossmember at the back mounted to the frame with the Ruffstuff brackets. 3/16" plate, with a couple reinforcement ribs in the middle. Sides are at about a 60* angle instead of 90* to help protect the cat a little better and hopefully help to slide off rocks a bit better.
There is about 1/2" of clearance under the tcase. Should be enough room to not make contact but about as high and tight as I dared. Nothing is lower than the factory crossmember. Stoked to have fully protection now with the exception of the gas tank.
From the side you can see that it's all flush with the factory crossmember with carriage bolts on the tranny and tcase skid to slide over rocks better.
From the rear. Angled the rear of the skid up to help slide in reverse rather than get hung up on the new crossmember. You can see the Ruffstuff brackets on the frame in this shot. They are beefy!
Shot of the full skids from the back.
There is about 1/2" of clearance under the tcase. Should be enough room to not make contact but about as high and tight as I dared. Nothing is lower than the factory crossmember. Stoked to have fully protection now with the exception of the gas tank.
From the side you can see that it's all flush with the factory crossmember with carriage bolts on the tranny and tcase skid to slide over rocks better.
From the rear. Angled the rear of the skid up to help slide in reverse rather than get hung up on the new crossmember. You can see the Ruffstuff brackets on the frame in this shot. They are beefy!
Shot of the full skids from the back.
juicebox
Adventurer
Did your slider flex all the way up into your rocker panel?
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Good eye. Yes it did. I should have welded the legs closer to the ends of the slider instead of lining them up with the spreaders in the slider. But that was a REALLY HARD hit that did that one. I've had the full weight of the truck on the sliders on the forward ends and it hasn't flexed like that. But that hit was about a 3' drop of full weight directly on that spot that caused it to flex like that.
