What have you done to your 5th Gen 4Runner today?

Forgive my ignorance, what in tarnation are those?

 

essentially a skid plate for the shocks since they are one of the lowest point and prone to get hit by big rocks easily

 

Where is the drain for those things? You want it to rust out and be destroyed by that means?

 

Simmer. They sit at an angle. I would drill a hole for safety sake but it going to get filled with mud, sand, etc, so the angle makes sense.

 

I don't think I've seen those shock skids before. What brand are they?

 

Added a snorkel after my last trip

 

Yes it sits at an angle and there are some gaps which helps a lot. Next time I go in mud or through a river crossing I’ll inspect it and see how it looks. I’ll drill a hole if necessary. It takes 5 min to remove and put back so not a big deal for the protection it provides

 

http://fjtoymanoffroad.com/products/

Initially made for the fj cruiser but they’re a great fit on the 4R!

 

To prevent scratchies like this:


Depending on how the skid is braced against the structure that the bolt is attached to, it could potentially protect the shock bolt from bending on a bad impact.

Although, depending on design specifics, I suppose if a skid plate doesn't brace itself well against the rest of the structure, it could make the bolt more vulnerable to bending.

@semprenissart , this has another bolt that goes through the mount structure coming off the axle, correct? Does it look like impact forces are primarily imparted to that? Seen pics it on the fjtoyman site that shows a bolt on inside part of the structure, but it’s not clear if you have throughbolts on yours.

 

Loved my Nautical Blue, but hated trying to keep it clean.

 

yes I have a bolt that goes inside the structure. The skids are like an upside down T shape. And the extra bolt goes through the vertical part of the ”T”.

so there are 2 bolts (one of them is the stock one) going through each skid (to split the forces and prevent bending bolts?)
I have not put these to the test but it looks like a simple yet solid design to me.

the picture below shows the added bolt; the stock one being on the other side (away from the picture) which can been seen on the other photos on my previous post

 

Better pics on the post below

 

Awesome, thanks! I've been contemplating some shock skids. I'll add these to my list, I like the look of these.

 

Does anyone sell skids for your shock skids?

How else am I going to protect the skids from getting ruined?

 

Those with shock boots should ditch them. It'll trap water and dirt and prematurely corrode shock shaft and compromise the seal. At least open them up once a season and clean in there. Moisture will ruin the post even if kept clean because it is contained inside the boot.

 

I prefer to have them on to protect the chromed shafts from erosion from sand/gravel. These boots came on my Dobinson IMS shocks. They have holes in the bottom to let things drain and breath.

I have a pic below showing what occasional gravel roads and off-road miles can do to this general area. This happened through a wool-wax crust that was thick enough to actually take a bit of abuse (any areas that arent black is my woolwax crust). Given the erosion that has stripped the paint in some spots, I’m taking my chances and risk possible corrosion, over getting the shaft nicked or worn. Cleaning things out once a year is a good
idea though, and I should probably do that.

Wouldnt have minded if they just put on a piece of plastic to shield the front face of the shaft, like they’ve done on dirt bikes for the last 20 years.

 

@McSpazatron, you did a fine job with the woolwax... Does Wisconsin salt or sand in the winter?

 

Did these a few weeks ago at 67900 miles on the ODO

Oil and filter change
Greased the propeller shafts. Used moly NLGI#2 for the slip yoke and nom-moly NLGI#2 for the spider joints
New cabin air filter
New engine air filter


Todo: got the oil for the differential. 85w is so expensive but I want to follow spec. Just need to find a day when it’s above freezing here in MN

 

Thank you. I consider that crust a beautiful thing lol. Well, as long as it actually does it’s job and keeps rust away, which it seems to be doing.

In the larger metro areas around here, they’ve moved to spraying brine in the last decade or so, some coming from the liquid left over from cheese factories…fittingly.

 

Just had my suspension upgraded. Went with the ICON Stage 7 Kit. Currently tinkering with the shock settings. Finding my sweet spot. Throwing 285's under there soon as I can.

 

What made you go with icon?

 

I was wondering the same given there issues in the past

 

After all my research. Going back and forth. I ended with a "fuck it" coin toss. I did want an all in one complete solution. Besides, they sent a ton of decals.

 

June?

 

Your calendar is a little off, bud.

 

What issues? I had Icon on my Tacoma with no problems. I was considering Icon again for my 4Runner.

 

Rust issues.

 

Can't say I had that issue, but I only had mine for 3 years.

I have Dobinsons now on the 4Runner, but I'm tired of the bounce I get from the rear. Feels like this. Seems like it's getting worse as the temperature drops.

 

For absolutely no reason, got pretty keys!