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2021 skid plates for radiator to past the Cat

Discussion in 'Armor' started by pschoggens, Apr 22, 2021.

  1. Apr 22, 2021 at 7:43 PM
    #1
    pschoggens

    pschoggens [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2021
    Member:
    #21079
    Messages:
    2
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2021 4Runner TRD ORP
    LED Hi beams, ...so far
    So I'm a new 4Runner owner and purchased the 2021 TRD OR Premium with KDSS, then start seeing photos of Cats getting cut off because of ease of access. I looked over several solutions for Cat only and then..... thinking of my rock crawling Rubicon,.... skids!

    Why not just find some skid plates that also cover the rear (secondary) Cats?

    So the search began and most of the photos are from the front. Very few show a rear view.

    Then comes weight and ground clearance.

    I do not plan to rock crawl in the 2021 (but may do the class 1-2 on 5 scale) and want to keep it light, so I don't have to up the springs, but also deter thieving eyes from the rear cat. I want to hear em cus when they look under there.

    I suppose I could give up an inch or two using aluminum skids to keep it light, but are they not a theft item too? (Got me 60 lbs of aluminum a rear Cat tonight...how about you?)

    How about the rest of you guys? Besides welding a lot of rebar along the Cat, do you have any suggestions for skids to keep it light, neat, and could be a real PTIA to remove?

    Also maintenance is key. I would like a set for skids from the bottom of the radiator to the rear of the secondary Cat that I could install in such a way that the heads of the bolts would need to be ground off or drilled out, and will allow ease of fluid changes by way of access ports.

    I would really like a very large capacitor wired in but then that is somehow not legal to make a thief's right arm and left leg look like a burnt match stick.

    Look forward to seeing the replies roll in.

    Thanks in a advance.

    :p
     
  2. Apr 24, 2021 at 9:45 AM
    #2
    pschoggens

    pschoggens [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2021
    Member:
    #21079
    Messages:
    2
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2021 4Runner TRD ORP
    LED Hi beams, ...so far
    My search began with calling every single vendor on this list....https://trail4runner.com/2019/07/31/skid-plate-buyers-guide-5th-gen-4runner/

    My criteria was to see how long it took to get a live person on the phone to talk shop, lead time, weight, cat coverage, and last price.

    If the phone rang for an extended time, I moved to the next on the list. A few did not know the wt of their product and had a 8-12 week lead....humm just enough time to get it shipped from China?

    I ended up going with M.O.R.E. for a full 3 pc set. They picked up the phone in 3 rings or less on like 5 different occasions and each time was transferred to Steve who picked up very quickly to answer my questions of how much each piece weighs (96lbs total for set of 3), lead time (5 days), if they will work with the factory engine skid (yes), support the full weight of the 4Runner on a hydraulic jack placed anywhere (yes), how much more is the loss in ground clearance between AL and steel (1/16"), and last if they offer Prior Military Service discounts (yes 15%).

    Being a new 4Runner it comes with ToyotaCare for 2yrs of 25k miles and I could see the tech wanting to charge labor for easy access to the the oil filter and drain plug on an aftermarket skid vs having to drop the stock skid as per warranty contract. So I will leave the stock skid on till my 3rd oil change, which I will do myself, and put the M.O.R.E. engine skid on once done.

    Wife keeps reminding me that we are not going to do any challenging trails in the 4Runner and I keep reminding her that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

    As far as the high beams being 9005, which was the same high beam used in the Highlander, the LED bulbs purchased from Headlight Revolution in 2019 that were removed from the Highlander per dealer request prior to trade in, and now I'm glad, were placed in the 4Runner. This was a good color match for the stock LED low beams. The pattern on the wall was 2x larger and in a chevron pattern due to the added individual LED light sources when compared to the single dull glow of the incandescent coil being the brightest in the center. Look forward to trying these out on a dark road.

    And surprisingly dimmer when on the daylight running light position.

    So Hope this post helps for any other new to this forum looking for answers.

    I will try to up date my photo when I get a wheel off the ground.

    :p
     
    Fortuner likes this.
  3. Apr 24, 2021 at 9:55 AM
    #3
    icyhotahs

    icyhotahs NEw mEmBER

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2020
    Member:
    #16327
    Messages:
    490
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Samuel
    Sacramento, CA
    Vehicle:
    2022 ORP Super White
    Method 703 - Nitto G2 - C4 Ladder - UpTop Rack - EIbach 2.0 Coilovers & Load Levling Kit (250) Victory Strike Sliders - Dometic 55 - EcoFlow Delta
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