I recently picked up the belly skid plate from Bud built and I was looking at the area that it covers under my 4runner. It looks like my transfer case hangs lower than the bracing which the plate bolts to.

Is this common ? Any one else have this problem on their 3rd gen? I'll try to take a picture later if that helps.


By the way anyone know of a company that makes gas tank skids for the 3rd gens (I think I've asked this before and I've sent an email to Bud about this). My gas tank has been taking a beating and I've lost some mileage. Then again so has the left hand side of my undercarriage (gas tank, cross bracing and rear lower link mounting point).

 

Take the small stock skid off the transfer case and bolt the plate up. It should ride very close to the skid but not touch. In my case I smashed the skid into the T-case making for a noisy ride home.

As for gas tank skids: you can't buy them off the shelf yet. Many weld angle to the bottom of the stock skid and leave it at that. Bummer we have hardcore Bud skids that lead to tin-foil under the tank.

 

Just looked at it more closey and it should be fine. I guess I just get paranoid when I buy a new part and wonder if it will fit even though I've been told it will.


I wonder on the gas tank if you could weld two skid plates together for a little more thickness/support if that would do anything.

 

Welding plate to the stock tank would work too, angle is a bit harder to bend and gives you "rails" to slide over rocks with. The only problem with modding the stock tank is the weak brackets. A good hit to the tank skid and the brackets are tweaked into the driveline at certain drop-off angles. Beef the same brackets up with plate and they are too thick causing the same issue as above.

 

I have talked with bud about this a couple times and he is working on something. It has been a while since I talked to him about it so I'm not sure what happened to the project but hopefully he will have something for us in the not too distant future.

 

This is what I was a little worried about but removing the t-case skid it should fit okay. Going to try and get it one this Saturday if I don't work.


My reason for wanting a gas tank skid:




How hard would it be to take the dents out of the tank?? The skid plate would be easy to bang those dents out. I had a big dent in the gas tank of my camry taken out and was wondering what all is involved in doing so besides removing the tank?? Going to pull the gas tank skid and see if there is any damage.



This is a 2 comment thread when I started it (belly skid and gas tank skid).

 

ummm,...that is your gas tank skid plate.

 

Take that tank skid off and pound the dents out with a hammer. While it's off get angle welded to the bottom and call it a day.

 

He just put out gas tank skids for the 4th gen... why not us????

 

Ask Bud.

 

I came to rest with my gas tank skid on a boulder in the last wheeling trip. I looked at it saw that it was buckled up an inch and a half or so, said no big deal... that's what the skid is for, and drove home. When I got home, I pulled the gas tank skid off, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it only sits approx 1/4" to 1/2" away from the tank, so the tank was punched in about the same amount as the skid.

My tank now holds approx 1/2 to 3/4 gallons less than it did before, and my gas tank low level light comes on now when I only have enough gas to go approx 15 miles (don't ask me how I know). It's a pain in the ass, but probably not enough to warrant removing the gas tank to fix it.

 

I'm not too worried about it just wanted to see what you all thought on it. I'm going to pull the skid this weekend and repaint it. Thanks everyone.



The belly skid will be going on this weekend.

 

My tank is so beat up you have to "nudge" it a few times for it to accept the last few gallons...

The more interest we show the more motivation fabricators will have to make it. I'm sure a quick email to bud wouldn't hurt...

 

I sent bud an email the other day but haven't heard back.

 

ask him how many minimum orders we need to make it worth his while and try a big group buy.

 

I'll give him a ring on friday and ask how that project is going, I know he was in the middle of moving his shop the last time I talked to him.

 

When you guys got the belly skids did it come with any sort of instructions?? Just wondering I was under my runner today looking at where it would mount up (only got a bag of bolts and nuts).

Looked at the gas tank to and it's fine (one spot though the skid is resting right against the tank.)

Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

Small bolts up front connect the two skids, long bolts and big washers connect belly to cross members. Hook the belly skid's angled plate on the front skid and push it up. Get the back 3 bolts on enough to keep it up then start at the front and work your way back tightening.

 

Carefully putting compressed air into the tank (when EMPTY) will pop most of the dents out.

Haven't done it on a 3rd gen, but worked good last time I did it with a car :o

 

Thanks. I knew about the front and what to use there. It's the rest that I was wondering about and that explains it.

When I did the front skid I had extra bolts left over