Leaving skid plate off

I bought my 1st gen 3 years ago and after doing the first oil change I decide that PITA was not going back on. I do not off road and only drive it a couple time a week back and forth to work. I do pull my camper with it, but don't imagine going anywhere that it would be needed. So it's been 3 years no issues. I thought that maybe it would cause overheating problems but that is not the case. I do still have the plate and hardware if I ever need or want to reinstall it. So has anyone else left the skid plate off.

 

Yes, that is no big deal. Not all tundra's even come with skids. There is no issue with leaving it off if that suits you better.

 

Mine was pretty rusted through and 2 of the bolts were snapped. Been running without a skid plate for a while now with no issues, actively looking for a replacement but there are none for sale locally to me.

 

Opinions always vary when that question comes up given it is more of a personal choice in believing what is and what ain't beneficial from a skid plate !
Personally mine is off at the moment for front suspension maint and will go back on when I get round to it !

How critical is the front skid? | Toyota Tundra Forum (tundras.com)

 

I looked at the stock skid as more of a flung debris guard than anything. I don't think it will help if you hit anything serious bit I did run over a fallen tree with mine on accident once. To me the extra 10 minutes of pulling it off and putting it on was worth peace of mind.

 

I swapped mine out for a Skid Row plate. It doesn't have the elephant ears and oil changes are easy without removal.
2021-01-02_10-08-14 by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

 

@Glock 40 I can't get over how good your truck looks with that red/black combo you have going. It looks great every time you post a picture.

Also, I love my skid row armor. I'm tempted to get the transmission skid one day.

 

This is a good point. Even if you don't offroad, you never know what you may encounter on the road these days. I've hit both a semi tire and an extension ladder in the past 3 years.

 

I would keep it. It does provide protection to the radiator, hoses, and front of engine from road debris.

While a pain to remove, its far less so on the 1st gen than the later models.

 

I think its only 5 small bolts. Grease them up so they won't rust and use a jack to hold the plate up while you remove/install them. Or do the yoga pose where you are on your back with your knees up to hold the plate. It isn't that bad.

 

I thought about leaving mine off as I don't off road. However, given my luck, the moment I take it off, I'll hit some rock or pothole and it'll damage whatever the skid plate was protecting.

 

Helps me with these 3-4 things:
1. Debris on road deflected from doing underside damage
2. Pushes high snow drift down to keep it from getting caked up on underside of engine area
3. Prevents pre-mature rusting of engine Bay Area
4. Deters vandals from having easy access to damage things underneath

 

What about gas mileage?

 

Equally as bad, with or without the plate!

 

Mines off, but will go back on before upcoming adventure

 

Wish my first gen came with one! It must've rusted off before the PO had the frame replaced under recall.

 

I haven't ever removed the skip plate on my 06 RWD 4.7 to change the oil. No problem draining the pan. When doing the filter I put about 3 triple walmart bags under the oil filer on the skid plate. Remove oil filter reaching from top of engine and drop the old filter into the walmart bags and screw on new filter real quick. Remove walmart bags with old oil filter and oil mess. I usually get a few drops of oil on the skid plate I wipe off with a couple of paper towels.

 

Fun fact while we are on skid plates, V6 Tundras even have plastic or rubber skids per @Tundra2, which obviously does less than metal.

You'll be okay for typical DD'ing without it. If I were you, I would at least put it on when you're towing the travel trailer. It would suck for a trip to come to an abrupt halt because you came across an unavoidable road hazard.

 

Yes. Plastic skid on V6. It's cheap insurance to leave on. Even if it is plastic. It will absorb some of the blow, and may even save the whole truck in a catastrophic event.

 

My 2002 does not have one, but I'm on the hunt for one. Cheap insurance against damage. My 2000 has one, and yes a minor pain the 1 or 2 annual times I need to change the oil filter.

I was driving home one night on the freeway at 60-65mph and in a fraction of a second, right in the middle fo the my lane, I hit a large truck tire that made multiple contact points with the bottom of my Mercury sedan. Thankfully, no damage. But there was literally no reaction time. Hit is a 1/2 second after seeing it.

Anything more solid, or larger, a tree branch, log, rock, animal carcass, etc. could do serious damage to the very expensive underside of a vehicle.

I'm putting a skid plate on my harvest list for my next run to the junk yard...

 

Wait, you V8 people have to remove your skid to change the engine oil?

 

I have a V8 Tundra with the plastic skid plate on my 2001 LTD. One of the bolt holes snapped during... something so it has a lil dangle on one side. I'll replace it, or just sell the 2001, eventually.

 

Not the oil, the filter.

Looks like an inviting home for critters.

 

As he said, just the filter. But several members with Ape Arms have reported they can reach it from above and don't remove the skid plate. Me, with tiny arms cannot. Thankfully the Skid Row plate doesn't require me to do that.

 

The TRD Pro skid plate installation instructions call it an engine under cover.

 

I've always removed my filter from above. I also do not remove the skidplate during oil changes, I make a ramp for the oil drippings with the coated cardboard box that comes with my giant Mobil 1 oil filter. My daughter's Jeep Cherokee has a plastic skidplate with a trap door for oil changes. I've left the trap door off from day one. Oil filter on the Pentastar 3.2 V6 is a top mounted cartridge (same for the 3.6 in the wife's JGC) . So nice. Unscrew the cover, pull the cartridge, put a new one in, screw the cover back on.

 

I like to take the skidplate off. Like a lingerie bra. I know whats in there, but it really sets the mood.