Valhalla’s Shield theft deterrent/skid plates info and ordering post

I went to San Antonio and back today and brought home a nice part for my little car!

Now it is time to get back to work

 

Did those washers that protect the bolts come with the kit or did you order them from somewhere else?

 

Looks like Barnes washers. They are separate. They have been out of stock for a while...
https://www.barnes4wd.com/12-to-916-Bolt-Head-Protector_p_1306.html

 

They are Barnes. Ordered separately. I might order more since I have the front skid plate and will eventually get the rear cat plate.

 

Cool I'm ordering the plates today and Like the idea of these washers.
I had my cats stollen and they sliced into the transmission cooler housing during the process, I picked up my truck this morning $5800 bill.

 

I'm double crossing both fingers Cruzer.. Hello! Month of March, the Masters next month..

 

I am going to start shipping plates from January after lunch.

 

How about plates from December?

 

You read my mind..12/5/21 to be exact... Thanks Cruzer and hope you get your shields soon...Subscribed..
So worth the wait time, awesome products.

 

Got me beat by 4 days

 

All I have shipped today was 1/8 steel.

the rest I am missing something preventing me from shipping

 

Of course, I ordered 3/16ths......

 

It is a better plate

 

Tyler, the missing something you quoted has me bugging out about my orders. Mine is 1/8 steel/ powdered coated Order#531329219/#R088049142/ Security Bolts#R418143332...Again, ordered on 12/5/21...I'm scheduled to drive to WDC/Andrews AFB next Friday, may adjust fire on driving the Tundra and take wife's car... Appreciate the help sir.

 

Send me a message, I don’t want to put your personal info out there, but if you are who I think you are, this shipped today

 

Thank you so much Tyler.. So excited to get these installed..

 

I plan on ordering when the V3 prices are out. Cat thefts haven't caught on huge yet in my area but it is creeping this way. Not worried they'll get me at home or work but random suspect parking lots I must visit.

 

Got my Valhalla's 3/16" aluminum skid plate installed today. Fit and finish are great. A couple pointers:

1. I tucked the plastic front bumper valence cover up above the front skid plate. Couldn't install the 3 fasteners, because the holes were too far aft by ~0.2 inch.
2. The bare Barnes 4WD bolt head protectors on the cat protector plates (also 3/16" aluminum, installed in December, '21) had surface rust after 2 months. So I wire brushed and rattle-canned them. I mistakenly thought they were stainless, but no. I used a total of 8 of these.

 

The holes for the plastic tabs is something I am going to change in the near future. The Barnes washers I am not sure I can do anything about

for the plastic tabs, I have stopped welding nuts on them as it was coming in contact with the radiator support. I suggest either cutting the tabs off, stuffing them between the radiator support and the skid plate or you can bolt them up like normal. I am planning to make these holes slotted so you can adjust the fit, it seems like no truck is the same with where these go

 

I stuffed my tabs under the TRD PRO plate, looks fine.

 

I tucked mine as well. It looks really clean. Not sure who else is looking, but if you took a poll, I'd bet more than half of us have done this same thing. I get laughed at for this colloquialism, but - - you might be boiling a whole pot of water to cook one noodle.

 

I zip-tied them, two per hole/tab. There was just enough room to slide the zip ties between the radiator support and the holes on the skid plate. You can’t see them at all unless you get your head almost on the ground and look up.

 

That isn’t a terrible idea at all

 

Slots could work, and they wouldn't be visible under the plastic tabs.

I wasn't suggesting you take action on the Barnes washers, Classy63. Just giving others a heads-up that they will rust if they're not painted. Maybe that fact could be added to the installation instructions...

 

I realized after I was packed up and headed inside that I got the overlap wrong on the front skid to mid-engine plate connection but thankfully that will be easy to fix later.

I just left them hanging. Can't see them and they don't seem to make contact with anything ( noise) flapping in the wind.

 

Wait, the front skid plate doesn't have holes for the bumper valence to attach? I recently placed an order but didn't realize that. Can someone post a photo of how it looks with the bumper valence tabs tucked in? The one above with zip-ties looks horrible IMO.

 

It does have holes, some folks just don't use them. There are better pics than mine in this thread, and I think @3rdTundra had an install guide that showed it better.

 

My engine skid is from the first generation that had welded nuts above the holes, so the tab on mine are below the plate and attached with bolts into the welded nuts.

 

Meanwhile in North Texas…