FJ Cruisers of Northern California

Diff skids / underbody skids

So I'm new to the FJC. My first IFS Toy, although I've had a first-gen Yoyo since it was new, and I've had an FZJ80 since it was new, too.

The difference between the FJC and my other Toys is that there is a lot of choice. Pretty much for the pickup, you just call Marlin, for the 80, you call Christo Slee.

But a million people are making stuff for the FJC. Lots of options for the FJC for the underbody. I'm leaning toward BudBuilt for the underbody skids, because I've gotten a couple of things for him for the pickup and they've been great. So I think that is kind of settled, although the shipping is horrific.

But I see that local cat BozTec makes a diff skid that lots of people rave about. Although it's a lot of cheese at 455 bones not including paint.

So, which way to go on the diff skid? The BudBuilt, along with his 5-piece chicken dinner, or the Boz for a couple hundred more?

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Permalink Reply by LuvDirt • (Keith) on August 2, 2013 at 6:02pm

I have the Allpro rear shock skids and have banged them several times. Also have the Allpro rear lower links skids on the front and rear mounts, all of which have seen there share of abuse. Next up is the allpro rear links.

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Permalink Reply by Niko on August 2, 2013 at 6:24pm

How about the lower control arms?

Sorry to sound like such a noob; I haven't even crawled underneath this thing yet. And I don't know anything about the IFS except that I have always avoided them.

This isn't getting a lift or anything; I need to be able to toss the keys to my wife and say, "Drive," without her freaking out. The pickup and the 80 have gotten a lot more rockcrawler and a lot less drive on the highway (the pickup's almost a trailer queen at this point), so I need something that I can just get in and go. But it's going to get wheeled, for sure.

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Permalink Reply by bkreece on August 3, 2013 at 9:27pm

The all pro lower link skids are a good idea. I wheeled without them on my '08 until this yr. When I finally put them on, the oem brackets were pretty beat and it was difficult to slide the skids over them. Prior to bolting them on in June, I had been wheeling with only the budbuilts (4pc) and a boztech. I feel this combo plus a good spotter gives me enough protection for most of what we encounter in the Sierras.

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Permalink Reply by RJAMSOIL on August 20, 2013 at 1:55pm

ehhhhh lower links ya.... LCA... naaaa pointless

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Permalink Reply by Slow on August 18, 2013 at 9:35am

Sounds like your running the same protection i am (But i am also running bud built sliders). If i was going to be keeping my Front LCA's i would run skids. Also consider getting rear LCA's and mount skids or beefy weld on mounts (what i will be doing soon) to round out the protection/survive-ability package.

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Permalink Reply by bkreece on August 18, 2013 at 11:08am

Oh yea, I forgot to mention the sliders. Definitely need sliders. Sounds like you are going to have a ton of steel under there. You will definitely be protected! Good luck with the build, look forward to seeing you on the trails!

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Permalink Reply by Niko on August 18, 2013 at 4:56pm

I've already ordered a set of Demello sliders from FJCruiserPartsWarehouse in Hollister. It's been 4 weeks so far, and no sliders...

Also ordered a set of FJToyman's rear shock skids. 2 1/2 weeks so far, no skids.

I think I'm going to go with a set of Toy Outfitters LCAs and Ruff Stuff LCA mounts (rather than skids for the stock mounts).

Again, no lift on this thing. For me, lifting an IFS is more trouble than it's worth.

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Permalink Reply by Slow on August 18, 2013 at 8:12pm

My budbuilt order took a little over 5 weeks to get..Long waits all around!

I have the toy outfitters ruff stuff LCA mounts which i will be having installed in the next month or 2.. Beefy as all hell. I am running the metal tech LCA's and are worth looking into also,Thicker DOM tubing and offset (really not a big deal on stock suspension) compared to the Toy outfitters.