Rough Country Skid Plates and Overheating ????

[jptoro]

Guys.

I am planning to get the Skid plates for my SR5 steel made from Rough Country.

https://www.roughcountry.com/product/4runner-skid-plate-kit-75013#gallery

However, I found a few places not on this forum but others including chatgpt ( trust but verify) where it is suggested that skid plates could help overheat the engine and possibly the transmission. This could be true if one does not take care of the undercarriage or if there is not enough air flow. While doing my research I saw skid plates with no airflow at all yet nothing was mentioned about overheating.

So I am reaching out to you guys for advice and opinions based on facts before I move forward….since we all share the same vehicles.

thx

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[CO/ZA]

You can bet the Toyota OEM skid plates were tested for this.

 

[watchbuzz]

I haven’t seen any reports of this. Any reports of transmission temp warnings have been associated to low speed climbs in summer months. I am assuming airflow isn’t helping much in those situations (slow/low speed).

 

[HVLA]

That is completely absurd and not a concern at all.

 

[Gumpus]

Ford trucks are also tested for mud packing (which could lead to overheating) and it's the reason trucks can't use underbody shielding for improving aerodynamics and reducing engine noise like cars. Overheating due to skid plates is probably a fringe case but I'd lean towards OEM just because the vehicles go through a lot of design verification procedures that an aftermarket supplier could never do.

 

[brumey]

I agree with Gumpus. I don’t have data but suspect the OEM offerings have been tested and not likely to impact a warranty claim. If the after market manufacturers have extensive testing to disprove this, post it or provide details with the product.

 

[chasedstream641]

transmissions are cooled by ATF inside of them. Far too hot operating temp for airflow to make a difference.

 

[jptoro]

I agree with every comment made here.
I needed to validate my thoughts on this. Thank you guys.

 

[TrdProGirl84]

You can bet the Toyota OEM skid plates were tested for this.

Absolutely!

 

[Desmolicious]

You can bet the Toyota OEM skid plates were tested for this.

Description from Toyota for the Trailhunter skid:

About The Product


Beef up the aggressive stance of your Tacoma while protecting its underbody from off-road hazards with this skid plate.
•Helps prevent damage to underbody from rocks, branches, ice chunks and other types of road debris
•Easy no-drill installation uses vehicle's existing attachment mounts
•Rigorously tested to maximize protection and prevent vibration, stress and noise
•Won't interfere with or block cooling system
•Provides unobstructed access to all maintenance points and vehicle tow hooks

Then again, that last sentence is dubious - how is access unobstructed?

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