3rd Gen Tacoma Skid Plates (2016–2023): What the Factory Plate Misses
We build 4th-gen Tacoma plates and do not make 3rd-gen ones yet. The factory TRD plate is good 1/4″ aluminum and it is front-only — here is what stays expose...
Juggernaut USA Articles
Expert guides, product comparisons, and off-road tips from the Juggernaut USA team.
All Articles
Cat Shield Installation: What's Actually Involved
A bolt-on converter shield is usually a driveway job with hand tools. What the install actually looks like, where it goes wrong, and when it is worth handing...
Catalytic Converter Cages, Locks and Alarms: What Actually Works
Cages, cables, locks, alarms, etching and shields all claim to stop converter theft. What each one physically does, where each fails, and which combination i...
What Is a Cat Shield? Catalytic Converter Shields Explained
A cat shield is a metal plate bolted over your catalytic converter to block a thief's saw. What the different names mean, whether they actually work, and how...
Ram 1500 Skid Plates: What the Factory Covers, and How Thin It Is (2019–2026)
What's actually underneath a 2019–2026 Ram 1500, what the off-road group adds, and the two components no trim covers. Plus where our Ram plates stand.
Ford Transit Underbody Protection: What's Exposed and What Actually Protects It (2015–2026)
The Transit hangs an intercooler, oil pan and two catalytic converters low enough to matter, and Ford covers none of it. What's exposed, what the factory giv...
vehicle:nissan-nv
Nissan NV Skid Plates: The 2011–2021 NV1500 / NV2500 / NV3500 Guide
The Nissan NV is one of the least-supported vans in the aftermarket — which is a problem when the catalytic converter sits exposed on a van tall enough to ge...
vehicle:chevy-colorado
Chevy Colorado & GMC Canyon Skid Plates: The 2023–2026 Buyer's Guide
What the factory ZR2, Trail Boss and Z71 skid plates actually cover on a 2023–2026 Chevy Colorado or GMC Canyon — and what they leave exposed. Coverage by co...
vehicle:chevy-silverado-1500
Chevy Silverado & GMC Sierra 1500 Skid Plates: The 2019–2026 Buyer's Guide
What the factory Z71, Trail Boss and AT4 skid plates actually cover on a 2019–2026 Silverado or Sierra 1500 — and what they leave exposed. Coverage by compon...
Catalytic Converter Theft Statistics (2019–2026): What the Data Actually Shows
Catalytic converter theft claims peaked at 64,433 in 2022 and fell to roughly 14,036 by 2024 — but the metals prices that drove the crime wave more than doub...
vehicle:toyota-tacoma
Best Skid Plates for the 4th Gen Toyota Tacoma (2024–2026): Every Real Option, Compared
The 4th-gen Tacoma finally has real skid plate options — steel systems, aluminum systems, factory TRD plates, and budget front plates. This guide compares ev...
What Is a Skid Plate? Definition, Materials, and Whether You Need One
A skid plate is a rigid protective plate — usually aluminum, steel, or composite — mounted to the underside of a vehicle to shield low-hanging components fro...
How Much Do Skid Plates Cost? Real Prices From a Shop That Makes and Installs Them
Aluminum skid plates run $300–$835 per plate and $910–$1,285 for a full package, with installation adding about an hour of shop labor per section. Here's the...
vehicle:ranger
Ford Ranger Skid Plates (2024–2026): The Complete Coverage Guide
Factory Ranger skids are thin stamped steel that leave the transmission, catalytic converters, and transfer case exposed. Full coverage is four bolt-on 1/4″ ...
vehicle:toyota-tacoma
Best 4th-Gen Toyota Tacoma Lift Kits (2024+): Every Kit, Ranked by Tier
Every 2024+ Tacoma lift kit called out by name — spacer to long-travel — with our shop's pick per tier. Why the coil rear changes everything, which trims alr...
vehicle:ford-f150-skid-plates
Best Ford F-150 Lift Kit Options: By Budget & Performance
An honest, vendor-neutral lift kit guide for the 2021+ F-150 — we install every brand here and make no kit of our own, so the rankings are straight. Three ti...
agile offroad
Best Mercedes Sprinter Suspension Upgrades (2WD, 4x4 & AWD)
The right Sprinter suspension depends on how you use the van and which drivetrain you have — 2WD, 4x4 (NCV3) and AWD (VS30) parts don't cross over. This guid...
33s vs 35s on a 3rd-Gen Tacoma: What Each Size Actually Takes (2016–2023)
What it really takes to run 33s or 35s on a 2016-2023 Tacoma — and why cab mount work is decided by wheel offset and how hard you wheel it, not just by tire ...
How to Fit 37s on a Ford Super Duty (F-250 / F-350, 2017+)
37s fit a 2017+ Super Duty — but the wheel decides how much you cut, not the lift. Offset by offset, what clears and what you trim, plus the 2023 radius-arm ...
vehicle:chevy-silverado-2500hd-3500hd
GMC Sierra HD & Chevy Silverado HD Skid Plate Buyer's Guide (2500HD / 3500HD)
Factory protection on the 2020+ Sierra HD and Silverado HD is front-biased, leaving the transmission and transfer case exposed. The fix is bolt-on 1/4" 5052-...
vehicle:super-duty
Ford F-250 & F-350 Skid Plates: The Super Duty Buyer's Guide
For a Ford F-250 or F-350 — or any Super Duty through the F-550 — choose full underbody coverage: engine, transmission, and fuel tank, plus the transfer case...
vehicle:toyota-tacoma
Toyota Tacoma Skid Plates: TRD vs. Aftermarket, by Generation
The factory TRD skid plate is decent 1/4″ aluminum — but it's front-only, leaving your transmission, transfer case, cats, and fuel tank exposed. Full coverag...
2021
2015–2026 Ford F-150 Skid Plate Guide (Gen 13, Gen 14 + PowerBoost)
F-150s leave the factory with only a small engine skid — the transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank ride exposed, and PowerBoost hybrids add underbody co...
expedition
Ford Expedition Skid Plates: The Buyer's Guide (2018–2026)
The 3rd-gen Ford Expedition went most of its production run with almost no aftermarket skid plate coverage. Juggernaut builds bolt-on 1/4" 5052-H32 aluminum ...