Chevy Colorado & GMC Canyon Skid Plates: The 2023–2026 Buyer's Guide.

The 2023 Colorado was an all-new truck, and the skid plate market is still catching up to it. Chevy put real underbody protection on the ZR2 and partial coverage on Trail Boss and Z71 — but every trim leaves something open, and on the lower trims there is essentially nothing structural under the truck at all. This guide covers what is exposed on the 2023–2026 Colorado, what each trim actually came with, which pieces carry over to the GMC Canyon, and how to spec 1/4″ aluminum armor. We manufacture these plates in Colorado — the state — and install them, so we will be straight about what ours cover and what they do not.

Jump to what's exposed · what your trim came with · Colorado vs. Canyon · our lineup · how to choose · FAQ

What's exposed under a 2023+ Colorado

The third-generation Colorado runs the 2.7L TurboMax four-cylinder across the range, on a new frame with new underbody packaging — which is why second-gen (2015–2022) plates do not fit. What hangs low, front to back:

• Engine oil pan — the lowest, most forward casting. A cracked pan dumps oil immediately, and an engine run dry is a replacement engine.
• Transmission pan and crossmember — exposed across the mid-belly.
• Catalytic converter — an impact target and a theft target both.
• Transfer case — on 4WD trucks, an aluminum housing with very little tolerance for a direct hit.
• Fuel tank — low toward the rear, with a thin factory shield at best.

Mid-size trucks get driven where this matters. The Colorado's approach and breakover angles invite exactly the terrain that finds an oil pan.

What your trim actually came with

This is where most Colorado owners get surprised. Factory underbody coverage on this truck varies more by trim than on almost anything else GM builds:

• ZR2 (and ZR2 Bison): the most factory protection in the lineup — Chevy armors the front and mid sections from the factory. It is genuinely good for what it is, and it still does not cover everything behind the transmission on every configuration. Worth confirming what is on your truck rather than assuming.
• Trail Boss and Z71: partial coverage, front-biased. These trims get some skid protection as part of the off-road package, but the transmission, converter, and transfer case are the usual gaps.
• WT and LT: assume essentially nothing structural. If you bought a work truck or an LT and take it off pavement, this is the trim that needs armor most and has the least.

The general rule holds here as it does on the full-size trucks: factory off-road packages protect the front; from the transmission back is aftermarket territory. The difference on the Colorado is how far apart the trims are — a ZR2 and a WT are two very different starting points.

Chevy Colorado vs. GMC Canyon — what carries over

The 2023–2026 Canyon shares the Colorado's platform and 2.7L engine, but our plates are not all interchangeable, and this is worth getting right before you order.

So: Canyon owners can run our transmission and transfer case plates, but not the engine plate — and because the package is built around the engine plate, the package doesn't fit a Canyon either. The front-end packaging differs enough between the two trucks that a shared engine plate would not sit right, and we would rather tell you that than sell you a return.

If you drive a Canyon — Elevation, AT4, or AT4X — buy the transmission and transfer case plates individually. Email sales@juggernautusa.com if you want the engine plate for a Canyon; demand is how we decide what to engineer next.

The full-size trucks are a separate lineup entirely: the Silverado and Sierra 1500 are a different platform, and the 2500HD and 3500HD different again.

Our Colorado / Canyon lineup

Every plate is CNC plasma-cut from 1/4″ 5052-H32 aluminum, press-brake formed, powder-coated black as standard, and bolts to factory mounting points with no drilling. Made in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, backed by a lifetime warranty, fitted to the 2023–2026 model years.

The transmission plate is where most owners start — it covers the transmission pan and shields the catalytic converter in one piece, which is the run nearly every trim leaves open, and it's one of the two plates that fits the Canyon as well. No fuel tank plate for this platform yet; demand is how new plates get engineered here, so tell us if you want one.

Browse everything in the Chevy and GMC collection.

How to choose — what actually matters

The third-gen Colorado is new enough that the aftermarket is thin, and thin markets have more vague listings. Five things worth checking on any plate, ours included:

• Coverage. Does it protect the transmission, converter, and transfer case — or repeat the front coverage your ZR2 or Trail Boss already has? On this truck especially, know your starting point before you buy.
• Thickness. 3/16″ is the market norm; 1/4″ is the premium spec. Resistance to permanent bending scales with the square of thickness, so the extra 1/16″ buys more than it sounds like. Full engineering in our aluminum vs. steel breakdown.
• Named alloy. "Aluminum" with no grade tells you nothing. 5052-H32 is the marine-grade spec worth asking every vendor for.
• Weight. This matters more on a mid-size truck than a full-size one. A full steel set adds meaningful weight to a payload you have less of — aluminum protects at roughly half.
• Serviceability. Oil-drain and filter access cutouts decide whether every oil change means dropping armor.

Working out what a full setup costs? Our skid plate cost guide breaks down pricing by plate type, what installation adds, and what underbody damage costs when there's nothing there.

Install

Every plate is bolt-on, no-drill — it uses existing frame mounting points and ships with hardware and instructions. Budget roughly an hour of labor per plate section; a full package is an afternoon in the driveway with a jack, stands, and hand tools.

Want to see the job before you buy it? The full step-by-step is published: 2023–2026 Chevy Colorado Skid Plate Package installation instructions. Every fastener, every factory mounting point, in order.

Rather have it done? We install every plate above at our Wheat Ridge / Denver shop. Call or text (970) 341-4221 for an estimate — and if you're adding a lift or tires, do it all in one visit.

Frequently asked questions

Do Colorado and GMC Canyon skid plates interchange?
Partly. The transmission and cat plate and the transfer case plate fit both trucks. The engine skid plate is Colorado-only, and because the full package is built around it, the package is Colorado-only too. Canyon owners: buy the transmission and transfer case plates individually.

Does the ZR2 already have skid plates?
Yes — the ZR2 carries the most factory underbody protection in the Colorado lineup, front and mid. It's real protection, not a token panel. What it doesn't do is cover everything behind the transmission on every configuration, so check your specific truck before deciding you're covered. Our transmission and cat plate is the usual addition.

What about the Trail Boss?
Partial, front-biased coverage. The transmission, catalytic converter, and transfer case are typically still exposed — which is the gap the package closes.

How hard is the install?
Bolt-on to factory points, no drilling — an afternoon in the driveway with a jack, stands, and hand tools. The full instructions are published so you can read the job before you commit to it.

Do these fit a 2015–2022 Colorado?
No. The 2023 redesign changed the frame and underbody packaging — everything on this page is third-gen-specific. Email sales@juggernautusa.com with your year and we'll tell you honestly what fits.

Do they fit the Silverado 1500?
No — that's a full-size truck on its own platform. You want the Silverado 1500 package; our 1500 guide covers it.

Aluminum or steel on a mid-size truck?
Aluminum, for most owners — and the weight argument is stronger here than on a full-size truck, because you have less payload to give away. 1/4″ 5052-H32 resists permanent bending better than the 3/16″ steel most kits use, at roughly half the weight, and it won't rust against the frame. The full comparison is in our aluminum vs. steel guide.

Do the plates help against catalytic converter theft?
The transmission plate covers the converter, which makes a cut slower and louder. Details in our catalytic converter protection guide.

Armor your Colorado

Have us install it in Denver — call or text (970) 341-4221. Not sure what your trim came with, or driving a Canyon and unsure which plates fit? Email sales@juggernautusa.com with your year and trim and we'll tell you exactly what's already under there and what isn't. Bolt-on, no drilling, hardware and instructions included, lifetime warranty, free continental-US shipping.