Install: PelfreyBilt Gas Tank Skid

Details: By Phil Swanson

Pelfreybilt has been in business since 2012, offering Toyota Tacoma owners a well machined product line with great customer service. The owners are a husband and wife team, with Satin heading up the ordering and customer service, and Tyler designing and fabricating the products. They offer a variety of armor products including bumpers (front and rear), sliders, and front to rear skid plates for 2005+ Tacomas.

Pelfreybilt Gas Tank Install Toyota Tacoma Toyota Trucks Magazine

Today we will focus on their newest product, the Pelfreybilt Gas Tank Skid. At only 32lbs using 10ga steel, it adds plenty of security knowing that your gas tank won't get damaged while off road. Installation of the gas tank skid is very easy thanks to a great design by Tyler. If you have the TRD Off-Road model, you use the hardware from your OEM gas tank skid for installation of the Pelfreybilt skid. Tacoma models that do not have a OEM skid will need tank hangers with attachment points, but the OEM skid comes standard on the TRD Off Road models.

First, make sure your vehicle is stable and chocked before climbing underneath.

Remove the four factory nuts that are holding the OEM gas tank skid in place (two in the front and two in the rear). Once the four nuts are removed, the OEM skid will drop down rather easily and will expose the four bolts on the gas tank straps.

These bolts line up with the holes in the Pelfreybilt gas tank skid. I found it easiest to get these 4 bolts and nuts slightly on before moving to the front of the skid and installing the 2 supplied bolts, spacer, and nuts on the frame cross member. It is best if you have a friend to help wheel the jack with the skid in place and then lift it up to line up the bolts.

While laying under the vehicle have your friend roll the jack under to approximate location and then lift up on the jack to get it in place and loosely put on the front 2 nuts.

The Pelfreybilt skid has a bit of a bow to it, so it is best to move the jack toward the rear of the skid in order to get the 2 rear bolts to line up. This part of the install is easier if you have less gas in your tank. Once you have tightened down the 4 nuts, torqued to 30-35lbs on the underside of the Pelfreybilt gas tank skid, you can move onto the front 2 bolts supplied by Pelfreybilt.

These get installed into the frame cross member and torqued to 45-50lbs.

Once all 6 bolts and nuts have been installed you are done. Now you won't have to worry about your gas tank getting damaged while on the trail ever again!