Originally Posted by DonJames
So I asked the salesman to add skid plates and he said, "we can for more money but the skid plates are really a joke, any big rock would rip them off anyways".
Can't speak for the gas tank skid 'cause I don't have one.
But I did buy a factory trans case plate from a salvage yard and installed it myself. I can tell you it will take a helluva hit on a pretty big rock to rip it off. In fact I can't see any way it could get ripped off short of trashing the whole underside in the process. I think it's quarter-inch steel plate and it will do a good job of protecting the trans case from dings (which is what it's designed to do).
I don't know what that's worth to others but that plate on my truck looks like it's been beat with a crowbar and the trans case looks new.