NP205 Skid Plate

[66gmcguy]

Anybody ever see one of these on a 4wd truck? This is on my 76 K20. Never seen one before. Was this a factory option? The fuel tanks also had skid plates, but I've seen those before, just never a skid plate over an Np205.3

[kwmech]

I used to see them all the time when square body trucks were more prevalent. I may have a few of the pieces kicking around in "the pile"

[wazzabie]

1972 K5 Blazer had a skid plate from the factory for a np205

[kipps]

I'm thinking that GM(though it might have been Ford) had a cantilevered skid-plate over the aluminum transfer cases of the 1980's; not the double-crossmember deal that you're showing here.

If I was adding a really solid skid-plate to a truck, I'd probably do it like you show. Find another identical crossmember in the junkyard, and bridge between the two with a scrap of 3/16" steel plate.

I'm not really answering your question as to whether it's factory or not. But I could easily see it being an owner-contrived setup.

Look at the steel plate, and see if it shows any evidence of crude cutting; oxyacetylene torch spatter, angle-grinder grooving, etc. If you see anything other than perfectly-clean cut lines, it might indicate it's pieced together after-fact.

[MJN]

Yes, those are factory skid plates and required the second crossmember. Trucks with transfer case skid plates also got fuel tank skid plates RPO NY1.