Aluminum or Steel Front bumper

Looking to replace my front bumper. Which is better Aluminum or Steel? Any suggestions for a good make?

 

Aluminum is lighter and steel is stronger. You decide which is more important to you.

 

Welcome!!!!

I cant really suggest what would be better for you (steel or aluminum) but i would look at

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bumpers-2nd-gens-only.164975/

 

I would go steel, why spend that much if it isn't the strongest option

 

A well-constructed Al bumper will be just as strong as steel - in fact stronger - for equivalent thicknesses. It will however be more difficult to repair. Steel does have a greater "plastic" range where it will deform before it fails (shears).

I am very pleased with my Aluminess bumper but haven't had to test it out yet *knocks wood*. I did my homework because I was concerned about critters. Over in the Sportsmobile forums are tales of Aluminum bumpers and animal strikes and the bumpers have fared quite well.

 

I know my steel bumper will hold up pretty good, it saved the truck when my dad hit a dirt bank going probably 30mph. Only pushed the bumper up into the grill and turned my lights inward. Easy fix by loosening bolts and pulling it down


The hole is around 6" deep

 

The lesson there is don't let @GreeCunc 's dad borrow your truck.

 

Steel @Pelfreybilt bumper after collision with rock at Moab. Rock was larger than my truck.

Aluminum costs more, is not as strong, but weighs less.

For a mall crawler you can do Aluminum.

For a utility vehicle I'd do steel. Cheaper. Stronger.

 

This pretty much sums it up. If you are hard core into rocks or really need the extra protection at the expense of adding significant weight to the front of your truck go steel. If you just want the clearance, look and improved protection over stock without adding a ton of weight go aluminum. It all depends on your use case and budget.

My truck is primarily a daily driver with a few trail runs a year and I care about power to weight ratios, mpgs and on road performance. I would go aluminum. But I am also not smashing my truck into rocks where steel would be the clear choice.

 

Yes...mainly on a road with snow

 

Everyone said it feels really different after you add the bumper and that I'd need new Springs. I'm still on factory coils with almost 200k and had the bumper on for around 30k. Not much if any sag and it still handles like an old toyota.

 

And here's the trick. Aluminum bumpers are roughly 1/2 the weight. So a 120lb steel bumper is a 60lb Aluminum bumper. You have to ask yourself, "Is half the weight of a small woman even that big a deal?" I mean 60lbs?

When you go full steel for front, rear, and all your skids it adds up. Ask me how I know! But I know a guy who did Moab with aluminum skids... and he left aluminum shavings on rocks... literally bits of aluminum.

 

Aluminess got my vote. If I do trash the bumper, I could always get way more $ at the recycle center than steel.

 

^^^^This, I've hit the ground, tree stumps, etc..... while wheeling and actually slightly dented my steel bumper. The same bumper in aluminum would have been dented a lot worse. If you think about it, the steel bumper is equivalent to a small passenger riding along.

 

I seen trucks at Moab going through the golden crack and support the truck just with the steel bumper. I say go with steel, alot stronger.

 

You pretend hardcore guys going on about steel...you own IFS trucks for fuks sakes. Save the rock crawlie hardcore talk for when we are discussing solid front axle vehicles and quit blowing pure mske believe sunshine up the poor newb's skirt.

OP, if you go steel you will defiantly need to upgrade your front suspension accordingly due to the weight. Steel bumpers are heavy and a properly upgraded suspension isnt cheap. Assuming you want to be wheel and not just pose and mallcrawl that is. You can bash the hell out of steel and if it bends it can be straightened and rewelded (something most TW posters cant do anyhow BYW). Aluminum is light and very strong for its weight. Stronger than steel by weight but its a pain to fab so aluminum bumpers are significantly more expensive than steel. It dings and scratches easily and if you hit it hard enough to bend it, the bumper can't be straightened easily. If you really hammer one you just as well throw away that$1,200 and start over. What it comes down to is how you plan to use the bumper and how hard you think you might hit it.

 

pretend? lol .. not all of us are pretend there buddy

 

I know right? Who TF is he referring to?

 

Unsubbed........I'll pretend somewhere else

 

he must be one of those "hardcore wheelers" himself..