Show Off Your Brute Force-Fabbed Gear!!

Need to get some paint on this sucker

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white paint?

 

blek​

 

nooooo!

 

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It's a 30inch that was in the lower grill before the bumpers.

 

I used rustoleum satin black - do eeeet

 

Dang it that looks good!!!

Did you prime it first?

 

Yep with the self etching stuff.

 

Looks damn good!

You put any light pods in there?

 

I bought some cheap ones on Amazon but I haven't installed them yet.
I did stuff them in there to make sure they fit tho.

 

Figured I would relate my experience with Billy @ Bruteforce Fab for those who are interested in doing business with him. No one has ever accused me of being concise, so grab a beer and settle in.

My desires:
Standard rear bumper
light cutouts
integrated hitch
dual swingsouts

I contacted Billy in mid-January through his website on Wednesday 1/18 to inquire about a dual swingout bumper. He called me that evening and spent 15 minutes on the phone answering my questions and talking pros/cons for dual swingout vs. single swingout. We talked about the various options, his construction techniques, and design philosophy. He was very personable to talk to on the phone and never once seemed less than genuine or tried to cut the call short.

I took a few days afterwards to ponder my options before contacting him via text message to place an order. He emailed over the invoice on 1/23 for a deposit in the amount of half of the bumper cost. Lead time was quoted as 8-10 weeks.

I followed up with him after 8 weeks to see how things were coming along. Once again, he was very responsive via text and let me know things were coming along and that it was on track to be completed within the 10 week quoted time frame. I checked in again at week 9.5 as I was going on vacation in a few weeks time and he was apologetic and let me know that the spindle cages that were on backorder had just shipped and would delay completion of my bumper by about a week. Completely understandable and he was transparent about why things were delayed and assured me that my bumper would be completed on time. As promised it was completed the following week on-schedule and he contacted me to arrange shipping. He ran a few different shipping scenarios for me, shipped it out on time with no BS, and it was in my possession a few days later.

Initial impressions:

Qualifier, I am an engineer who is detail oriented and has experience in fab shops, so my expectations were high. When it showed up it was beautiful. All welds are meticulous and high quality. The design of the bumper is solid and very well thought out. It is very well gusseted all around and the embodiment of a conscientious craftsman. All parts for assembly were present and I appreciate the time spent to design a camera relocation.

As is good practice for a fabricated component I test fit it multiple times prior to painting and had to remove some materials in the corners under the tail lights. Not a huge deal with some files, an angle grinder, and a dremel; certainly nothing out of the realm of expectation when considering the varying tolerances between trucks. It was more time consuming wrestling it on and off solo.

Assembly:

Everything went together as it should. Period. Bolt holes lined up, no issues with buggered threads, warped components, or anything of the matter. It's hard to ask for a more straightforward installation and once again his attention to detail is evident when you see how well designed something as simple as the spare tire carrier is.

Customer Service:

I had several questions after installation that I asked via text and once again he was prompt and helpful. We worked through the problems which were due to the powdercoater getting overspray in several holes. Again, stellar customer service in my opinion.

Overall Experience:

10/10

I don't personally know Billy and am receiving nothing from leaving this. I thought it was important to give credit where it's due and I must say it is well warranted in this situation. I would not hesitate to purchase from him again and strongly encourage others to give him the opportunity to earn your business. I will upload pictures of my bumper at a later date.

 

Excellent! Very nicely said!


Can't wait to see the pictures!

 

Would love to see pictures, especially of the area(s) you had to remove material. I'm considering having my bumper shipped direct to the guy who's doing the powder coat, so the idea of needing to test fit might change my plans a tad.

 

Saw my bumper on Billy's Instagram video. Soo excited to finally see it in person

 

I had to grind away the circled area on both sides.

BFF Bumper by Tim Souza, on Flickr

I would recommend test fitting before sending it to the powder coater. Nothing would burn me more than dropping a healthy chunk of change getting it painted only to have to grind some away.

 

Holy shit you can drive into a parking garage with a RTT on your roof? They don't make parking garages anywhere near tall enough around me to do that!

 

I can only fit in my apartment garage. That was a requirement for me living there. I don't fit anywhere else in LA...

 

With enough lube and determination anything is possible.