3rd Gen SSO Slimline Hybrid Bumper/Winch install guide - How To Article with Tips.

Great alternative! Thanks!

 

Wow they totally fucked that up. I'd be upset and I would demand a new bumper cover. That's the only way to correct that.

 

oh crap

 

After speaking with SSO and sharing photos of the install before and after - we’ve determined the shop in question is at fault.

shop manager says the stock cover was damaged. Photos I have prove otherwise. Secondly, if there was a problem installing the slimline properly I should have been contacted before they hacked my bumper.

If I’m dropping thousands of dollars on various parts and labor, I don’t want it done kind or right. I want it done the right way. The shop manager says he can try to make it fit better, but he’ll need the truck for a whole day. If he’s going to rip it all apart again anyway, why not just order a new bumper and do it right this time?

This shop came highly recommended by fellow Tacoma owners, friends, military and the local off-road/ racing community. The shop seems to want to make it right, but refuses to own up to the mistakes and offer the correct solution.

Am I out of line by asking that they order a new stock bumper, trim and install it properly before I call them out and dispute the charges with my credit card company? SSO has made note on their end and isn’t going to make contact pending their response to me.

Hopefully no one else has this experience because it really is a pain in the ass.

 

Ouch you might be in a rough situation since your truck was wrecked when you took it in for bumper install. Not guaranteed but possibly. The pics obviously show all the required meat for the install is still existing so that’s on your side. Hopefully they’ll make it right and not halfway do a patch job. I’d also take those pics in and show them and if need any help with other pics I can help out and show how mine is installed also.

good luck to ya! Be patient and don’t resort to canceling credit payment without giving them a chance. Cancel now they’ll be highly aggravated and likely not do much at all for you and you’ll then be forced to purchase a new bumper also and still pay for an install.

 

The sad part is, I did show these pictures to the shop manager. I also walked through the issues with another rep at the shop before the work even started. No one called me before they chopped it to pieces to warn me or ask my approval. I’m going to give them one more chance to order a new bumper cover and trim it properly. I hate to be a stickler but I also hate when I get the run around. I’d much rather the manager tell me the messed up, they’re going to fix it. I hate the tiptoeing.

 

Hi Chris, Sorry to hear that you crashed your truck (you might want to update that post, instead of Hodakaguy's install guide), and that the shop couldn't make the SSO work. Seeing as the bumper was compromised, you may offer a compromise by purchasing the part, and asking them to do the install for free? GL!

 

The sad part is, I did show these pictures to the show manager. I also walked through the issues with another rep at the shop. No one called me when they chopped it to pieces to warn me or ask my approval. I’m going to give them one more chance to order a new bumper cover and trim it properly. I hate to be a stickler but I also hate

Yea I busted up the lower grill and cracked the bumper around the fog. Just sucks all around.

 

I have been looking at the Blitz with tube. Very little cutting

 

Another reason I do everything myself unless it’s out of my capabilities. I’ll never rebuild an engine or an automatic transmission but changing parts and modifying physical parts of a truck is in my line of capabilities.

Good luck though with the truck being wrecked before. They have that on their defense. One thing you’ll lose on is the fact that the bumper was obviously compromised and when they started cutting they could easily say that the bumper chipped off. Granted you should have gotten a phone call but also shouldn’t have left shop the day you went to pic it up with the gaping hole there.

 

Did you have any issues with the TSS sensor after installation?

 

I did not have any issues. Still use my cruise control and get the brake alert as well.

 

I put my SSO bumper and Smittybilt X20 winch on a few months ago. Finally got out wheeling a few weeks ago before the quarantine. We went down to Hackett Gulch just west of Colorado Springs. It was still pretty soupy but we had a great day. I didn't have to use the winch that day. I did pull a car off the side of a snowy road a week ago so I did put the winch and bumper to some use.

The only issue I had was that one of the bumper bolts sheared off when trying to torque it down. I am going to roll the dice and leave it for now. If/when i pull the bumper to service the wince then I'll put a new bolt in its place.

 

Looks awesome. Thinking about this setup with a Comeup winch. Does anyone out there have pics of one without the bull bar? Looks like it will clear but anyone running adaptive cruise control with a trd pro grille with a bull bar and found no issues?

 

I have read where others have run the bar without issue. I however, opted to go without, just because I liked this look more. I was able to get by with cutting a minimal amount of the plastic. I basically cut it just behind the point where it transistions from vertical to horizontal.

I then finished off with a Cascadia license plate bracket.

 

With pro grill, with adaptive cruise and with bull bar. Zero issues. That is one of the things I really liked about the SSO bumpers is the bull bar is short and the top of the bumper is slightly lower than most so between those two things it keeps it below the TSS on the pro grills.

 

You could do a plastic weld with some of what they cut off or from another wrecked Taco. But that might be a really good body shop job.
Someone who knows what they are doing plastic welding can do some amazing work.

 

I installed myself as well (back in December) just a tip (if you go off-roading) try to leave a small gap between the trim/fender flare and the steel bumper parts...

Theres a good amount of flexing that takes place and it can buckle your plastic bumper trim, plus rub on the steel bumper.

I left a nice gap on my driver side but made my passenger side a real tight fit. I noticed it needed a gap so I uninstalled it yesterday to re trim and install.




Notice the that during this flex the passenger side is getting buckled...if I had a small gap it would not buckle as much. Also note that the gap seen in the driver side is not like that under normal driving conditions it’s just the flex.


as seen here no noticeable gap...


When I removed the bumper yesterday this is what the passenger side looked like


No big deal just sprayed some rustoleum on it, did my trimming and re installed.

 

@msgs350 take note

Nice rig, OP!

 

+ @WrecklessAbandon

this shall be a group effort