Help with either TRD or aftermarket lift to offset bumper weight

So if all goes well I’m putting a deposit on a brand new truck today. I’m planning on ordering a CBI steel front bumper out of the gate and was looking at the factory TRD kit but my sales guy is on crack. I asked about the lift cost installed and he said $6500 which includes the lift, grill, and Pro wheels. I said wtf, it’s advertised under $1500 and plan to buy wheels/tires out of pocket so figure it out for me. I also am waiting to see if the lift will handle the weight of the bumper or if I just need to stick aftermarket. I’ve always ran OME suspensions in the past. I’m looking to level and gain about 2-2.5”. May be adding a C4 rear bumper too. I’m not sure what my best bet is cost wise. I don’t want Rough Country crap for sure but don’t think I want to spend a fortune for a $3000 kit.

 

Go with C4 for all of your armor. CBI sucks ass as a company and they don't deserve any more money from tacoma owners. Otherwise you're looking at a 6 month lead time minimum and a bunch of BS excuses when they miss their original quoted shipping window.

 

I’m considering their front bumper as well after seeing it. Didn’t know CBI had issues now, I used their front bumper on my 4runner and had no complaints but that was a few years ago

 

Yeah they've taken a big dive in the past 3ish years and screwed a lot of people over. I originally didn't feel one way or another but when shopping for a bumper and doing some research here, I began to see a very clear pattern lies and shadyness. Now I'm just trying to spread the word. They seem to try and shut it down pretty hard once and a while but whenever they show up in the forums they get bent over by members who have legit beef with them then cbi goes crying to the mods and they lock the threads. Hilarious really.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cbi-offroad-customer-battles-for-product.590996/

https://m.yelp.com/biz/cbi-offroad-fab-idaho-falls-2

https://www.bbb.org/us/id/idaho-fal...-offroad-fab-1296-1000063748/customer-reviews

Sort by new and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

Interesting...I was very close to pulling the trigger on a CBI baja front bumper for my 3rd gen. But this now has me thinking. The C4 stuff looks great - super cool that you can order light bar and fogs all together. But it looks like their Hybrid Front bumper, which appears to be the equivalent to the baja, only comes in bare steel, weighs 125lbs, and will need to be painted or powder coated prior to being installed. It also says production will take 11 weeks, which I guess is better than the 5 months CBI is listing.

Bc I'm a 2.7 owner, always thinking about weight, I was planning to get the CBI aluminum baja but cant see the actual weight difference listed anywhere. Any idea how substantial it is?

 

RelationsRaceWheels makes a nice bumper (looks like the c4 bumper) and it has a 6-8 week lead time.

Weights only 89lbs without loop, or 99lbs with loop

 

highly recommend the C4 Hybrid bumper. Even with the bull bar it isn't as heavy as a similarly designed all plate bumper

The downside to C4, as alluded to above, is that they don't offer powder coating. So you're stuck getting the damn thing media blasted, primed and powder coated once you get it. Cost me $350 per bumper here in CT which really caught me off guard.

 

Hmmm... I've been running CBI (Prinsu, bed racks, some armor, etc.) no issues. Good customer service. *Shrugs* That's too bad apparently people had bad experiences. I've heard C4 is a good company too. I wouldn't think that a company like CBI would make bad customer service decisions as it's common for companies to pick up pretty quick fast and in a hurry a change in public opinion of their products or services. Anyway, no issues from CBI myself. I have an assortment of various brands of this and that. I may look at the C4 bumper myself though.

 

Yeah I was surprised hearing that as well. I live in Idaho and would prefer to support a local company and their stuff looks awesome. But I have seen a number of different threads with people saying negative things about their customer support and shipping times. I sort of assume its related to the pandemic, and that things will even out eventually. Hope so!

thanks for the rec here - this looks pretty great. any reviews on this company? Do you have any of their stuff?

 

lol @ $6500.

 

If you haven't looked into Bay Area Metal Fab yet I would check them out. I just got a hybrid front bumper from BAMF, it weighs ~100 lbs (before bash plates) according to their product page. They offer powder coating as an option, too (though I opted for bare metal, getting the powder coating done locally). Link to the bumper: https://www.bayareametalfab.com/2016-plus-Hybrid-front-bumper_p_157.html

I also have BAMF sliders that I've been very happy with. Originally picked them up for my '07 which got totaled when I was t-boned last year (other driver 100% at fault) - the driver's side slider took a direct hit from a subaru and came out with a barely-noticeable dent. Bolted right up to my new '20 with no issues. So I can tell you from experience that their sliders are sturdy af, and the bumper looks to be no different in that regard.

Here's a pic I took of the bumper last week during a quick test fit (I'll get it level and reduce the gaps a bit during the final install, after I get it back from powder coating)


Edit: I realized this doesn't really answer your question about aftermarket suspension, but it sounds like the BAMF hybrid might be on the lighter-weight side compared to other options out there so I figured I'd share my experience with it in case it helps.

Edit2: The BAMF hybrid bumper is also significantly cheaper than the C4, currently $800 with no add-on options compared to $1150 for the C4. BAMF includes frame reinforcement brackets with all of their bumpers at no extra cost, C4 charges an extra $150 to include them.

 

I have their wheels (RRW RR5-S 16x8 -12 Matte Bronze) and they are amazing. They have great customer service too which is good

 

I did not have the same experience at all. RRW fucked me about. Didn't ship all the hardware on their sliders, lied about delivery time etcetc. Not a fan.

Again, this was for sliders and not wheels, so ymmv. But some others that ordered sliders around the same time as me experienced the same effects.

 

Their pre-order times are kinda wack. I bought my wheels in mid December and they shipped in February even though they said they’ll ship in January. Not really their fault though since California customs was a hell hole because covid. Took another week to ship to NC but it was worth the wait.

 

No no, this wasn't pre-order. I asked around to 2 or 3 other companies, asking about lead times because I know how volitale Fab shit can be. Quoted me 1-2 weeks. Ordered same day. Didn't see shit until multiple months later. Keep in mind this is way pre covid. Kept stringing me along w wack ass excuses, gave me some free rigging. Ended up receiving them in a beat up box. Shipped hardware after the fact with no warning or heads up. Just absolute trash experience and company. Lied about lead times to get a sale.