Brush guard ?

You're going to have the same issue with that one as you will any other bull bar. You only have lower frame attachment points, nothing to provide any strength the top. And if there were braces for the top, they would go to your lower radiator mounts. Hence the term damage multiplier. That one will fold back with a good bump in a parking lot and do something like this if not more:



You're better off spending a little more getting an actual bumper. The one you have listed is $360. Plus your deductible or at least the cost of a new grill. That brush guard and a new grill alone will put you in this, and it looks like a "no cut" bumper with space for a winch:

https://www.extremeterrain.com/barr...mper-winch-mount-tt13415.html?T5_Var4=TT13415

 

I have seen mine on police cars. There used to be an option to get PIT bars that bolt to the lower end near the winch frame

It will defiantly move trash bins, I've pushed small trees with the headlight guards. The center will take a decent hit. I've pushed small trucks (1985 ford bronco), steel fence posts, roll off dumpsters, ect. with it. I don't think you would be able to put the extra lights on it without interfering with the nanny features, you can still clearly see my toyota emblem over them, so maybe a thin light bar?

 

You have a link to this? More out of curiosity as I haven't seen that style for a Taco.

 

Really don’t understand these “bull bars”. They provide absolutely zero protection and reduce your approach angle by a lot. Tacoma’s already have shitty approach angle.

Front stump bumper looks kind of similar but actually provides protection and recovery points, 3-4 times the price though.

 

How did you find a black one to match your truck...custom paint?

No...wait a minute...is that Plasti Dip?

 

Hahaha!



I actually splurged that time and had it powder coated in black.

 

No worries about damage from that belly slider unless you step out of the Taco and get his underbite.

 

Oh that was definitely the trip to get up and close and personal with nature.

No lie, same trail:






Same trip:







^^^

 

If you don’t believe they afford protection, look at the crashes thread where Demello’s plate bumper killed two cows and Taco owner drove her vehicle home. Other two vehicles after her (she was first impact) called tow trucks.

 

Take me along next time that looks like my kinda wildlife -

 

Hard for me to tell as I’m not from there but the last rattlesnake looks like a green Mojave, is that correct or ? If so, deadly snake and if bit potentially DRT.

 

Pretty sure that's a rock lobster

 

The big one is a Sonoran Gopher.

The ones I saw on the road were Western Diamondbacks.

 

https://westinpublicsafety.com/front-end-protection is the line up. They don't have one specific to the taco, but the winch tray is the same as the base of my brush guard

 

I've been looking all over and can't find my set-up for sale
here are close ones
https://www.extremeterrain.com/westin-sportsman-winch-mount-grille-guard-black-1619-tacoma.html
https://www.jegs.com/i/Westin/978/4...MIpc29v6GL_AIVArbICh3Wnw2SEAQYASABEgJJr_D_BwE

 

I'd be leery of that set up for one reason, it doesn't show any upper support for the for the bumper or winch in the picture or the parts pictured. And there is only one bolt hole at the bottom where the brush guard attaches to the piece that attaches to the frame. If the upper support is there and not shown, the only place it can go is through the lower grill to the lower radiator mounts. That's the same set up the the Armadillo had and why it's no longer on my truck. I'd also be careful of winch capacity without support and one bolt holding that to your truck, especially if that is bolted to your radiator mounts.

 

That doesn’t look bad for a bolt on “guard” not my style but I agree, probably the best looking one I’ve seen

 

There is an upper support. You have to cut two slits through the center bumper molding (hidden by the winch tray in your picture). The two brackets in the lower left of this picture pass through them and bolt to the two "?" shaped brackets. Those brackets fish plate your frame so you have something stronger than the aluminum crumple zone to bolt to. I've tried to get a good picture of mine to no success.

 

How thick are those plates?

 

At least 1/4" but the powder coat is pretty good so I'd say probably 3/16" of it is steel. I used a 3/8" drill bit to cut the ends of the slits.