Fix OE rear bumper or replace with steel?

My rear bumper is damaged and I've been thinking about replacing it with a steel one. In my research, I found that I would lose my BSM system when going steel and I'm not sure if that's something I'll miss having. It's been certainly nice to have this system and it did cost me extra when purchasing the truck. This also got me thinking about the actual impact of a steel bumper... what happens to all the energy transfer when the steel doesn't absorb by crumbling like the OEM bumper? Would a steel bumper have a potential to cause greater damage in some instances?


To fix my OE setup, I'll require:
1. Bumper Cover Support Rail (Rear) $81.91
9. Bumper Cover Support Rail (Right, Rear) $198.12

Total $280.03 to have it fixed structurally

If I wanted cosmetic perfection, I would have to add:
03. Bumper Step Pad (Rear) $260.69
15. Bumper Cover (Right, Rear) $245 (Painted to match factory color)

$785.72 for a complete fix.

So what are your thoughts? The cosmetic damage is minimal and it doesn't personally bother me, but I'll probably end up replacing everything. I'll be doing the work myself, so no shop labor cost to consider.

Or....

Is should I use this as an excuse to get a steel bumper?

 

There are a very few aftermarket options that retain BSM. I think 4wp is one of them, but I can’t vouch for its durability.

 

absolutely it will!

Now that said, I think they still have a place; they could help for city dwellers that have to put up with those that park by brail, AND could help off-roaders that have similar low speed bumps.
I am not a crash engineer, but there is going to be speed (and I would think it is relatively really low, like 10-20mph) that big honkin' steel macho-man bumper is going to do just as you thought,,, it is NOT going to absorb energy and transfer most of it straight to the occupant holder and frame.

Risk n rewards.

 

I would’ve gone with rear steel bumper long time ago but pretty hard getting a bumper that’s compatible with BSM up here. Like you said, I paid for it and it has been kind of nice.

Stock rear bumper really is a flimsy POS. My left side was ripped off when I was off-road and now it’s barely held on by few screws. I can’t even step in my bumper cuz it will break. And not a chance I will spend a grand or whatever on new OEM bumper.

Good luck!

 

Nice pun.
The frame bends.
Yes.

if you want to retain as much crash absorption with an aftermarket bumper, ARB is the best.

 

If you want to retain the POS plastic bumper, that's fine. If I had to do it again (twice for me), I'd go steel. JMO.

 

I call bullshit.

IMO - and take it with a grain of salt:

The stock ‘bumper’ is nothing more than the hitch (item 6) with some flimsy sheet metal and plastic components covering it. The bumper is a cosmetic facade, and (IMO) provides little if any crash/energy dissipation. [ The hitch, on the other hand, is transferring the impact directly to the frame. ]

The support rail (item 1) has two little sheet metal ‘wings’ that the other bits attach to. Little to no energy absorption, or protection of the rest of the truck.

Will the dynamics be different if you replace it with a different steel bumper? Absolutely. That’s up to each owner to decide. But here goes. If you look at the hitch, the receiver is drooped. So a hit to the end of the receiver will tend to rotate the square tube, bending it (and the end of the frame rails) down. [ Ask me how I know! ]

So all these comments claiming that any other steel bumper is ‘bad’ because it will fold your frame rails is somewhat misleading, because that is part of what is supposed to happen.

Maybe someone can post a video from Toyota, showing the actual hitch / frame rail collapse in a rear end collision.


Anyway, I, for one, would like a bumper that provides a bit more protection for the truck itself.

 

HC with aux lights and tree savers

/thread

 

A yoyo on a bicycle ran flat out into my front left corner (2014 taco)- cranking down the wrong side of a busy street as I began to turn right. Glancing blow flopped him right out into traffic - which I jumped out and tried to stop. Busted LH headlight, bent radiator bulkhead, broke grill and.......buckled the hood. $3500 to fix plus rental truck while they fixed it..... He got a ticket for "failure to observe the rules of the road", two black eyes and a broken nose, crushed bike - but an uninsured non-motorist. My insurance paid all over my deductible ($1000). Plastic vehicles with no bumpers suck.

A steel bumper with bars like an ARB might have killed him........my '74 Oldsmobile Cutlass would have for sure.

 

knew a guy driving on a higher speed road, the normal legal speed and same as traffic

someone ran in front
Vehicle was stock
They died

similar to what would happen on a highway, any truck, or large vehicle such as semi or bus.