AiwaRgod Stubby front winch Bumper

Has anyone install one of these bumpers. It states no cutting required. The instructions do not give enough info. I bought it from Ebay. The seller will not get back to me.

 

I think most require some trimming, though not explicitly stated in the instructions. There are plenty of install videos on youtube for similar, if not the exact bumper, with different brand names.

 

Thanks so much for your input. Yes I did watch several videos. This morning I'm going to assemble the bumber and mount the wench to the bumber. I'll take pics as I go and post them on this thread.

 

Looks similar to the Victory 4x4 Blitz bumper, also no cutting...mostly.

Here's the vid I used to install mine...

https://youtu.be/-XnJ1zNx2_0?si=KEZsYAjBt7GWinc0

Good Luck!

 

Thanks so much.

 

I didn't make much headway this morning. I helped my son work on his harley. I had to knoch out the top center of the bumper so it would clear the WARN fairlead. Also I'm going to use stainless steel hardware and not the crap that came with the bumper. I got the S.S. from work years ago. I used to empty all the trash cans on the factory floor. I must have 100 lbs. I hope to be back at it tomarrow morning. My son gave me his WARN M8000 wench. It ws on his Jeep that he sold. I'm wondering if I should change the rope. The winch was in the attic for 10 years. ___________________________

 

Today I got a few things done. I mounted the fairlead, 28" light bar and all the bumpers bracing brackets. The bottom of the bumper has two layers with a one inch gap between the two. For some reason two holes was not drilled on the bottom so I had to drill them out for the winch. I contacted the manufacturer. They said they don't make a stubby bumber.

 

That looks like a real chinesium special right there. Everytime i come across one of these over seas units in closer detail it makes me feel so much better that I waited and spent the extra on a quality local piece.

 

Same old same old. You get what you pay for. I test fit the WARN winch that my son gave me. It's 10 years old. He had it on his 2015 Jeep. It was never used for recovery purposes. Once the bumper/winch is mounted I would not be able to get to the forward/reverse switch so I cut out the two vent holes on the bumper. I'm able to get my arm in but could not get to the switch. So I'm going to make an arm extension for the switch out of the left over piece from the WARN winch fairlead plate. It's going to be shaped like a C. It will come out about 3" from the switch. Down about 6". Then under the housing about 5". Then up about 3". (PADDLE SWITCH)

 

I would not mount the winch to the bumper or the bumper to the frame with Stainless Steel hardware if you actually plan on using the winch. SS is much softer than Grade 8 (SAE) or 10.9 (Metric) and is terrible in shear. I bet the crappy hardware sent with the bumper is stronger than the hardware you are going to use.

 

Yes I bought grade 8 hardware to mount the winch to the bumper. The trucks frame as to wear the bumper mounts has three studs welded to the frame on each side. When I get to that I'll see if the nuts are high grade.

 

Are you able to clock the free spool to face forward on the winch? I did that with my x20 to line up with the cut outs much like the one you just added. Always confused me why companies don't plan for easy access on alot of these bumpers. Who wants to open their hood for freespool and switch access.

 

Do you mean take the housing off and rotate the switch from 12 o clock to 3 o clock so that it is facing towards the front.

 

Exactly

 

If you plan on winching with that bumper for anywhere besides the mall parking lot you are going to need some extra support. If you truly get stuck stuck you could end up ripping off your bumper, those 6 factory frame studs aren't very strong.

https://backwoodsadventuremods.com/products/2016-tacoma-front-bumper-frame-support-brackets

 

Iv done some heafty tugs and have yet to have an issue with the frame horn studs. I have seen buddies tweak the frame harness plates themselves but so far not a single sheared stud. Even then it's been from kinetic recoveries not winching.

Yanked out a 7000+lbs duramax that was buried to the axles from a boat launch first week i had it on. Stir the pot a bit more its an aluminum stub bumper.

 

The Greenlane bumper and most other quality stump bumpers use 8 bolts to mount, the 6 frame horn and 2 into the front cross member.
From the pictures this bumper seems to only use the frame horn bolts.

I am sure they work fine with ideal pulls, I'd imagine stuck in big rocks or at a funny angle, maybe deep mud too is when damage will happen.
Of course I bought a $2000 bumper so what is an extra $150 for some piece of mind.

@WormSquirts makes weld in replacement bolts so the problem does exist if you use it hard enough.

https://overlandoutfitters.ca/collections/3g-tacoma/products/tacoma-bumper-mount-reinforcement-kit

 

Guys thanks for all the input. I greatly appreciate it. I'm going to order that reinforcing plate kit. I've watched quit a few bumper install videos. My stubby bumper did not come with the brackets for relocating the cooler. Does anyone know of a place I can buy a set. Again thanks.

 

Today I wired up the LED lights for my bumper. I soldered all connections. Color coronated the heat shrink red/black. Then put a layer of black heat shrink over the wires. I used S.S. clamps along with S.S. screws, flat washers and self locking nuts. I set the free spool handle towards the front. Now it can be assessed through the bumper at the front. I test fit the WARN winch to make sure it will not hit the wiring. I'm going to mount the winches contol box on the left side of the winch. I'll have to disconnect the three wire leads on the top of the winches case in order to get the leads through the cross member of the bumper support.