These steel bumpers, or run the other way?

I'd really like to find myself with a cheapo steel bumper Since I have a base model I'm used to no fog lights and don't foresee getting a winch or anything else. Just the basic bottom of the barrel bumper.

That's all cool, I see some for <$800 from people on here if you buy at the right time but shipping kills it.

This guy has been advertising for as long as I can remember on Craigslist, local (Denver) bumper fab and whatever else from the looks of it. Found his facebook and while some look awesome, others seem like they were kind of uh..shittily constructed? The picture below is what I mean - is the lack of welding every seam an indication of 'teh suck'?





I can't tell if it's welded like that because it's a tube style bumper and the steel sheets on top have little value to the strength, or if it was just..a slack job. Here's some of the shit that looks legit though (I'm not trying to go tube bumper anyway)





(He made this rack though and it looks niceee)





Just curious - obviously not affiliated with him/them since I'm trying to figure out if the work sucks or not, but 'First Choice Fabrication" - Er, texted # from their Craigslist posting:

"Our plate bumpers start at 900 painted with bed liner and installed. Comes standard built with 3/16 plate, diamond plate top step, oversized mounts, wrap around corners, and 12-15inch skid plate"

Bed liner huh. I was hoping for like <$700 unpainted, would probably go with someone else on here for $900 shipped versus $900 local from someone who doesn't specialize in taco parts

 

I like stock bumper but I know if I had the cash I would get a Relentless rear, but then would want the front to match.

The pre-runner smaller diameter bar add ons look good,
Cleaning inside and around the painted part of your front bumper would suck,
looks like the seams would help water from snow build up drain away I guess.

I could always use two or three lights in the front also.

I like the last one on the Explorer with the extended hoop way up front, maybe with a tad smaller hoop and some light tabs would be great.

The BULL Bar looking ones on the CKs look great on them, not to sure I could rock it on my Taco,

 

The welds look good, but it's not the bumper for me personally.

 

Some of the angles of the first bumper could have been designed better imo. But, it could have been customer designed as well. I'd check the welds and the grade of materials being used...that is a good tell what kind of work a fabricator does.

 

Gotcha, I was just curious about the weld lengths I guess, where he welded a few inches and then left an unwelded gap for the next several inches. Wouldn't go with tube style anyway, probably something more like the explorer bumper minus the stinger... traditional basic style I guess.

Found some more info on the company through google, on other vehicle forums.. can't find anything bad about him actually. The tire swing on the 4runner is intriguing, and having him weld on some custom sliders for a regular cab would be sick too. Oh yea, and a custom roof rack for regular cab. Oh yea and ___ and ___ and ___

Maybe I'll try to get some sliders first and see how the process goes and what the end result is.. and see what I can do through negotiation/befriending/changing design of bumper to lower cost

 

How much is bumper number one?

Can you remove it down the road?

Might not be a bad idea if it's convertible back to stock,

 

My kibbetech bumper is completely bolt on. Can go back to stock anytime.

 

That is how you normally weld sheet metal. It prevents warping.

 

I don't weld so I never would have though of that.

Thanks,

 

That roof rack is pretty tight,

 

For the price he's advertising, I would just suck it up and pay the little bit more for the really nice looking bumpers that the vendors on here put out. I think you would be much happier when putting down that much money to get something that actually looks good.

Matt

 

Those are stitch welds.