Another bull bar/pusher question. Are they all damage multipliers?

@Clearwater Bill Under the pretty part that we all see is an aluminum 'bumper' that is bolted on to the frame. Its a long hollow rectangle about 5.5inches wide and about 2.5inches deep made out of 1/8inch aluminum. That bolts right onto the frame mounts that a plate or baja bumper would bolt on to. Right behind the bolting surface there are a couple little notches in the frame, those are your crumple zones. So in a low speed front end, or 'tap', the pretty plastics are toast, and then the aluminum rectangle gets crushed. Anything faster and that aluminum is useless and thats when you get serious damage and a totaled truck. Now when you replace that useless aluminum paper wad with a full steel tube or plate bumper you create a much bigger surface area attached to the same location as the stock 'bumper'. Greater surface area combined with stronger material equals better protection. Its like holding a shield made from cardboard or a shield made from metal. You're holding both the same way, but I'd take the metal one every day of the week.

 

I went to the avid site and all I found was an unpainted front bumper guard for 325. Paint was another 90.

I dont want to be that tactical commando with all the unnecessary gear.....I just want something that looks aggressive in the front end that wont fold up when I hit a butterfly. Is there a comfortable medium between the 400 dollar Avid and the ebay 110 dollar crap job?

 

Airbag sensors are inertia based and not on the front end. A plate bumper does not affect the airbag functionality at all.

 

Dude its your truck, that being said take folks advice. There were mods I did that I did cheaply or the wrong way, I should have listened to the advice from the folks who know on this site. Because ultimately I ended up doing it the right way anyway and spending the money, plus the money I wasted on the crap I thought would be good enough, but was ultimately junk just like every everyone said. So again its your truck, but you've been warned to the possible consequences. Just remember buy once, cry once=truth.

 

well, it will look like crap and fool no one

I was once like this, I got a new 1999 4runner limited in 1998 and was thinking hard about a bull bar and whatnot
I could not put down the auto-anything or jcwhitney catalog to save my life

I never did it


Now I am glad I never did it, I see other 4runners with bull bars (or tacomas) and just reel I horror
how it looks like processed artificial cheese and it is completely non functional and an eyesore

I do on occasion see tacomas or built 4runners with BEEF and skid/winch worthy functional front bumpers done right, and there is
a clear difference.


Once the smoke and excitement settles for your new tacoma I bet you'll agree....stay clear of the cheese it impresses no one.

 

Generally a lot of good advice on this forum. Here's mine - you should buy or mod you truck based on what or how YOU plan on using or plan on doing with it! Want it to look "cool" - cool is in the eye of the beholder and won't cost you a boat load of dough. Want functionality, buy the best you can afford. (ex: 80% of my driving is on road, my truck will never see a lift - just because it might look "cool", but I wanted more forward lighting and a light bar was sufficient even if it is a damage multiplier)

 

On my all time favorite truck, a 1984 SR5 4wd, regular cab, long bed that I owned when new, I had a Warn winch and winch mount that was more or less a brush guard/bull bar type set up. Just before I sold that truck, I hit a deer one morning on the way to work. I was down to 20mph or less when I made contact. The brush guard shoved back into the grill, punched a hole in the radiator, bent the frame quite a bit and wadded up the bumper. The grill pushed up and did significant damage to the hood. Long story short, it did several thousand dollars damage even at relatively low speeds. Granted, there would have probably been damage to most of the aforementioned items, but not nearly as MUCH damage without the brush guard. These gaurds MAY (or may NOT, depending on your taste) offer some decorative purpose, but they have NO protective value, and in fact do multiply damage. That said, if you want one, get one. I just do NOT want another one, and don't really care for the look. But, as my dad used to say, "This is why they make ice cream in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry....so everyone can have what they like".

I know that I don't particularly like it when someone tries to tell me what I like and what I don't so go ahead with whatever it is that YOU like, and to hell with everyone elses opinions. (From the guy who still likes chrome on his truck!)

 

We shall see

 

Avid is the minimum acceptable bar, to me. That's why I have one. Probably would have paid the triple $$ for an ARB if you could run it with stock suspension, but I don't think that's possible. For what it's worth, I can stand on the Avid just fine with no flex. Would it stand up to a deer at 50 mph? Nope. But it's not going to immediately crumple into my hood if I tap a parking meter or something either. I've been happy with it for ~3 years now.

 

Ballchinian

 

Nope. Avid is probably the best minimum bumper gaurd out there. It's well built and also happens to look really good.

 

If you dig the bull bar, go for it. It's your truck, so do what puts a smile on your face. Not every Tacoma has to be lifted 3" with 285's on black Method Wheels...

 

Well, Im at a loss here. I love the way they look, I dont like hearing all the negative stories. I think one of you guys had it right.....give this purchase some time to settle. Im still in the 'NEW TRUCK, MUST ACCESSORIZE" phase....Im going to hold off for a while.

Now if someone can find me a 50% off Avid coupon, that would be neat......

 

Check out the Randy Ellis light bars. They seem much stronger than the bull bars but I have never heard of someone being in a accident with one.

 

I considered a bull bar, purely for aesthetics, for about a week after I bought my truck. I looked at my mother list of future mods and realized there were many other things higher in priority than a bull bar. $120 towards any of those things was more important. After redirecting my focus, the bull bar disappeared from my list of wants. Sometime thereafter I discovered the Avid light bar. It's been on my list for about 4 months. If/when I do it is probably a year down the road. Light racing UCAs are next on my list.

 

Over the years, I've developed this strategy that applies well to ANY circumstance....

No matter how bad I THINK I want something....No matter how sure I am there's no other suitable option.....No matter how many people try to talk me into it....I wait (at least) 2 weeks before I take the plunge. This practice has saved me from making a number of hasty decisions that I'm sure I would have regretted later. If it's a GOOD idea, it will still be a good idea in 2 weeks. If it's a BAD idea, 2 weeks will usually let you see past the "I want it NOW" phase.

 

I attempt to do only performance mods to my truck. It it won't help my truck run better, it can wait till later.With only 26k on my truck I've got a laundry list of wants. The look good stuff can wait till later.

 

Light bar? Pic?

 

Then I guess this OEM Toyota Tacoma airbag impact sensor is just for show.
http://parts.tristatetoyota.com/p/T...sensor-Impact-Sensor/48597632/8917309270.html

 

This was what I was told by a friend who is a Toyota master tech.