2nd gen aftermarket bumper for 3rd gen Tacoma?

I have a 2018 and all the bumpers with swing out tire carriers are twice the price of 2nd gen bumpers. Is it reasonable to assume I can get a 2ng gen bumper to fit? What kinds of issues would I face? Has anyone done this before?

 

Short answer: No.
Long answer: No, you cannot. They are different dimensions, so the bolt holes won't line up. That's assuming the bumper will even fit.

I hope this was helpful.

 

Thank you! Have you personally attempted to make a second gen bumper fit on a third gen Tacoma? I'm not trying to disprove your answer, but I do like to play devil's advocate. I'm the kind of guy who likes to DIY the extra mile to finagle a tough fitter with cutting an drilling. There was only one other thread that I could find that even remotely related to this subject and the person said the mounting points on the frame should be the same.

The only problem is, I haven't found anyone who has actually given it a shot. Considering that it might potentially save someone 100s of bucks I thought I would at least find one person who was like F@$# it and just gave it a go.

 

My assumption is that it would bolt up, since everything on the frames is the exact same. Bed heights are different so who knows what the cut on the bed would be.

 

The bumper section below the tail light is larger in the fore-aft direction on 2nd gens, to follow the tail light contour, so a 2nd gen bumper will interfere with 3rd gen bed sides. Photos aren't to scale, but should give you an idea:



HC bumpers that require cutting the bed sides might be interchangeable to a degree depending on the specific vendor.

The 3rd gen tailgate bows out more in the middle, so the 2nd gen bumper's swingout arm might hit the 3rd gen tailgate.

Little details like the OEM 7-pin trailer plug, license plate lights, and backup camera are different between 2nd and 3rd gen as well, if the bumper had provisions for them.

 

Thank you for this! It helps me out a ton. I think the biggest issue I'd face is hitting the tailgate like you said which pretty much makes it a no-go for me. I guess it bugs me that a 2nd gen bumper can be $700 with the swing out, but a 3rd gen is $2k.

 

I’ve tried it. Only way you can get it to fit is by literally cutting chunks of your bed away. Tailgate fitment is way off too.