How do I fix this botched bumper job?

Why not put an OEM one back on?

 

Maybe going against the grain here but it actually doesn't look bad. People put those circular tube type bumpers on all the time and frankly this looks fine especially for a work truck. In my experience changes to the body take a while to digest--you may not notice it after a week or two.

 

If you went in with "I would like to spend no more than..." and you stated a ridiculous amount, you either get someone rejecting you work, or doing what they provided

A lot of people don't know a single thing about fabricating, and it shows when they say "I want a custom bumper, or bed rack, etc" and suggest a price that barely covers the material and consumables used.

Labor is a big part of fabrication, not to mention the experience the fabricator has behind him/her. There's also the large investment that fabricator has in tooling.

 

I mean, you do what you want. But, under the tail lights, you can:
-put back on the black plastic trim covers
-clean and paint the area black
-cut and trim it but I would not

some of that applies on company made steel bumpers

for example. Warfab rear. I might still have my plastic trims. Instructions say to cut.

ARB front. It shows body paint their instructions say to make black.

 

What island are you on? There’s a lot of good fabricators in Oahu and there’s a lot of Tacoma’s that actually get used and abused.

try linking up with a good fabricator

 

For me, this all depends on what you paid or what you wanted to pay. If you walked in and said you wanted "simple and sturdy" and did nothing more than slapped a Benjamin on the counter, I'd say you got what you paid for.

 

Exactly. On the other hand, if you paid $500 and this is what you got, that would be a very different story.

I'm hanging around here to see what OP paid for this thing.

 

I would assume that you own a welder and also know how to fabricate if you are asking how you can fix this... And at that point I would wonder why you didn't build one yourself. Square tubing would have looked a lot better or even C channel and it would have been relatively easy to make 90's on the ends to wrap around a little. This is going to be a job to "fix"

 

i think if you bent the ends on it it would look a bit better. it doesn't look good but it is functional and looks sturdy which i think is what you asked for.

 

I think it would look better with a 2x4 as a bumper

 

Yeah agreed doesn’t look good but at least you have something for now. Years ago I destroyed my rear bumper. Tore everything off welded some mounting plates and used some 6 inch steel pipe to make a bumper. Welded on some custom pieces on the end to wrap around the sides.

 

@04Pre_Runner has entered the chat*

 

did he have a wooden bumper? If yes, then I’ll be in San Angelo in July. I would love to buy him a beer

 

Little early for a Friday thread eh?

 

2nd Genners are just 3rd Genners that don't get picked on as much anymore

 

If it was cheap, and its a work truck that might get heavy damage and cheap 'fixes'... Embrace the junky look and lean into it. It'll be cheaper in the long run, that's for sure, and any damage it takes won't look out of place. Not the ideal solution, but its not a trophy, its a tool.

 

wish I got a Best Gen instead

 

My only beef with it is that upper edge is a safety hazard for pedestrians. Other than that, its a work truck, round off those corners some more and call it a day. Once its dirty and scratched nobody will care.

 

I think it is cute!

At any time were any prints or work order drawn up signed by you and the builder?

Why did you even accept the job as it is??

Once you accepted the Job you owned it.