Brush guard ?

That's better than what's on the the Armadillo, but still seems a little sketchy without seeing it. Given it's a Westin product, there should at least be a little more thought put into it.

Either way, for the cost involved with some of the stuff people have been asking about, I'd still go toward the steel bumper, even a smaller "no cut" bumper. Especially if you plan on leaving the pavement. Some of those bull bars and brush guards are about half the price or more of some of the "no cut" center bumper replacement types. Add in your new replacement parts when you bend it back into something you parked to close to and you at about the same cost.

My opinion which when accompanied by $5 will get me a coffee somewhere.

 

I can understand people going that route now, but in 2017 a lot of those options weren't available. I was afraid to cut up my 1000 mile truck to fit an arb bumper and I use my winch a lot for odds and ends. Having to reach a gloved hand through a small hole or down the radiator to unlock the brake all the time didn't sound fun.

 

My '18 is my first venture into this. I did a year of research into the options I had, mostly waiting for Ford to announce the trans on the Ranger. When I hit the deer, I hadn't fully researched the steel bumper options and wanted something quick. In stock vs a 3-4 month wait was the deciding factor and the wrong choice. I've increasingly come of the conclusion that it's better to spend on quality and do this once. I'm fortunate to be in an area where there are plenty of experienced people who will help with mods for a case of beer or less. None of my mods were done by a shop.

Addressing the fear of hacking up the truck, cutting the bumper and quarter panels / flares was nerve racking. And probably part of the reason it took a little longer to install the bumper as I procrastinated a bit getting to it. But I only had one mistake where I cut into a flare clip. The cut isn't perfect, but with the edge guard it's not as noticeable. I learn by doing, so I've taken the challenge of doing what I can and seeking help when I can't or I'm not sure what I should do. And it saves me some $$ staying out of the local shops to have the work done.

 

I like my brush guard. It's different, I think I have the only one in tacomaworld on a third gen and it suits my needs. But on the other hand I see why other people don't like it or think it's not the best option. I'm just here to say "hey this exists"

 

I went out and took some pictures to try to show where and how thick those plates are.

And just for good measure here's a picture of my brush guard pushed against a dump trailer that was rust froze in the up position. We were using my winch to overcome the rust and pull the dump body back down.

 

Those do look "beefier" than anything I've seen before, but it's Setina... Doe those attach at the three bolts with the cross member?

 

Setina? What is that?

 

Brush guards are damage multipliers because they are giant lever-arms connected to the frame, with inadequate support above the height of the truck frame rails to cancel out the torque moment created by the huge lever.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned a proper bumper like an ARB Deluxe type, engineered to hit deer & kangaroos at speed while taking only cosmetic damage. Also may be of significant help in an impact with another vehicle.

Someone's ARB bumper after hitting a deer. At 55 mph. No damage. Without it truck probably would've been totalled:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/plate-bumpers-after-impact-with-pics.379600/page-2#post-10420080

Couple of forum posts I made about ARB bumpers:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hit-a-deer-need-help-parts-sourcing.788347/#post-28223389
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hit-a-deer-need-help-parts-sourcing.788347/#post-28227355

Here's what the assembly diagram & mounting hardware for the big "Armordillo" brush bar looks like, from the install guide. No thanks!

 

That’s right how was the weight on it ?

 

Most of the seven pages of this thread have been about the bad idea of brush guards, and trying to show that even a "no cut" steel bumper is a better choice than the brush guard. Including my Armadillo and the replacement Relentless Fabrications steel winch bumper I now have.

 

I thought that's who made your bar. But I looked back to see it's a Westin. Setina is probably the leading manufacturer of the push bars you see on police cars.

 

I'm the main outsider in this thread, but I have an unusual brush guard. It never really was popular, and with the implementation of nanny feature sensors in the grill it has gone extinct.

 

108 pounds. I took 12 pounds off of the factory bumper so it adds about 96 pounds with out the winch.