bull bar skid plate.

For functionality I would not recommend the westin ultimate bull bar/skid plate combo (the plate is like 1/16 sheet metal ). It looks so awesome on the truck but I did bend the skid plate pretty bad going through a large swampy area think i hit a rock embedded in the side bank. I was able to bend it back though looks like nothing changed.

 

i was thnkin a bull bar for looks n a funcional skid plate, am i limited here with options for this setup?

 

I think that you might be limited here because the bull bar and skid plate would most likely bolt in some of the same spots or get in the way of each other

 

have that feeling, i do....

 

Bull bars have about the same durability as side steps (none). They're completely cosmetic. We went wheeling in the fall with someone with a bull bar and it kills the approach angle and was squeaking and loose half way through the trip.

If memory serves tacomas use an intertia sensor and there's nothing in the bumper or aluminum bar behind it. It's just plastic and crumple zone. I rolled my truck with All Pro bumper and walked away with a scratch so it definitely didn't make things any worse.

The advantages of a bumper replacement are added protection while offroading (don't be afraid to put that bumper into a tree or rock) and in the event of an accident. The bumpers will take a substantial amount of impact before transferring energy back into the passenger compartment. You don't have to worry about damage in a fender bender or deer collision that would normally crush the front end. Better approach angle. Absolutely cosmetic, I get a lot of looks and compliments with a simple tube bumper. And with a little creativity and fab work they can be excellent mounting points for CB atennas, lights, recovery equipment, and camping equipment.

Before I got my bumper on my 07 I was looking at a brush guard until I evaluated the pros and cons, I replaced the bumper and never looked back. I put a tube bumper with winch on my 09 before the first oil change. It's definitely the way to go.

 

where are tube bumpers available?

 

The All Pro hybrid bumper, CBI, 4xInnovations, and any local fabrication shop (highly recommended, I got mine from a local shop and it comes out exactly to my specs).

Most if not all of the previously mentioned companies offer a tube bumper. They're simple, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive. Also very easy to impliment into an exo cage if you decide to go that route

 

Local shops also make badass sliders if you feel the burning desire to get a mud line across the back of your pants every time you get out of the truck.

 

But be careful or a midget will talk you into a truggy or an exo cage.

 

lol I was warning the OP.

Giant fake hood scoop actually. The wake created by a giant fake hood scoop deflects pooling liquid of any sort away from the engine compartment and into the intake of any near-by jeeps. Not having a hood scoop creates a funnel effect pouring mud the consistency of paint directly into your alternator.

 

Clearly the down travel in my suspension and my diff locking excuse for an anchor were major flaws while I was planning my build.