CBI Skids + C4 Hybrid Front Bumper

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone is running the CBI skids with a C4 hybrid front bumper on a 3rd gen. I searched the forms and did not see relevant posts. I was wondering how well the skidplate and bumper lines up. I would go all C4 if they sold Tacoma skids, which they do not have on their site, and I am not a fan of CBI's bumpers. Surely a little custom fab can make any combo work, but I am asking specifically about out of the box compatibility.

https://cbioffroadfab.com/product/3rd-gen-tacoma-skid-plates/
https://c4fabrication.com/collections/tacoma-2016/products/tacoma-hybrid-front-bumper-3rd-gen-2016

 

Bump

 

C4 does make them. https://c4fabrication.com/collectio.../tacoma-full-skid-plates-2nd-gen-3rd-gen-2005

 

Yep they were not out at the time I originally made this.

I’d still recommend people reroute their exhaust and go with that option because those “stock compatible” skids have the same issues as my CBIs… you loose a lot of ground clearance over stock.

 

Looks like cbi has an aluminum option on the skids where as c4 does not. But I like c4s bumpers better. And I’m trying to save weigh where I can.

 

If you wheel anything harder than fire roads, don’t get the aluminum. They are trash. Some of my rock crawling jeeper buddies talked me into Al skids despite my intuition that that was a bad idea, and turns out I was right… the only thing that is nice about them is I don’t have to rattle can them after every trip?

 

And if you want aluminum you should look at https://backwoodsadventuremods.com/ but if you want hybrid bumpers c4 and cbi aren't the only brands. https://bruteforcefab.com/ for instance make a great product and it's a little cheaper than c4 or cbi. Another great looking bumper is https://athfab.com/ when it comes to skids just as long as they fit like the oem skid you shouldn't have a problem with any bumper since they are made to work with the factory skid.

 

Yeah I’ll be running BFF bumpers Good info about the skid fitment

 

Your Jeeper buddies are right, you are wrong. Here's my Aluminum CBI skids after some serious action. The full weight of the truck was caught on the skids in multiple places. I've bashed the fuck out of these skids. They are holding up great. Check out the scars on the extreme left side of the mid skid - I'm glad I went with fat bottom CBI plates, every other skid would have let rocks through there, up into my frame/cat.

 

Glad they are working out for you, definitely aren't for me. User mileage may vary. Maybe different ideas of "serious action" trails we are hitting. I was pretty suprised by the damage I took from a relatively mild trail called Rowher Flats near me. Mine are buckled as shit:




And these pics are before Gold Mountain, LMAO. My front looks very sad now. I'll have to snap a new pic of my front. Doesn't help I'm at stock height, I essentially have been a CalTrans steamroller on a lot of trails.

Side note - you are running the re routed exhaust skids, which would be nice. I wish I ordered those.

 

Mine was the standard skid to start with. My mechanic buddy told me I should have ordered the flat reroute skid instead for more ground clearance and have him do the exhaust reroute...he was right...I paid him to do the reroute, and also cut and weld the skid flat.

 

That is exactly what ill be doing soon. Taking them off, hammer time, and having my buddy weld it like yours. That shit hangs down low

 

Trashed front skid. Not the best pic but t if you look at the bottom, shit is bent to kingdom come. It’s gonna need some hammer time.

So I guess depending on where you wheel, aluminum may or may not work for you

 

if you wheel heavy steel is probably the better option. I think the aluminum is leaving more behind than steel would. Also it will be harder to bend it back than steel. pros and cons...aluminum can take the hits but probably less hits overall than steel can. For my purposes it works great, I've done some heavy wheeling but I'm gonna back it off to only obstacles between myself and camping.