Total n00b needs some help with a bumper...Yes, that again. Sorry.

Hey all. Long time lurker, first time poster. Been looking through this forum for a while now, but I need some help.

I drove a 2021 TRD Off-Road off the lot today. I need to do things to it. One of the very first things will be adding a new bumper to it.

Some background. I live in western MT. I dodge deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and other animals on the road almost every day. Yes. Bighorn sheep. Think of a slightly taller deer that is literally twice as thick, weighs twice as much, and has a brain so small you have to nudge them out of your way when they are standing on the road. They...just don't move. Dumber than a sack of hammers.

Anyway, I want to get a bumper that can survive an impact with said animals without totalling the vehicle. And therein like the problem. I can't find one that would seem to work. There are SO MANY options my brain is going into vapor lock.

Most of the ones I have been looking at (CBI, DV8, RCI, Demello, etc. etc. etc.) seem to have the same problems...they've got a single hoop above the bumper the perfect size for a deer to fit through, OR they don't cover enough of the grill to be worth anything.

I don't know who here has hit an animal at highway speeds, but I've done it a couple times now. With the height of a Taco, and the gap size between the bumper and hoop (or how crazy low the hoops is on some models), it's going to be worthless. That animal is going to come to rest inside the engine compartment, and the bumper was a waste of money.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a bumper that can meet the following criteria?

--Around $1500 installed, less is better. I do have a budget. I could probably go a little bit more, but once we get into the $1750+ range, well...I don't know if I can pull it off. Still, I'll do it if I have to...still cheaper than a new front end.
--Won't add so much weight that I end up destroying the front suspension, or look like I'm driving a dragster. Please mention if you think it would require a front suspension change, spacers, etc.
--Covers enough of the grill and such as to actually be useful. Most of them seem to be designed for bumping off rocks and trees and such, and not so much for what I need it for. Which is...
--Can survive an animal impact at speed.
--Isn't so crazy bro-dozer large that it looks out of place. I'm looking for a good, solid bumper with a couple of hoops in the right areas. Not a completely front-end obscuring monstrosity.

It seems so...easy. If they just added another bar to the middle of some of them, or added one more bar above the short hoop, they would be perfect. I just can't seem to find what I'm looking for, and I'm going cross-eyed at the computer here.

I know us n00bs are a PITA...I'm sorry. I apologize. I really have been reading the threads here for a while, and just haven't seen the solution. Although the thread where they guy hit the two cows was pretty epic.

I appreciate any suggestions.

As a side note, I replaced an '04 Taco that has had a seriously hard life. Rear-end replacement after it was loaned to a friend who didn't put their BBQ out before loading it on the trailer, causing it to burn to the ground and ruin the poor Taco's butt end. Front right wheel (not tire, wheel) coming off on the highway at 70mph. Next to a semi in the other lane. Thank all the gods anyone can name that guy was paying attention and hit his brakes, or I wouldn't be typing this. Slapped into a guardrail on icy roads at Christmas a few years ago, taking out all the resale value. LOL. Still running, still my commuter vehicle/beater until it literally explodes and leaves me stranded. Tacos FTW.

 

TLDR, but SSO Slimline

 

I appreciate the suggestion, but...no. That is the exact problem I described. That bumper will never stop an animal impact from entering your engine compartment. You'll just clip them right off at the mid thigh/hips and they'll ride up and over it.

 

Okay, again, apologies. Isn't the ARB the only crash rated bumper?

 

I'm honestly not sure. Like I said, I'm in information overload right now. The guy at the custom shop I stopped at today said he liked the CBI bumpers for this application, but looking at their options, they all had the same exact problem I was trying to avoid...not enough actual coverage.

 

I guess if someone made something like this. Just a bumper with a couple extra bars that actually give coverage for the fragile parts. The truck will be on the dirt, but I'm not going to be beating the crap out of it on trees and rocks. Just going fishing and camping in MT. it's the regular driving that's dangerous around here. LOL.

 

Congrats on the new ride - you're gonna look good in that thing.
Would love to ride along and shoot those critters - with my Nikon camera that is -
Other than that as an ex motorcycle rider I got NO USE for any of 'em -
Useless beasts but cool to look at.

 

Check this out... would this work?...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-white-tacomas-post-them-up.393669/page-430

 

It might. It would depend on if it's a serious bumper or just a grill guard. Grill guards are a nightmare around here...anything over 35mph and it will likely crush back into the truck, causing more damage. I'll look up "TRD Pro Grill." Is that what it is?

 

That will absolutely do more damage than almost nothing all all.
We call them "Damage Multipliers" around here.

The only one I would really trust for sonething you know is going to eventually happen, is an ARB.

 

Why can I never remember that brand? I'll start looking at the ARB's. Thank you.

Any other suggestions?

 

Looks like the only one available from ARB is the Summit? A bit bulky and a smidge over budget, but it would work. Does anyone know if the suspension needs to be modified to have it? That will be an added expense.

 

The ARB summit bumper probably provides the most protection from what I can tell but it runs for a hefty $1600-1800. More metal means higher cost.

 

Yeah, I might be willing...but I need to know if it's going to be extra for a suspension upgrade. I can't seem to find the weight on this thing anywhere.

 

Find a local off-road fabricator. They will build whatever you like.

 

BTW, Thank you, everyone, for putting up with yet more dumb beginner questions.

 

That’s what I did. We added a canopy with barn doors, I wanted a HC swing out that would allow me to still open the door without swinging the tire.

 

There might be one up in Kalispell. I'll ask. I'm headed up there anyway to look at canopies.

 

ARB is probably your best bet or reach out to some fabricators and see if they could add an additional cross bar for you.

 

Yikes! Yotamafia says it weights 275 lbs. That’s gonna kill you’re suspension.
https://yotamafia.com/product/arb-summit-front-bumper-3rd-gen-tacoma/

EDIT: Other sites and forums are saying it weights about 183 lbs and drops the height by an inch or so.