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

I suggest a 1ton truck with a heavy duty bumper for what you want. Right tool for the job maybe? I would drive my truck across your area any time, once or four times, but if I had to do it everyday I would be looking for another truck. Just being honest.

 

Ugh. Ouch. Not good news...might be back to the drawing board. Or the custom work, as others have mentioned.

 

Well...I can't afford a $60k base bro-dozer truck that gets 10MPG. I have to live within my means. LOL. But, yeah, I get the point.

ETA: Maybe I should see if MDOT has any used snow plow trucks.

 

Once you put that bumper on...you are not far off.

 

Yeah. =/

Company work truck I drive is a Ford F250 with a snowplow and scheduled to get a several thousand dollar Buckstop bumper installed shortly. Because we've totalled one truck and damaged 3 others in the last year.

But it's 10x the truck I need or want, and a few times what I can afford for a personal rig. So, here I am looking for a solution. I might not find one. Never hurts to try though.

 

My buddy just took his 6" lifted f250 with 37's to Mississippi and got ~18mpg

 

Was he driving 15MPH? LOL. Mine tells me it's getting about 13.2 with regular highway driving.

 

What year??

 

It's a GSA lease, and has 27K miles on it so far. 2018? 2019? I forget now. 2018, I think. I've put every mile on it after I picked it up new.

 

CBI makes good stuff.

I’m personally not a fan of ARB, too bulky for me.

as for the get a bigger truck suggestion, that’s silly.

 

ARBs bumper is only like 150lbs and it’s the only answer to your question. They are designed for animal strikes unlike most bumpers that are designed for hitting rocks and shit off road. My parents live in the far backwoods and run an ARB. It’s not cheap but it’s worth it for your use case.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/complete-3rd-gen-front-bumper.580218/

fab fours is the only option without the large grill opening and it is 1800 and ugly. If you are adamant about not having the open grill maybe find another one you like and have a local fabricator weld something across the grill area.

I think ARBs third gen tacoma bumper is hideous but ymmv.

 

Welcome aboard! You have a cool viking kinda name.

 

My 2nd Gen arb was maaaaybe 100 lbs. 3rd Gen might be thinker/bulkier. but I doubt it weighs more than 120. Coastal off-road in BC Canada. Not sure if that’s close for you. has weld it yourself kits. They sit pretty close to the grill when built. but can save you a bunch of cash.

 

Sorry about that, OP didn't lose interest. I'd been up 18 hours and had to get some sleep.

I'll call the guy at the custom shop and ask about the specific weight of the ARB and if a suspension upgrade would be required. The link that was provided farther up did list it at 275 pounds, but the third generation 4-Runner bumper from CBI looks almost the same and clocks in at 150, so maybe that's the shipping weight, or a generic description for the bumper that includes larger models when you put it on a full size truck or something. I don't know.

https://yotamafia.com/product/toyota-3rd-gen-4runner-front-hybrid-bumper/

I'll also ask him about modifying one of the other CBI bumpers to fill that massive gap with another bar. I'll probably be headed up to Kalispell to price out canopies at S&S, they might have some ideas as well, and I know there's an off-road shop in that town too. I'll check and see if they have suggestions.

 

How have I not already seen this thread? Thanks! I'll spend some time looking at pictures!

 

I have the CBI t3 adventure full wrap. Love it and went with that because of the various critters in NV. paid 1400 for it. installed myself ( it isn't hard)

 

Do you have any suspension upgrades, or have to add them for the bumper weight? It looks like its around 150#.

 

I am looking for a bumper just like the OP. Being an engineer I like to know all the details and options I have been looking at bumpers for my 2020 Offroad for about a year.
My conclusion is that ARB is really the only bumper that appears to be designed to take a hit from a large animal (in their case, since they are from Australia--kangaroos) and actually protect your vehicle. They also have the data and experience to back up their claims. The Australian government makes them test their equipment to back up what they say about it. You definitely will need to upgrade your front end suspension to support the heavier bumper--beefier springs and shocks. The question really is whether you actually want front end protection or just something that looks like it. You don't need fancy "racing" shocks like the Fox or King brands, just ones that take heavier loads than the OEM shocks. While they will cost something, it will be nothing like the cost of the fancy ones since you are just buying shocks/springs with a heavier rating than the OEM ones.

I don't think going to a local fabricator is a very good idea. As an engineer, I understand the calculations that go into designing successful items and a fabrication shop may give you something that looks "beefy" but is actually not. You really need something properly designed to handle the large collision impact from a big animal, not something that looks like it will. This is the problem with most of the bumpers on the market.

All the bumpers, other than ARB (and possibly some lesser-known Australian bumpers) available here in the US appear to be made more for off-roading scrapes from rocks and bushes, and in the case of most of them--looks. It appears that most of them are really not much better protecting your vehicle from a LARGE high-speed collision with a large animal than the OEM bumper. The only real difference appears to be that the damage from a collision with an OEM bumper would be obvious, while the damage from these other bumpers would not be so obvious (ie your front end might look OK) but that the damage to your car structure, radiator, engine components would be just as bad from the bumper being pushed backwards into the vehicle.

At first I thought I "needed" the ARB because it is definitely "better" because it will actually protect your front end if you hit something. Then I came to my senses and realized that here in the Arizona deserts we never run into large animals crossing the road. Now I am looking at lighter aluminum bumpers that protect me from scrapes with rocks and give me some better front end clearance. Not any cheaper, but actually meets my needs.

 

Have you looked at C4 fab new overland bumper?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMUwF0XBR73/?igshid=1v4aqugp2v43e