What aftermarket bumper is the best

It got put on late Sept. I like it more every time I see it too

 

I really like that. Why did you chose this one? It seems like this style of bumper would be lighter.

 

It's a bit lighter than plate style bumpers, which is nice.

#1 reason was because it was an ArmorTech product.

And this video is why I like ArmorTech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_m8fai4yeA

 

Wow....You either love your truck that much or you work for Armortech...
Your video was very informative.

 

Great video dude! That thing is built like a tank!

 

I saw them earlier and saw that they were airbag approved. I don't really understand how that whole thing works but it sounds good. I am just not too sure about the looks of it.

 

I don't work for them. I do love their products.

I paid full price for every piece of ArmorTech armor on it. I don't have their logo plastered down the side of my vehicle. And I still recommend their products as first choice.

That's the difference between my input and folks with a company logo on their vehicle. I didn't cut any deals. ATO earned my loyalty the old-fashioned way...by building a better product.

Yeah...the two inaccuracies in it I'd like to correct for the record:

- The front plate where the hitch is is 1/8th steel. I opted for this for weight savings and because it's not structural; the tubing above and below the plate is what takes force in a frontal impact, so beef is less important there.

- The gussets under the winch cradle are, upon further inspection, full 1/4" steel as well, not 3/16" as I had previously assumed.

What these two essentially mean is that the bumper is lighter but stronger than I originally thought...LOL.

ARB makes an awesome bumper. The ONLY downside to ARB bumpers: no front shackle mounts. That said, for recovery you could probably just hitch the strap to the grill/light bars on top without a problem.

 

Hey, what are you saying about my stickers? LOL

 

That is totally respectable! This was the type of feedback that I am looking for. I want to hear why guys love their bumpers. I want my husband to love his.

 

Was not looking forward to start researching bumpers since there were so many but this thread has help me narrow it down to ATO or Relentless, Ill probably just wait to marry a lady as awesome as this so she can just get it for me for my birthday, 5 months left, gotta get to it then!

 

Good luck with that...

 

Heh...yours used to be the shop demo my friend...works a little different. Don't blame you for leaving them on there though

I just bring that point up in these situations because I think it's a valid one. I was like any other customer when I started researching my armor. After seeing a few of ATO's products I called Kevin up and asked him about some things he wasn't making at the time (front bumpers, sliders) because I wanted him to do all the armor on my rig. I know quality when I see it, and his stuff just reeks "done right".

 

In the spirit of full disclosure for the OP:

ArmorTech's lead time is not the greatest. It did take me about 7 months total from when I placed my order to getting the last of the armor installed. But for me it was more important to get it right than get it fast, and I was in no hurry.

But: It's unlikely you'd be able to order something now and have it delivered in time for Christmas. Can't hurt to ask though! ATO's vendor forum on this site has their contact information:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/armor-tech-offroad/

 

I'm not sure about your husband, but for me and I assume a number of other guys, things like bumpers are a fairly subjective and personal choice once you get past the basic criteria. For instance, bumpers like the ARB and ATO and Relentless all have good reputations and would serve most guys well, but your dude may much prefer the look of the ATO over the ARB or vice versa. He may or may not feel strongly one way or the other, but at the same time the bumper is a lot of money and if you pick one he doesn't dig and he has his heart set on something else then he's going to be reminded of it every time he looks at it.

Maybe I'm just picky ;-) But for a lot of guys, their truck is their "thing", and they have strong feelings on what they want for it. While I would be hugely thrilled if my wife got one for me, in the end I would prefer to pick it out myself. When she wants to get me something that falls into "my thing" category like car stuff or guns or something, what she'll do is make a cute card with a "free gun" coupon or something like that and then we'll go pick it out or whatever. At that point I love to involve her in the selection and research process (which she's now interested in, whereas normally she wouldn't be), so we both get to be a part of the experience. Along the same lines, I wouldn't dare pick out horse gear for her as I would always pick out the wrong thing ;-)

I learned this buying Christmas stuff for my parents. Mom was happy with whatever, but Dad is picky about "his thing" stuff I would get him which was usually fishing gear. So I learned that it works a lot better to give him a Bass Pro gift card and then we'd go there and pick out a bunch of stuff together and make a day of it. It doesn't have the surprise factor but in the end you both get enjoyment from it and everyone wins.

Again, this may or may not fit how he feels about truck stuff, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

Yeah after flying out there and meeting with him I have to agree with you, he just builds stuff to last and to be the best, I sell new toyotas and have seen a lot of aftermarket bumpers and these things are the toughest and best built I have ever seen on the trail (which after reading about his product quality is why I decided to fly out and buy his truck) I am very happy I did, the truck is awesome!

As far as the stickers, I figured why take them off, its like the truck's birthmark LOL He built that truck, not me, I'm just the lucky one that gets to use it now, and I am slowly putting my personal touches on it.

Hope that helps a little. Sorry to hijack your thread.

 

Things I like: It's unique. It looks good with the truck (ie; one style doesn't fit Ford, Chevy and Toyota and although they make a variety of different bumpers, this bumper looks like it belongs on the truck.

It was easy to install (for me). You need a couple friends to help lift it--if he's not handy, I'd suggest going to a mod day and having some help to install it. BTW, I have the one hoop, lights and the two recovery hooks and the skid plates as accessories.

I don't know if you noticed or not, but I have a winch installed too. This makes it heavy so you should consider upgrading the front suspension. I have run the truck on Sierra Trek and used the winch a few times as well.

I waited 2-3 months. However, they have recently made some improvements to their mfg process so it could be less time. If it's what you like and your husband wants, I'd say go for it--call them and see what they will do for you. Also, read through the thread mentioned above it will give you an idea of past performance. I know I'm glad I waited.

I will warn you though. In the past, there have been quite a few complaints about their scheduled deliveries--check first.

 

Your truck looks great , I don't think I've seen a pic of it before .

 

Thank you.