CBI DIY Front Bumper

[ico135]

Ordered a DIY Moab 1.0 Front Bumper from CBI a couple days ago for a gen 1 Tacoma (2002) and just got notification it had shipped. I had expected a lil more time for prep and research but those guys are on the ball.

I have zero welding skills but have acquired the help of a very good welder. I have a few questions i am curious about. His house is about a 3 hour drive and once i'm out there i will have zero internet and i will be about 1 hour away from any decent supplies so i want to make sure i have everything i need.

Any experience with kit, issues ran into, additional fabrication to fit it, etc.?
Does it come with any type of guide?
Will i need any additional equipment to build and install?
Is this a 12 beer or a 18 beer job?
Is there any issues with wench install on this bumper that would prevent me from just doing later, or would it be easier to do it at the time of bumper install?

Thanks in advance. I am sure he has everything needed but wanted to check in advance to prevent 2 hour trip to store.

 

[SDDiver5]

Might want to ask the CBI guys. Good luck. take pics during the install!

 

[climber-420]

19 beer job. we all know how missing parts go, so it's good to have a few extras lying around :friday:

 

[2025 deleted member]

After the third beer job quality actually picks up a bit. But after the sixth or seventh quality starts to drop off significantly.

 

[Loubaru]

After the third beer job quality actually picks up a bit. But after the sixth or seventh quality starts to drop off significantly.

Hahaha, agreed! Speed usually picks up for me after a couple as it seems to keep the "this can be done better" second guessing at bay in my head.

 

[ADV-R]

I know how many angles and corners my CBI bumpers have and that's not something I would tackle myself. But its always more satisfying to do it yourself specially a project like that....Good luck.

 

[SigNewt]

Talk to the dudes at CBI (maybe have them talk to your welder). ;-)

 

[ico135]

I emailed CBI with questions so i will repost there response for future reference for others.

Scott C. sounds like my pool shooting, 1-3 not great, 4-8 i'm a rock star, 9 and beyond goes down hill quick.

And will post write up of build once get it knocked out. It may not be great because i am determined to make my welder suffer through agony of watching me butcher some welds.

 

[jeverich]

I emailed CBI with questions so i will repost there response for future reference for others.

Scott C. sounds like my pool shooting, 1-3 not great, 4-8 i'm a rock star, 9 and beyond goes down hill quick.

And will post write up of build once get it knocked out. It may not be great because i am determined to make my welder suffer through agony of watching me butcher some welds.

Make sure you've got a lot of flap disks/sanding pads & grinding wheels...

An expensive bumper might not be the best thing to practice on:sombrero:

 

[ico135]

Got reply back from CSI day after i emailed them. Again these guys are on the ball. Pasted below for future reference to others.


Any additional fabrication to fit it that people have seen in past (2002 Tacoma)
No additional fabrication unless you are a 1996 to 1998 Tacoma. The frame is different on the ends but it is minimal extra fabrication. Other than that it is basically just building and finishing the bumper.

Does it come with any type of guide(angles, install, recommended order, etc.etc.?
Yes and no. We honestly never designed this product to be a DIY kit. We got several requests and then we decided to at least offer the parts for sale that way. We can send pictures of the bumper and how it goes together. Basically the parts will only fit one way once you see the pictures so most people can take it from there.


Will i need any unexpected equipment to build and install?
Nothing more than standard welding equipment and sanders, grinders, etc.

Is this a 12 beer or a 18 beer job?
This is the question we get the most that is the hardest to answer. It all depends on your skill level and familiarity with fabrication. Some people fly through the DIY kit and others it turns out to be way more than they can handle. This is why we don't offer many DIY bumper kits. Some people love it because it is fun for them and they can build their own bumper. Others end up hating the project (and us some times) because they are in over their heads and don't understand fabrication.


Is there any issues with wench install on this bumper that would prevent me from just doing later, or would it be easier to do it at the time of bumper install?
You can install the winch either before or after you build the bumper. Depending on your winch however you may need the winch for fabrication if it is oversized or something like that. That way you can make small changes to the bumper to allow you winch to fit properly.

 

[Adventurous]

BTW, not sure if you have seen it, or if it would even help, but I found the following video to be a good insight into how they build one of their front bumpers. This one is for the Moab 2.0, but I'm sure the steps for the 1.0 are fairly similar.

 

[toyotech]

production bumpers that that are put together with a jig. In you case, depending on how the parts are separated, you want to mount the center part of the bumper to your truck and build from there. tack everything together and make sure it all looks good. this way the bumper is built exactly for your truck. remove bumper and finish welding it up. at least that is what i would do since your truck will have to be the jig