Which Winch Mount Bumper?

Which Winch Mount Bumper?

  • Total voters
    29
flyingwil

flyingwil

Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
Well the time has come to research more on a winch mount bumper for the Taco. The choices seem to be endless. From bolt on premanufactured to completely custom.

Well here is what I know I want...
  • Winch mount for Warn 8k
  • Recovery points (1 each side)
  • Light Mounting points

Here is the debate:
  • Stinger/Light guards (hoops like the ARB)
  • Tube/Solid

I think that the ARB style is what I am after, looks wise, but think that it might just stick out too far forward. It does appear to have a large area on the front and looks like it increases the front by a few inches?

On the other hand we have custom, and I could do a plate style such as Bent-Up's or similar and add the bull bar portion of the bumper that I like for protection from animal strikes.

Then in our additional hand we have the tube bumper, with styles that seem endless and easy to get locally. I think the weight might be just a bit less on the tubular bumpers, but not by much, so that leads me back to the plated bumper in which I prefer the styling.

Here are some choices I am playing with...

ARB:
ARB_bumper_1_SML.JPG


DeMello:
Picture%20050.jpg


AllPro:
Taco%20Supreme%20014_sm.jpg


Bent-Up:
tacoma3501.jpg


CBI:
jasons_front_bumper_installed.jpg



What is your thoughts and opinions?
 
E

erin

Explorer
Hey Wil, as you know, I favor the tube styles to minimize approach angle, but I also really like the encased look of the ARB or TJM. If I hadn't gone AllPro, I definetly was going to go with the TJM and add the brush guards from Sonoran Design in Pheonix. They had good prices, and the cost for the add'l brush guards was very reasonable, plus I really liked the way they designed it. Kind of a mean rake to the side hoops.
You will definitely have less work with the finished styles and associated costs rather then all thats required of the custon tube or plate that comes unfinished.
 
G

Grim Reaper

Expedition Leader
I'll screw you up more. Trail Gear has a couple new ones in developement as well. http://www.trail-gear.com/ And Geiger was the guy that was at Alpro and Marlin that helped expand both compaines offerings.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=518894&page=8 last post on that page has the prototype for the 84-95 trucks. You will be able to buy parts, like that laser cut winch deck, if you want a foundation to build your own.

I am going custom I think and I will start with that winch deck. I am still up in the air about a Exo cage or just rub rails. Trails around here there is a lot of V ruts to slog through.

What will be different about what I do over trail gear is a little less of a pronouced stinger...more like the All Pro. A set of Clevis points right below the winch deck. An aluminum skid plate from below the fairley and the frame to clean it up.
 
cruiseroutfit

cruiseroutfit

Well-known member
The I can fully appreciate the styling of the lighter "rockcrawling" bars... they simply don't offer the protection I want for the front end of a Tacoma use for long range trips, desert & mtn. exploration, etc.

In every one of those pictures I could take a stick and shove it through the evaporator & radiator... They are great looking bumpers, but they all lack (as any tube design potentially does) the ability to actually protect the vital components behind the bumper IMHO.

As for the "stingers" :ar15: Those things need to go back into the vault IMHO. They started in the Rockrawling world, but disappeared there after folks came to their sense. But they still show up on Jeeps, Trucks, etc. Usually on a truck without any sort of rear bumper or even slider protection ;)
 
kcowyo

kcowyo

ExPo Original
Strike many animals, do ya'?

I'm with Kurt. Big stingers, like CBI and others make, scream "see me", and a few other things the potty mouth filter on this site won't let me say. In an attempt to say something positive, I suppose they'd make a great front end point to lash down a canoe to.

After seeing the results to a TJM equipped 4Runner following a 30mph accident, when it rear ended another vehicle, I'll pass on the TJM. They look great, but it certainly didn't seem to hold up well to impact or offer much protection to the front end. Mounting and airbag issues have been well documented by T100 and TJM owners. The same may or may not be true for Tacomas.

I wouldn't count on a whole lot of impact protection from any front end replacement options. The best you can hope for is a low weight and strong base for a winch mount and recovery points. From what I've seen, Bent Up has the most logical offering.
 
articulate

articulate

Expedition Leader
kcowyo said:
Strike many animals, do ya'?
Click to expand...
When you get your bumper, we'll go play some "reindeer games." Then you'll see what all the fun is with striking animals.
:costumed-smiley-007
 
D

devinsixtyseven

Explorer
x2 on the bentup. the arb sticks out too far forward, ruining an already poor weight bias, and prevents you from climbing obstacles. even with 35s on my truck and a ride height a couple inches higher, it's still too far forward. i have a better departure angle...

i dig the skid plates on the demello and allpro. if the bentup comes with something similar, i'd definately get it...it looks like it protects the engine better from debris while maintaining a good approach angle.

-sean
 
toyrunner95

toyrunner95

Explorer
personally i would go with custom. i hard mounted my winch to a mount that i made. i bought a warn trailer plate and simply welded it to the frame which i boxed and gusseted it. this made a nice low mount where i wasnt torquing on the bumper or the frame all together. the bumper i cut the back out of so it fits around the winch which is still accessable easily. the bumper is easy to remove so i can get at the winch if it needs to come off. as for mount points, i am making bolt on loops to bolt where the origian tow hooks went. again pulling on the frame of the vehicle and not just the bumper.

im going to redo the bumper mounts, they are for now connected to the body mounts and i dont like that, i will eventually re mount them some place more secure. this style of bumper is great, its low profile and only stickes out about 2 thirds of the ARB does. plus i dont have to reach under the damn thing in the mud to turn the clutch knob. my bumper was made by a guy named mike chick. if u want one i can try and get you one. its 1/4" steel and its is probably the cleanest thing i have ever seen, you cant even see a weld. i believe that its made out of one piece.
 
Last edited:
seth_js

seth_js

Explorer
I'm not a fan of armor style bumpers. I think they are big, heavy, ugly, and generally have crappy approach angles. I agree with what cruiseroutfit said about the lack of protection with tube bumpers, but I can't think of a time when I was ever in danger of a branch going into my radiator. I vote CBI minus the stinger.
 
flyingwil

flyingwil

Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
kcowyo said:
Strike many animals, do ya'?
Click to expand...

Actually yes... I have hit 2 deer, 2 javelina's, tons of rabbits, and tons of birds...

kcowyo said:
Big stingers, like CBI and others make, scream "see me", and a few other things the potty mouth filter on this site won't let me say.
Click to expand...

I agree, I do not like the stingers either and prefer the styling of the ARB like the DeMello one is perfect in my mind.

x2 on the bentup. the arb sticks out too far forward, ruining an already poor weight bias, and prevents you from climbing obstacles. even with 35s on my truck and a ride height a couple inches higher, it's still too far forward. i have a better departure angle...

devinsixtyseven said:
i dig the skid plates on the demello and allpro. ...it looks like it protects the engine better from debris while maintaining a good approach angle.
Click to expand...

:iagree: Thus another reason a local fab shop might be able to exactly what I want. Just need to explore the pro and cons of every option first.
 
Dave Bennett

Dave Bennett

Adventurist
Arb

Bumpers are for protection.
I prefer the ARB for a variety of reasons, the most important being airbag compatibility. ARB is the ONLY manufacturer to certify this important capability. Weight you say? None of these bumpers are light vs. the stock tupperware. And, as for the ARB having "bad approach angle", I've NEVER been limited by my ARB. My Tacoma will never need to climb straight up a wall like a tube frame rock buggy, the bumper is there to protect us and to mount a winch and lights, thats it.

The only other option I would consider would be the Bentup or Shrockworks.
 
toyrunner95

toyrunner95

Explorer
ive never had a problem with approach angle on my setup, my bumper tho is much heavier than an arb. arb's usally run 3/16" sheet, mine runs 1/4. and i have hit an elk and a buffalo with mine. i plan on adding headlight guards to mine so it will have protection.

now why do u want a solid mount winch? i actually have 2 winches, one hard mounded to the front, and another thats on a multi mount so if i lay my rig on its side i have recievers on the sides and the back. its a great set up. plus if im on an off camber and i dont like it, i just strap up the winch and moniter the remote to make sure i dont go over.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
188,312
Messages
2,905,312
Members
229,959
Latest member
bdpkauai

Members online

Total: 5,935 (members: 34, guests: 5,901)
Top