1st Gen 4Runner Rear Bumper with Tire Carrier Options

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Charles4x4

Charles4x4

10 Year
Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Threads
64
Messages
753
Location
Birmingham, AL
I just picked up a nice '87 4Runner last weekend. It has a TG rear bumper that seems very well made, but no tire carrier. If I sell the TG, what options exist for a nice rear bumper with a tire carrier for a 37" spare?

Pic of my current setup below:
IMG_1347.webp
IMG_1304.webp


Would love something with a similar tire carrier pivot setup to my Slee (just the pivot point and locking mechanism), but much lower profile and lighter of course for crawling instead of expedition.
IMG_0079.webp


Not sure what type of setup this one is...
IMG_1237.webp

(Wish I had a better rear pic of the PowerTan 4runner)
 
4x4 Labs, I have it and it is awesome. There is a 4x4 Labs Bumper thread that has the details and pics.

I have dual swingouts, but Luke can make you whatever you want swing out or accessory wise if you are running a 37"
 
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PhrogsPhorever said:
4x4 Labs, I have it and it is awesome. There is a 4x4 Labs Bumper thread that has the details and pics.
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Thanks - found it. This one is probably yours. $1,620 is steep for bumper with single tire carrier, but still less than my Slee one for my 80.
IMG_1410.webp
 
It is what it is, unless you have somebody that can build it locally for you, can save you some cheddar.

The price is high, but it is still essentially a one-off custom bumper. You get what you pay for, and I can attest to the quality, it is a rock solid bumper that is well worth the money
 
PhrogsPhorever said:
It is what it is, unless you have somebody that can build it locally for you, can save you some cheddar.

The price is high, but it is still essentially a one-off custom bumper. You get what you pay for, and I can attest to the quality, it is a rock solid bumper that is well worth the money
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Good to know. Any idea what is on the red PowerTank 4Runner above? The only pic I can find is blurry. Looks like TG, but has a tire carrier either mounted to the bumper or body.

Wish I could find a better pic...
 
That's Steve Sasaki's rig. It's super nice. Believe it or not the best pic I could find was on the rccrawler website...
6141104742_9e8ce937ea_z.jpg
 
I did a quick search on the interwebz and the ones I have seen have been home-brew custom fabs with the exception of a guy who retrofitted a 2nd Gen 4Runner bolt on carrier to work with the 1st Gen, and that one still took a little fab work.

Maybe drop ACC a line up in Hotlanta and see if they can fab you a bolt on tire carrier. It would still be a custom one-off but it would likely be a little less than the whole bumper. Custom fab work is 'spensive unfortunately:grinpimp:

Only problem I would see with a bolt on carrier is the sheet metal on the 1st Gen 4runners isn't all that sturdy. Bouncing around from a 37 while wheeling might not be best for a bolt on carrier unless you did some type of reinforcements behind the panels.:meh:
 
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msahr said:
That's Steve Sasaki's rig. It's super nice. Believe it or not the best pic I could find was on the rccrawler website...
6141104742_9e8ce937ea_z.jpg
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So it is mounted to the body the. Seems like that would be weak for 37s and moderate rock crawling (Moab/Rubicon)...
 
PhrogsPhorever said:
Only problem I would see with a bolt on carrier is the sheet metal on the 1st Gen 4runners isn't all that sturdy. Bouncing around from a 37 while wheeling might not be best for a bolt on carrier unless you did some type of reinforcements behind the panels.:meh:
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Agreed. Sounds scary.
 
PhrogsPhorever said:
If its done right, no problems;)
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Where does it mount to the body? Do they add support inside the body panel somewhere? Is there a thread describing how to do it right? I think I saw the owner of the 4Runner below use one from an Xterra but I think he added additional bracing.

Anything mounted to the body instead of the frame still worries me for Rubicon/Moab style adventures...
 
Sheet metal does not deal well with concentrated loads like those three attaching points. Load spreading structure needs to be designed and fabricated for each point.
 
4x4 labs is your only option. Custom will be more expensive, but the sky is the limit.

I also have the TG. It looks like you don't have any side supports. One hard landing on it and it'll be in your tailgate. Run a weld along the rear edge of the frame rail to the mount (can be ground off if you need to remove the bumper) and add some side supports. I believe TG even sells some.
 
txlonghorn said:
4x4 labs is your only option. Custom will be more expensive, but the sky is the limit.

I also have the TG. It looks like you don't have any side supports. One hard landing on it and it'll be in your tailgate. Run a weld along the rear edge of the frame rail to the mount (can be ground off if you need to remove the bumper) and add some side supports. I believe TG even sells some.
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Thanks - I didn't even know side supports existed. Found them:
Rear Bumper Support Kit (1984-1989 4runner) - Trail Gear

Thanks for the tip. I'll either shore up the TG and somehow fabricate a tire carrier or go for 4x4Labs.
 
Charles4x4 said:
Thanks - I didn't even know side supports existed. Found them:
Rear Bumper Support Kit (1984-1989 4runner) - Trail Gear

Thanks for the tip. I'll either shore up the TG and somehow fabricate a tire carrier or go for 4x4Labs.
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There are a couple of guys who have added tire carriers to this style bumper. I believe they were Marlin Crawler bumpers (when they still produced them) but they were very similar in style. In all reality, you would need to do some serious strengthening if you plan to mount a swing out with a larger tire. I run 37s and if I ever decide to run a swing out I will definitely be starting fresh with a stronger base to work from. As I'm writing this, I actually remember seeing 4xinnovations offering a swing out with their tube rear. It's definitely a stronger bumper, but I didn't like the reduction in departure angle associated with running double the amount of tubing. Check them out.
 
onemanarmy said:
Charles4x4 wasn't. he made the comment, based on the grey RC car, "oh, so it's mounted to the body then"
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Thant's me... and I was referring to this portion of the quote (the owner of the red rig)

"That's Steve Sasaki's rig. It's super nice."
 
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