2014 GX and newer rear bumper (1 Viewer)

[Gazziza]

I heard from Luke of 4x4Labs today, he confirmed that he will begin working on 460 products next month. Fingers crossed it's as good as some of his other designs.

That's great news. That's the missing thing for the GX460 platform, the lack of appropriate armor especially for the US spec versions. Prado bumpers aren't always a straight conversion over to the GX as we've seen. Available options out there have been questionable at best. I like the Coastal Off-Road kit the best especially since it's very customizable but you have to find a good welder/fabcricator. I'd honestly like to see Slee and Dissent bumpers for 4Runners and GX460's but doubt that will ever happen.

I've had the 4x4 Labs bumper on my 5th gen for a little more than half a year now and here are my observations.

Pros

• Best departure angle and clearance of any bumper. If you know 4x4 Labs bumpers they require you to chop the rear crossmember off which will likely push some people away
• Stout. Nothing about it is cheaply made or thin. If you touch, inspect and crawl underneath one you can just see how strongly they are made and that they're built to take abuse
• Customizable. You can basically ask Luke to add anything and he will do it. I had a 2" hitch receiver added to my tire side swing so that I can carry a bike rack and just swing it away. Also added cut-outs for Baja Designs S2 for reverse lights. The accessory attachments bolt right up to the swing arms. I plan on switching the ladder attachment for a 3 can gas carrier, propane attachment and a drop down table. You can also elect to have the tire carrier on the passenger side as well but you have to tell them when you order due. Basically if it can bent or welded on Luke will do it for you and if you have any other special requests just let them know when you order.
• Reverse camera is actually somewhat usable. I can still kind of see behind my tire and ladder attachment, enough to at least stop from hitting things.
• Strong gas struts to keep the swing arms open (although this is also a con, see below)

Cons

• Requires chopping off the rear crossmember. Once you get this bumper you are making a commitment. I think you can still buy a rear crossmember and weld it back on after but I don't see that ever happening
• The latch can be a bit tough to operate. They use a 7,000lb latch that requires quite a bit of force to open and to close. My girlfriend simply can't open it because of the strength require to open and close the latch. If you loosen the latch adjustment too much then you will get rattles and tire wobble. If it's too tight then it will require Herculean strength to open and close it. The U-bolt stretches over time so you will have to adjust it once in a while. I wonder if they had used a different latch like a 4,000lb one that it would be easier to operate.
  • I've seen some people make their own swing arms with de-sta-co latches that seem easier to operate one handed. So it's probably an option if you ask
• Metal on metal contact. The bump stop for the swing arms is metal. Over time the paint will erode and wear away so you will have to touch it up every once in a while. I put a piece of gorilla tape on mine just so it wouldn't wear away so quickly. Sort of wished they used some sort of HDPE as a bump stop.
• Gas struts on the unit are rated at 150lbs. They're ridiculously strong. The swing arms will go flying out if you don't carry them out and it requires a little leverage to close them too. As well the only thing that stops the swing arms for flying out even further are metal cam stops on the swing arm spindle and a metal bump on the bumper itself. So if it does fly out it'll hit metal on metal damaging your paint. I see pro's and con's to using gas struts as the assist since those T-pull pins seem to be problematic as well
• Some tire wobble. I mostly get a small wobble at lower speeds over pot holes that I can notice through the rear view mirror. It's not a death wobble but something I notice. This has a lot to do with how tight you make the latch as well so it's just something you have to play around with. The tire carrier has gussets welded on to it but I think you'd either eliminate or make it much less if there was another gusset added in more of a right angle fashion which is something I'm looking into

I mostly expanded on the cons since the pros are quite evident, there's a reason why all the beefy 80 series cruisers run 4x4 Labs bumpers. If I were to do it again I'd probably get the 4x4 Labs bumper with dual spindle attachments but customize my swing arms a bit. I didn't really like the rest of the bumpers available for the 5th gen 4Runners mostly since they were essentially all the same and attached to the rear crossmember. At best you can a couple inches of clearance and a few degrees of departure angle. 4x4 Labs basically checks all the boxes of what a bumper should be - strong and offer high clearance and improved departure angle.

So I definitely recommend the 4x4 Labs bumper from a wheeling and off-road perspective. However if it's a DD or if you have a significant other who isn't as strong and has to use the vehicle then I'd highly recommend either looking at other options or modifying the latch. It's certainly not a one hand use type of bumper.

 

[TX GX460]

I have read on the Kaymer site about options for the bumper such as the wing supports. Are these supports not standard for the 3200 asking price? I am one that will use the bumper to its fullest potential.

If these are the wing supports you are referring to, then yes they are included.

 

[Washingtontaco]

If these are the wing supports you are referring to, then yes they are included.
View attachment 2299334

Yes exactly.

 

[Gazziza]

Something doesn't seem right here...

 

[Tex68w]

Yikes! I’ve never been a fan of that bumper. Hopefully it’s an easy fix with a bracket or hardware or at worst something needs to be welded.

 

[TX GX460]

Yes, looking at the comments in GXOR where this was originally posted, at least one spacer holding the bumper to the frame fell out, and he didn't have the support wings installed (not available for early bumpers but added later). So although MT does not make my favorite GX bumpers, this particular video is not an indication of common issues and instead reflects missing components.

I do give props to MT for being one of the first fabricators to offer bumper options for the GX models here in the U.S. And when design issues like the wing flex were discovered, they quickly responded to create a fix and get it out to their prior customers. Aesthetics and functionality can be subjective, but customer service can be universally appreciated.

 

[Gx460sd]

That 4x4labs bumper on the 4r looks great. I like that they replaced the entire bumper plastic. But I noticed the outside welds aren't grinded down smooth? Is there a reason for that?

 

[Gazziza]

That 4x4labs bumper on the 4r looks great. I like that they replaced the entire bumper plastic. But I noticed the outside welds aren't grinded down smooth? Is there a reason for that?

I think all 4x4 Labs bumper are full replacement, no cutting of the plastic bumper cover required just the frame crossmember

As far as the welds go, I'm not sure. I just think that's their MO. I don't mind really since the welds look beautiful!!!