I'm looking to add some steel bumpers to my 200 for the protection, but I'm not ready to add all the bells and whistles. Basically, I fudged up my tupperware so now I want steel, but I'm not ready to go whole hog. Can lights, winches, tire carriers, and jerry can carriers be added to bumpers easily after the fact or do you really need to do that stuff during bumper installation?
Can bumpers be done in phases?
- Thread starter Swampmonger
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
On a front bumper, if you install a bumper later you will need to remove the bumper to install the winch. So that is adding cost.
On rear bumpers, you either get one with swing-outs (for tire carriers and jerry can carriers) or you get one without swingouts. If you get one without swingouts, you can't easily add swing-outs later.
On rear bumpers, you either get one with swing-outs (for tire carriers and jerry can carriers) or you get one without swingouts. If you get one without swingouts, you can't easily add swing-outs later.
- Thread starter
- #3
Great. Thanks. Makes sense. I assume all the little things (lights, antennas, etc) can still be added after the fact without having to undo the front bumper?
Yes - easily added later.
RET2
SILVER Star
Actually in most swing out versions you can add later by just not installing the swing out portion and covering the post that it hangs on. This assumes that the swing out is bought with the bumper.
OP, if you haven't had a rear bumper w/ swingouts before, I suggest you think about it real, real hard. Consider whether you actually need to have that extra gear on the swingouts, and think about getting a rear bumper without swingouts altogether.
I had a dual-swingout bumper built for my Tacoma, and I can tell you that having to deal with swingouts on a day to day basis in your daily driver is a hell of a pain in the ass. So much, in fact, that I ended up going back to a stock bumper after ~7 months and taking a serious $$ loss on re-sale of my aftermarket bumper.
If I had a dedicated "overlanding" vehicle/toy, then absolutely, dual swingouts all the way. But on a daily driver, light weight and practicality are much more important.
I had a dual-swingout bumper built for my Tacoma, and I can tell you that having to deal with swingouts on a day to day basis in your daily driver is a hell of a pain in the ass. So much, in fact, that I ended up going back to a stock bumper after ~7 months and taking a serious $$ loss on re-sale of my aftermarket bumper.
If I had a dedicated "overlanding" vehicle/toy, then absolutely, dual swingouts all the way. But on a daily driver, light weight and practicality are much more important.
RET2
SILVER Star
^^^^ This. Or removable swing outs.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks, ESW. That's the reason I'm trying to do phases. I need to think about the swingouts. I live in Seattle proper and have to park on the street. There are some occasions where I barely have room to open my tailgate let alone one or two huge swingouts.
You can buy the ARB rear bar for swingouts, but just buy the filler panels. You can replace the filler panels with swingouts later.
Mike at Bump It Off Road and Ben at Dissent will both build you rear bumpers without swing outs that you can easily add to later.
Both are super nice guys and make excellent products.
Both are super nice guys and make excellent products.
If I didn't need to carry my spare on the swingout there is no-way I would have them.
I have an aux tank so I needed the swing out. Likely to go to 35's later so that too.
It is so much easier to get in and out of the back without the swing outs.
And if you do the rear in stages the blank fillers are optional.
Their 3 purposes are to hold the parking sensor, shield the rear lights, and look more finished.
I have an aux tank so I needed the swing out. Likely to go to 35's later so that too.
It is so much easier to get in and out of the back without the swing outs.
And if you do the rear in stages the blank fillers are optional.
Their 3 purposes are to hold the parking sensor, shield the rear lights, and look more finished.
Last edited: