The early Toyota Pickup Truck world doesn't need another tube bumper - there are plenty (!) of options out there. But, it seems the choices in the plate bumpers are pretty limited. I have some friends who are considering making one - one to sell... they're a Toyota Land Cruiser and Truck shop. They have a full-time fabricator and all the cool tools to do this - right down to powder coating. But... the market may be too small. We'll see.
We ARE making at least one - mine So, now I need to give them an idea what that should look like. They have enough other bumpers - ARB, Warn, Dissent, IronMan - on other Toyotas floating around the shop - they can reverse-engineer the backside, e.g. mounting, winch support, etc.
Thoughts:
- Should look like it was designed FOR these trucks... not adapted TO these trucks from some other truck. That means the scale has to be right, e.g no giant snowplow looking profile, a grille guard that matches the lines of the grille and lights
- Cutouts to accept the OEM bumper lights - the small rectangle lights
- Winch mount - open to exposed, partially exposed, hidden with just the fair lead visible
- Typical options, e.g. tow points, grille guard - full, center, none
Warn's is okay - just seems too heavy/big for these trucks. That center vertical plate is big
I like the scale on this one - overall weight/size, etc. Not sure I'm digging the angles, points, etc. but I like that it clearly "fits" the truck
Northwest Trail Innovations' kit is okay. Pretty basic. Whoever designed/bent that grille guard must not have had a picture of a Toyota Truck handy...
This one is the best I've found. The scale, lines... right down to the cutouts for the OE lights. (and I thought that was my idea!)
Any suggestions, ideas, warnings... would be hugely helpful. This is my first Toyota Pickup build. I've done an FJ Cruiser and 100 Series Land Cruiser (and a ton of Jeeps), but this is new territory for me. What works on the bigger trucks may not work here.
Thanks!
We ARE making at least one - mine So, now I need to give them an idea what that should look like. They have enough other bumpers - ARB, Warn, Dissent, IronMan - on other Toyotas floating around the shop - they can reverse-engineer the backside, e.g. mounting, winch support, etc.
Thoughts:
- Should look like it was designed FOR these trucks... not adapted TO these trucks from some other truck. That means the scale has to be right, e.g no giant snowplow looking profile, a grille guard that matches the lines of the grille and lights
- Cutouts to accept the OEM bumper lights - the small rectangle lights
- Winch mount - open to exposed, partially exposed, hidden with just the fair lead visible
- Typical options, e.g. tow points, grille guard - full, center, none
Warn's is okay - just seems too heavy/big for these trucks. That center vertical plate is big
I like the scale on this one - overall weight/size, etc. Not sure I'm digging the angles, points, etc. but I like that it clearly "fits" the truck
Northwest Trail Innovations' kit is okay. Pretty basic. Whoever designed/bent that grille guard must not have had a picture of a Toyota Truck handy...
This one is the best I've found. The scale, lines... right down to the cutouts for the OE lights. (and I thought that was my idea!)
Any suggestions, ideas, warnings... would be hugely helpful. This is my first Toyota Pickup build. I've done an FJ Cruiser and 100 Series Land Cruiser (and a ton of Jeeps), but this is new territory for me. What works on the bigger trucks may not work here.
Thanks!
Last edited: