Howdy everyone! Recently made the switch from the ARB front bumper to Rival 4x4 Aluminum front bumper,.. and man I’m impressed. My thoughts below.
Shipping and Cost:
As we all know, aftermarket parts for these rigs are not cheap. This bumper lists at $1999 + shipping. I was able to save on shipping since I live near the North American distribution center in Conroe, TX. They have some in stock so shipping should be fairly quick. Value is subjective, however I believe at the price point it is an extraordinarily nice piece. Fit and finish is great. The hex head bolts on the outside of the bumper are a very nice touch, welds are excellent and everything fit up as it was supposed to.
Install:
With removing the ARB, mounting up the winch, some chicken wings, a few bourbons, and getting the Rival mounted it took about 5hrs. I did have a couple guys helping me. Starting from a stock bumper I could see this taking around 3hrs. Anyone who has installed an ARB bumper knows how big of a pain in the ass it is. This is completely opposite, super easy. No cutting, just mount the winch bracket and put on the fascia. I spent probably half of the time removing the ARB front bumper… Once that was off it was smooth sailing. The winch bracket mounts to the factory frame rails with no fuss. Had to make sure it was centered since there’s some space to slide it back and forth. My Warn VR 12 fit in place without having to relocate the controller or clock the clutch (unlike the ARB). I reused my Baja squadrons in the foglight pockets with the supplied brackets, which was a nice touch because with the ARB I had to order aftermarket pockets from sled to get them to fit properly. Swapping over the parking sensors was a breeze, just punch out the precut holes with a screw driver. I opted to not swap over the headlamp washers because I didn’t really see a need for them. Nice touch from Toyota but I’m not sure if I ever used them. If you wanted to add them, there’s also designated punch-outs for them. For my Baja LP6s I had to drill two holes on the top. Super easy since it’s aluminum. Lastly, the rubber between the bumper and headlights/body. This takes a little TLC to get right. It took a bit for me to get it seated properly all the way around and a few times in the following days to adjust it properly. But after some time in the sun and a few adjustments, it looks great.
Final thoughts: TLDR; If you’re on the fence about this bumper… do it! Great value, great fit and finish and no cutting. Cheaper than other aluminum options on the market. Coming from the ARB, I’m glad I switched. ~100lbs less over the front end and you can feel it. Steering is lighter, easier to park and better handling. Not to mention a sleeker look. I also bought their Aluminum skids and those were beyond easy to install. Will add pics at a later time.
Happy to answer any questions.
Cheers!
Shipping and Cost:
As we all know, aftermarket parts for these rigs are not cheap. This bumper lists at $1999 + shipping. I was able to save on shipping since I live near the North American distribution center in Conroe, TX. They have some in stock so shipping should be fairly quick. Value is subjective, however I believe at the price point it is an extraordinarily nice piece. Fit and finish is great. The hex head bolts on the outside of the bumper are a very nice touch, welds are excellent and everything fit up as it was supposed to.
Install:
With removing the ARB, mounting up the winch, some chicken wings, a few bourbons, and getting the Rival mounted it took about 5hrs. I did have a couple guys helping me. Starting from a stock bumper I could see this taking around 3hrs. Anyone who has installed an ARB bumper knows how big of a pain in the ass it is. This is completely opposite, super easy. No cutting, just mount the winch bracket and put on the fascia. I spent probably half of the time removing the ARB front bumper… Once that was off it was smooth sailing. The winch bracket mounts to the factory frame rails with no fuss. Had to make sure it was centered since there’s some space to slide it back and forth. My Warn VR 12 fit in place without having to relocate the controller or clock the clutch (unlike the ARB). I reused my Baja squadrons in the foglight pockets with the supplied brackets, which was a nice touch because with the ARB I had to order aftermarket pockets from sled to get them to fit properly. Swapping over the parking sensors was a breeze, just punch out the precut holes with a screw driver. I opted to not swap over the headlamp washers because I didn’t really see a need for them. Nice touch from Toyota but I’m not sure if I ever used them. If you wanted to add them, there’s also designated punch-outs for them. For my Baja LP6s I had to drill two holes on the top. Super easy since it’s aluminum. Lastly, the rubber between the bumper and headlights/body. This takes a little TLC to get right. It took a bit for me to get it seated properly all the way around and a few times in the following days to adjust it properly. But after some time in the sun and a few adjustments, it looks great.
Final thoughts: TLDR; If you’re on the fence about this bumper… do it! Great value, great fit and finish and no cutting. Cheaper than other aluminum options on the market. Coming from the ARB, I’m glad I switched. ~100lbs less over the front end and you can feel it. Steering is lighter, easier to park and better handling. Not to mention a sleeker look. I also bought their Aluminum skids and those were beyond easy to install. Will add pics at a later time.
Happy to answer any questions.
Cheers!
