SoFlo Rear Bumper Review

[TheAmerican]

Im usually a sucker for a slightly cheaper knockoff thingamajig but holy balls that looks bad. Im sorry dude but that is inexcusable to sell that for $1075. Id be super pissed and dang for sure wouldn't trust the welds to keep my 35" tire from flying through some minivan full of kids at 70 mph. If they cant even line up or drill holes right i doubt their welding is any better. Id be so paranoid. I know you dropped the cash for it so you WANT it to be worth it but id put soflo on blast. It should at least FIT for 1100 dollars

 

[sleepycruiser]

Great review! No need for disappointment! You have a bit more protection and the spare where it should be. You could have spent 3X as much and netted a bumper 300% better, but in the end it doesn't look all that bad (I think the ARB rear and TG rear look worse) and your needs are met.

Agreed. I like the look of it. For what I need a bumper for it would work just fine. For the price if there was an issue it could be fixed and still be WAY under the competition.

 

[mct75]

If they could fix the few boneheaded things (like the geometry being a tad off) I don't see a problem with it. If it looks good from 10 feet away and doesn't fall off I don't care.

 

[rc51kid]

Not trying to be a jerk but I just could not deal with how wonky everything fits on that. 1100 is cheaper but not cheap. I went 4x4labs and the thing fits like a glove, beautiful welds and hella stout.

 

[Funner]

Should we assume they just forgot to ship the washer and bolts for the spindles? I think that's likely. I would like to see the back side of the bumper, particularly how the spindles are connected, welded, braced to the back side of the bumper. With thinner metal I would hope to see some extra metal back there to secure the spindle and prevent metal fatigue over time. This bumper doesn't terrify me, but it has issues that shouldn't cost money to address in manufacturing.
Thanks for the nice write up.

 

[SkyMall]

That's pretty cool! I've been looking for a cheaper rear bumper as well, can't stomach the prices of some of the fancier stuff.

As I think is clear, this bumper isn't for everyone. It's definitely a "budget" alternative. I kinda think of it ad Harbor Freight vs Craftsman vs Snap On.

Good on you for the honest review. I definitely understand being on a budget, but there are some things that are lacking about the bumper. For $1075, I would definitely save my pennies for a different bumper.

Thanks for the review props. It was $1100 total and for what the competition costs, it was basically this or nothing.

Thanks for the pics & honest write up on this! I'm in the same boat (financially) as you, so this is/was a very enticing option for a rear bumper. Getting the spare out from under is a big issue for me, since injuries/disability make it difficult for me to get down there if I need it. The jerry can is holder is nice to have, and the ladder would be helpful for opening/closing the RTT. But the details, or lack of re: spindle hardware, you've pointed out, do have me taking a step down from the fence on this one.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on your long term assessment/use, and see where it goes.

If I'd read this review before buying, I would have called the seller and asked about all those things. If I'd received a satisfactory answer, I would still have bought this bumper.

Fantastic! This is a great review and much appreciated. Thank you for the complete and honest post.

You bet!

Good honest review. Excellent job.

The ladder could be easily bent to match the contour of the rear of the vehicle.

The wings not matching the lower fender area is insurmountable though.

All in all..........just too many little things wrong/sloppy (for me) to consider one.

I can't argue that. It's really right on the edge in terms of cost/benefit...

Those are sketchy looking... They look like the penetration may be poor in some areas.

Agreed. I took welding in high school and while it's been nearly 20 years, I can usually pick out a bad weld. I'm taking it to a friend to do some touch-up work.

Same here. I appreciate the leap, but after the actual owner review I don't think I could jump on board. I have been watching these for several months and was hoping for the best, but I will just wait for @NLXTACY to release his thing and see what happens with that. By then, my 80 might be 80, though.

Haha! Like I said, this was a cost-based decision. It'll need some polishing, but I think enough lipstick will make this pig kissable...

Looks like"your guy" hasn't done the best with installing it either? Some of your pics put the installation on par with the bumper quality.

How does it attach to the chassis? Photo is not real clear.

Looks to me like it's been installed with the side wings pointing up at the front when perhaps the bumper could have been installed with these oriented lower with a little more attention to detail. Having the side wing lower would also improve clearance to the body.
You say "your guy" cut the end off the side wings? Looks like he didn't do you any favours there either. Installing with the wings hard against the body is just slack IMO

Given the situation, I'm not too bothered. He's a mechanic, not a fabricator. He cut off the ends with a grinder because that's what we needed to do to make it fit. It was discussed and the decision was mutual. I wasn't happy about it, but it kinda is what it is... The orientation of the side wings is kinda the biggest issue at the moment, and the short of it is that they're misaligned. There's really no way to fix it, other than remove more material, which I'm going to eventually do.

Those cuts and that what appears to be a cross-threaded and loose bolt

Yeah, not idea... :/

Yeah sure, I see that too.
But that's a problem with one part of the bumper. The rest of it could still be set-up better.
I can't fathom sending it out of the shop contacting the body and with gouges in the paint.

I try to keep this in perspective. It's a man toy. I take care of my stuff but this truck has a dented front fender and a bunch of deep paint scratches. I really don't care about a couple nicks in the paint. When I take the bumper off to remove a little more material, I'm going to primer and paint the chips and never think about them again.

I know NOTHING about the background of this company but the fit/finish, powder coating, lack of hardware, welds, etc reeks of Made in China.

I get the sentiment, but there's plenty of junk made here and plenty of excellent craftsmanship in China. What it reeks of is sloppiness and inattention to detail.

no argument here

Great review! No need for disappointment! You have a bit more protection and the spare where it should be. You could have spent 3X as much and netted a bumper 300% better, but in the end it doesn't look all that bad (I think the ARB rear and TG rear look worse) and your needs are met.

That's pretty much how I feel, other than annoyed that I need to further clearance the sides.

Im usually a sucker for a slightly cheaper knockoff thingamajig but holy balls that looks bad. Im sorry dude but that is inexcusable to sell that for $1075. Id be super pissed and dang for sure wouldn't trust the welds to keep my 35" tire from flying through some minivan full of kids at 70 mph. If they cant even line up or drill holes right i doubt their welding is any better. Id be so paranoid. I know you dropped the cash for it so you WANT it to be worth it but id put soflo on blast. It should at least FIT for 1100 dollars

I've had that feeling as well, but I'm trying to stay positive. I'm having a friend fix some of the welds. In the end, it serves my needs.

Agreed. I like the look of it. For what I need a bumper for it would work just fine. For the price if there was an issue it could be fixed and still be WAY under the competition.

Agreed.

If they could fix the few boneheaded things (like the geometry being a tad off) I don't see a problem with it. If it looks good from 10 feet away and doesn't fall off I don't care.

Also agreed.

Not trying to be a jerk but I just could not deal with how wonky everything fits on that. 1100 is cheaper but not cheap. I went 4x4labs and the thing fits like a glove, beautiful welds and hella stout.

To put that in perspective, the 4x4 Labs with the same features is literally twice the cost AND I'd have to cut my crossmember, which I didn't want to do. I won't argue that it's a better bumper, but at this time, on this build, the 4x4 Labs bumper is out of reach.

Should we assume they just forgot to ship the washer and bolts for the spindles? I think that's likely. I would like to see the back side of the bumper, particularly how the spindles are connected, welded, braced to the back side of the bumper. With thinner metal I would hope to see some extra metal back there to secure the spindle and prevent metal fatigue over time. This bumper doesn't terrify me, but it has issues that shouldn't cost money to address in manufacturing.
Thanks for the nice write up.

Yes. If you assumed that they forgot to include the washer and nut for the spindles you would be correct. I communicated with the seller a bit today and I'll share that in my next post.

 

[SkyMall]

Today the seller texted to ask if I'd had a chance to attach the bumper yet. I said that I had and he requested some pictures. I assumed that he wanted to use them on his Facebook page and I responded that I would include some pictures but that he likely wouldn't want to use them. I linked him to this review and then sent several of the pictures directly. I don't really have time to transcribe the entire conversation, but the gist of it was that this is the first install that hasn't gone well. He sent a few pictures of other installs that appeared to be just fine, which would be consistent with the pictures I received before purchasing.

He mentioned that there is supposed to be a bolt and washer under the cap to hold the swing-outs on. Apparently it was missing on mine.

He thanked me for not bashing the product and for being honest about it, and apologized over and over for the bad experience. I get the impression that he's being sincere, but I didn't have time to deal with it this afternoon so I'm going to give him a call tomorrow and have a chat. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[rc51kid]

I do.understand buying what is within your price rang and needs. I am dealing with that right now looking for shocks. I would really like 2.5 remote reservoir. But I just cant do 3 times the price of a ok quality 2.0 smooth body shock. So I will probably have to stick with a basic fox or icon. We all have our limits of what we can spend.

In the end glad to have more options on the market. Hope it works out for you

 

[NLXTACY]

I do.understand buying what is within your price rang and needs. I am dealing with that right now looking for shocks. I would really like 2.5 remote reservoir. But I just cant do 3 times the price of a ok quality 2.0 smooth body shock. So I will probably have to stick with a basic fox or icon. We all have our limits of what we can spend.

In the end glad to have more options on the market. Hope it works out for you

I'm in your same boat

 

[baldilocks]

Apologies are nice but the seller needs to either send you another bumper or refund a huge portion of your money.

Knowledge is power and being in this hobby, one benefits from having a welder and other related power tools and know how use them. For a few bucks more you could have bought cheap versions of said tools and had a blast building your own bumper which I'm sure you would have been much more proud to hang on your 80.

As I read through your review I didn't know whether to laugh or cry and be angry for you.

 

[SkyMall]

Apologies are nice but the seller needs to either send you another bumper or refund a huge portion of your money.

Knowledge is power and being in this hobby, one benefits from having a welder and other related power tools and know how use them. For a few bucks more you could have bought cheap versions of said tools and had a blast building your own bumper which I'm sure you would have been much more proud to hang on your 80.

As I read through your review I didn't know whether to laugh or cry and be angry for you.

Haha! I'm glad my review elicited such intense emotions. I always got good grades on my writing assignments back in the day...

Anyhow, I wish I had the ability to make an attempt at fabricating something. I used to be a pretty handy carpenter and I did learn some rudimentary welding back in high school, but I live in an apartment and I travel for a living so I don't have the space or the time to do much tinkering these days. Hopefully someday soon that will change. As a matter of fact, I stopped by Lowes after church today and picked up some cardboard and some tape and I mocked up a three can basket to mount on the swing-out after the ladder is removed. However, after running the numbers I think 135 lbs is too much for one arm so I'm thinking two cans instead. I'll see what my welder buddy has to say when he looks at it.

 

[SkyMall]

I stopped by Lowes after church today and picked up some cardboard and some tape and I mocked up a three can basket to mount on the swing-out after the ladder is removed. However, after running the numbers I think 135 lbs is too much for one arm so I'm thinking two cans instead. I'll see what my welder buddy has to say when he looks at it.

Mod went great. I've got a picture in my build thread. Check it out!

 

[sleepycruiser]

Today the seller texted to ask if I'd had a chance to attach the bumper yet. I said that I had and he requested some pictures. I assumed that he wanted to use them on his Facebook page and I responded that I would include some pictures but that he likely wouldn't want to use them. I linked him to this review and then sent several of the pictures directly. I don't really have time to transcribe the entire conversation, but the gist of it was that this is the first install that hasn't gone well. He sent a few pictures of other installs that appeared to be just fine, which would be consistent with the pictures I received before purchasing.

He mentioned that there is supposed to be a bolt and washer under the cap to hold the swing-outs on. Apparently it was missing on mine.

He thanked me for not bashing the product and for being honest about it, and apologized over and over for the bad experience. I get the impression that he's being sincere, but I didn't have time to deal with it this afternoon so I'm going to give him a call tomorrow and have a chat. I'll keep everyone posted.

Did you ever speak to the seller? Any resolve? I am torn. Buy one of these or buy a kit and have someone weld it. Moral of the story: I can't weld.

 

[ElJayBird]

Seeing this makes me really happy that I dropped the extra cash on the Slee rear bumper even though it felt a little painful at the time.

 

[Leandro]

Today the seller texted to ask if I'd had a chance to attach the bumper yet. I said that I had and he requested some pictures. I assumed that he wanted to use them on his Facebook page and I responded that I would include some pictures but that he likely wouldn't want to use them. I linked him to this review and then sent several of the pictures directly. I don't really have time to transcribe the entire conversation, but the gist of it was that this is the first install that hasn't gone well. He sent a few pictures of other installs that appeared to be just fine, which would be consistent with the pictures I received before purchasing.

He mentioned that there is supposed to be a bolt and washer under the cap to hold the swing-outs on. Apparently it was missing on mine.

He thanked me for not bashing the product and for being honest about it, and apologized over and over for the bad experience. I get the impression that he's being sincere, but I didn't have time to deal with it this afternoon so I'm going to give him a call tomorrow and have a chat. I'll keep everyone posted.

Last year i bought the rear bumper for my LX470 and I can tell you that yours wasn't the first install that didn't go well.
I had issues fitting the bumper, where the brackets were about 3/4" lower than the frame. I had to drill new holes and put spacers.
The end result looks fine, but it was certainly a PITA.
Regarding the swing outs, yes, mine came with a nut and washer, but the caps are rubber instead of metal...
Overall, i'm not unhappy with the bumper, I could not have afforded a better one. It does the job, it's bulky and heavy (at least mine, yours looks a lot better). For that kind of money, it's the only option....

 

[Tallyho74]

Bumper looks pretty good on that 100 and I laughed when you fish hooked your plate out of a couple of pics but left it in two more!

 

[Leandro]

I laughed when you fish hooked your plate out of a couple of pics but left it in two more!

That's because I took the pictures on different times for different purposes. The ones with the plate covered were asked by SoFlo guy to post on eBay.

 

[sleepycruiser]

Hmmmm....still debating this for my 80

 

[izzyandsue]

Hmmmm....still debating this for my 80

Buy it, its only money
Don't buy it, you'll be sorry
buy it, looks good
Don't buy it, wait for NLXTCY one...

 

[Lachlan]

That's pretty cool! I've been looking for a cheaper rear bumper as well, can't stomach the prices of some of the fancier stuff.

Can't agree more. I'm still a holdout on this mod for the same reason!