POLL: Which Front Bumper Do You Have on your 200? (1 Viewer)

Which Front Bumper Manufacturer Bumper do you currently have installed on your 200?

  • Toyota Factory Front Bumper

    Votes: 118 51.1%
  • ARB

    Votes: 45 19.5%
  • Cbi

    Votes: 3 1.3%
  • Dissent

    Votes: 16 6.9%
  • Dobinsons

    Votes: 5 2.2%
  • Ironman

    Votes: 18 7.8%
  • Metal Tech

    Votes: 2 0.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 4 1.7%
  • Rhino

    Votes: 7 3.0%
  • TJM

    Votes: 15 6.5%

  • Total voters
    231

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“... Whatever I have up front should be designed to meet my functional requirements for day to day and recreational use as opposed to being optimized for a theoretical possibility. “

Exactly. Nothing can be “best” in all respects for all use cases. We all use our LC differently and that is why there is no “best” way to build a truck. Optimize means compromise with respect to a set of criteria. Everything is a trade off and everyone will draw the line in a different place based on their criteria.

In the end, if I’m totally honest, the real reason I went with the TJM bumper is BECAUSE IT LOOKS FREAKING COOL!!!!! The deer thing was a justification not a reason....
 
I'd also wager that aluminum would be a suitable upgrade for most deer strikes, though you could end up with more damage (bumper and front end) with a larger animal (moose, elk, etc).

I'm glad you said this because its something I have believed as well, but because it ran counter to most of what I have read on here, I assumed I was wrong. I would have to imagine that that there are design and technique variables that could add a lot of strength to an aluminum bumper. I suspect its not just about material differences.
 
Exactly. Nothing can be “best” in all respects for all use cases. We all use our LC differently and that is why there is no “best” way to build a truck. Optimize means compromise with respect to a set of criteria. Everything is a trade off and everyone will draw the line in a different place based on their criteria.

In the end, if I’m totally honest, the real reason I went with the TJM bumper is BECAUSE IT LOOKS FREAKING COOL!!!!! The deer thing was a justification not a reason....


To be honest, I love both the ARB Deluxe and TJM T13 for exactly that reason. They look badass! My design theory for this build is seeking a more "cool" or "sleek" look though. If money were no object, I would build my '13 to be as big and beefy as possible and buy a '20 and build it much more sleek and stealthy. Finding the balance with a budget is a much tougher exercise. I definitely envied the folks with the big steel upfront at LCDC, but doing nothing but "difficult" trails at LCDC is probably 30% more taxing than my normal requirements.
 
I'm glad you said this because its something I have believed as well, but because it ran counter to most of what I have read on here, I assumed I was wrong. I would have to imagine that that there are design and technique variables that could add a lot of strength to an aluminum bumper. I suspect its not just about material differences.
I'm not a mechanical or materials engineer, mind you. It's just my observation.

I think it's also fair to consider are you safer with a steel vs aluminum bumper or are you safer by shedding a few hundred pounds by using aluminum for your bumpers, skids, roof rack, etc and thus decreasing your stopping distance and improving your emergency handling. In short, what scenario are you optimizing for?
 
I'm not a mechanical or materials engineer, mind you. It's just my observation.

I think it's also fair to consider are you safer with a steel vs aluminum bumper or are you safer by shedding a few hundred pounds by using aluminum for your bumpers, skids, roof rack, etc and thus decreasing your stopping distance and improving your emergency handling. In short, what scenario are you optimizing for?

I feel like my answer would be Neither/Both. I like aluminum for the weight savings in general (inclusive of stooping distance, I suppose) and I like smaller dimensions overall to achieve the look I'm angling for. Safety isn't the primary factor, but strength is at least a consideration (but not necessarily in relation to safety) if that makes any sense. I don't feel less safe having an aluminum front bumper from Dissent than I do with the factory Tupperware and a hidden winch mount. Now if I were to consider the CBI bumper which is available in either steel or aluminum, I'm go with steel because it would fit the design aesthetics I'm looking for and provide the day-to-day utility I want at a higher strength than aluminum without being as heavy as the ARB or TJM. This could also be said for the ARB Sahara.

Hopefully none if this is coming off as counter to your statements as I agree with what you are saying, its just a matter of prioritization.
 
ARB Summit here. Really nice quality.

Lenny 1.jpg
 
I just placed an order on a CBI - is there any reason why they don't get a lot of love?

I could be wrong but I think they are relatively new to the 200 market. I didn’t become aware of them having a bumper for the 200 until a couple months ago.
 
I just placed an order on a CBI - is there any reason why they don't get a lot of love?

the Dissent is lighter, cheaper, less lead time, more awesome...
 
I've got a TJM on the way for my 08. After hours (literally) of research, I chose to go this route for a few reasons. First off, the TJM, from my understanding is crash tested. Seeing as how it's my main family vehicle, this is important to me. Also, most front bumpers require trimming the front Oem bumper and leaving some portion of it, the TJM does not. It appears to stick out from the front of the vehicle less than the ARB which I really like. I also really like the Dissent but trimming the stock bumper isn't as ideal for me. I should have added a front bumper years ago because now the oem one is damaged and I don't think it could be used anyway. Hence my desire to not use it.
 
Trimming the front plastics is really easy with an oscillating tool (I let my 5 year old go to town on the scraps). There needs to be .5-.625" gap between your bumper and body or else it will make contact when it flexes.
 
I went with the Dobinsons bumper. The price was less than the ARB, installation was supposed to be easier and it is high lift ready.

IMG_20200301_103852896_HDR (2).jpg
 
Generally speaking, do the aftermarket bumpers still allow for the use of the front parking sensors and those things?
 
Generally speaking, do the aftermarket bumpers still allow for the use of the front parking sensors and those things?

Generally speaking, yes, but not in every case. Most should specify and some offer both a sensor and non-sensor option.
 
I have an ARB on my 200 series, 60 series and Tacoma. Pretty much a necessity here in WYO.
 
Looks great , did you do the lift and ARB at the same time ? I’m in the process of putting together a order for my 2019 and figure do the ARB front lift at the same time instead of having to re do springs for the extra bumper weight .
 

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