This is great, thank you!

We are not that far along quite yet. Although with the WIY (weld-it-yourself) bumpers like this one, shipping is easier because you can flat-pack and they don’t need to get shipped on a pallet. We are pre-bending as many parts as possible so the actual welding part is very minimal on the customer’s end.

See my notes above about shipping. Pre-welding creates massive lead times and a huge price tag for shipping and there are decent welders all over the globe. Obviously this is our business proposition, and not everyone else’s. We think by sourcing your own welding, the product can be shipped drastically cheaper and you will have the bumper in a quicker timeframe than 90% of the competition out there (just research the lead times of all the popular bumper makers). Not to mention, our design will be WAY lighter (less than half) what an ARB weighs for our gutless old Toyota’s to haul around ;)

1” body lift is accommodated in the original design (the same bumper works for no body lift and a 1”). Thanks for your interest!

I disagree with this statement. Obviously price will depend on your area but I bet you will be able to have our bumper welded together by a professional for ~200 (or less). Actual weld time on these will be minimal, with way less welds than current WIY bumpers.

Keep the comments rolling!

Sorry if this was stated already, but does your bumper design retain the 96-98 steel portion of the OEM bumper?

I like the fact that you're focusing on keeping the weight low. I currently have a front hitch and could ditch it for this bumper and only net 15 or 20 pounds up front.

It natively uses the chrome portion of the factory bumper with the plastic lower valence removed. This will be the lightest and most “OEM+” way of running this bumper.

We will also have a fully redesigned aluminum version that can be swapped in place of the factory chrome bumper, should someone A) want to swap out for a beefier/stronger component or B) want the updated aesthetics of our redesigned version. That component will be interchangeable by removing 8x bolts and can be swapped at any time.

Really seems like you've put a lot of thought into this. Even for options you're opting out of, it seems like you've done your consideration!

Any spy photos? I have a line on a used 4XI plate bumper......

I'd be in for some spy photos too. I'm itching to see some final pics.

I recently received a 4xI plate bumper that I ordered for my ‘97 (2WD/4cyl) and frankly I’m a bit concerned about the 100# weight. This looks like an awesome alternative and now I’m considering going in this direction. Two considerations: 1) the 4xI bumper is already fabbed and is a direct bolt-on, 2) its in-hand and ready to be sprayed with bedliner and attached (already did the test fit and it’s golden).

Any eta on when this bumper will be ready?

Did you get it with any of the grille-guard options?

I'm in The Bay and need something sooner than later if you want to unload it (and another deal I am working on doesn't pan out)......

No, I did not get either of the guard options.

PM me and I’ll let you know if something changes. I’d really be interested in the aluminum OEM-styled bumper, but it seems like its not production-ready just yet so most likely just going to paint and install the 4xI this week.

Please don’t get me wrong, the 4xI front bumper is really a work of art - the craftsmanship and fit for the 3rd gen are outstanding. I’m really just concerned about the extra weight on the front end (at ~100lbs. the bumper is 2x the weight of the OEM-style aluminum one at 50lbs). Plus I’ll also probably need to add a winch and driving lights, so that’s even more weight.

Yeah for sure. I didn't mean to sidetrack this thread. Rickashay's OEM+ type bumper option is high on my list and I may get one even if I end up with something else in the meantime. if I end up with too many bumpers, more 3rd gens will need to follow...

Any updates ???

Wondering same, need this.

Would be very interested in this design if/when it comes to market. Should be compatible with a 2002? Not sure about bumper mount design changes considering it looks to use OEM mounts?

Just read this post and I'm ready to pay you my money to buy this my man this is the answer to all my problems