4th Gen Armor Thread 2.0

[Inv4drZm]

Just Wondering how strong Aluminum bumpers are when compared to Steel. How durable are the Aluminum? Can they take a beating??
:vader:

The aluminum will dent and scrape more easily than steel. Not that I've seen anyone's aftermarket bumper bashed beyond function...

Honestly I think stock bumpers are underrated, lightest and cheapest by far. I lived with stock bumpers for a while rock-crawling my truck and it was fine.

But if you want more collision and deer protection, and winch mounting, then aluminum would be better than stock, and if you want it to look tougher than stock it certainly does that too.

By itself you may not notice a huge difference, you might save 60ish pounds, but keep a similar eye on weight throughout the vehicle and it can really add up.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[ExCabSwap]

NWTI NEW Front Open Top Bumper

 

[ATLiott]

I don’t offroad, but these pics look so sweet I’d almost buy the armor just for the aesthetics of it.

 

[Karnivor707]

Here’s my 4x4Labs front bumper.

Any other angles of this bumper? I am interested in calling 4x4 labs to make me one their shop is about 1.5 hours away from me )

 

[Bluesky 07]

I don’t offroad, but these pics look so sweet I’d almost buy the armor just for the aesthetics of it.

I think plenty of SUV owners do exactly that regardless of brand.

 

[Formidable]

Absolutely wicked looking bumper. We discussed this before for your 3rd gen design. If you consider doing it in aluminum with a single center hoop please let me know. It’s literally just a matter of getting the materials since you obviously already have the CAD drawing and the CNC.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Absolutely wicked looking bumper. We discussed this before for your 3rd gen design. If you consider doing it in aluminum with a single center hoop please let me know. It’s literally just a matter of getting the materials since you obviously already have the CAD drawing and the CNC.

IMO something like that should require a redesign with added gussets and thicker sheets of aluminum. That open top front plate would be pretty weak with aluminum too.

Its not as easy as cutting it from aluminum and expecting it to hold up. I believe Demello's aluminum bumpers are quite a bit different structurally from their steel bumpers.

 

[Formidable]

Truth. However would really only need thicker gauge panels. The gussets and support brackets can be fabbed up as needed during install. Not a big deal.

IMO something like that should require a redesign with added gussets and thicker sheets of aluminum. That open top front plate would be pretty weak with aluminum too.

Its not as easy as cutting it from aluminum and expecting it to hold up. I believe Demello's aluminum bumpers are quite a bit different structurally from their steel bumpers.

 

[Aspen_4Runner]

Received a lot of good info on this thread and I'm pumped to have armored up my 4th Gen with the following:

-Relentless Fabrications "Defender" front bumper
-Baja Designs S8 20" LED Light Bar
-Baja Designs Squadron Pro
-Rigid Industries D-Series DOT fog lights
-Superwinch Tiger shark 9500
-CBI Steel Full Skid Plate
-RSG angled sliders with top plate

 

[Last Man Standing]

Thanks for this organized thread Inv4drZm Great Job!

Do any of you Armor folks have any complaints with finish degrading
over time of steel / aluminum? I live in salt country so an important
consideration when the time comes to upgrade?

Anyone with experience having been in a collision with these type bumpers
and what are your thoughts?

 

[Karnivor707]

Not my 4runner but I called 4x4 labs and acquired some pics of the current 4x4 labs gen4 bumper, I dont think the pics do it justice due to the vehicle being a bit dirty. I was told you can call and put your order in. They said will take about 6-8 weeks.

 

[Deadlock281]

So I went to do an oil change today and noticed that my factory transmission skid plate was gone. the mounting points were bend and it had obviously ripped off somehow. Only thing I can think is the shop that changed my front axles didn't tighten it down enough.

ANYWAYS looking for recommendations for skid plates. Thinking of RCI because they're 2 hours from me. Let me know about your experiences!

 

[phqduphead]

So I went to do an oil change today and noticed that my factory transmission skid plate was gone. the mounting points were bend and it had obviously ripped off somehow. Only thing I can think is the shop that changed my front axles didn't tighten it down enough.



ANYWAYS looking for recommendations for skid plates. Thinking of RCI because they're 2 hours from me. Let me know about your experiences!

RCI good. Distance from you saves on shipping.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Formidable]

Just got my full RCI skids in aluminum. Awesome workmanship. Welds are phenomenal.

So I went to do an oil change today and noticed that my factory transmission skid plate was gone. the mounting points were bend and it had obviously ripped off somehow. Only thing I can think is the shop that changed my front axles didn't tighten it down enough.

ANYWAYS looking for recommendations for skid plates. Thinking of RCI because they're 2 hours from me. Let me know about your experiences!

 

[montijo505]

Here is the front bumper that I made. The winch plate area is 1/4" and the rest is 3/16". Each piece in the base is interlocked with the next piece so it should be plenty strong Im working on the back bumper now.

View attachment 284086

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Easily the best looking front bumper on the later 4th gen that I’ve seen! Lines are perfect!


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[JONBOY345]

TAX SALE - 2002-2009 4th Gen Toyota 4Runner Rock Sliders - Bolt On – Rago Fabrication

Anyone have these on their truck?

Not the best looking, but a big fan of how big the kickout is. Looks like it'd do a great job of pushing the vehicle away from any obstacle.

 

[deepsea22]

:tea:

 

[PotatoDelta]

Oh man, this makes it so easy to see the different armor options I can get! Should I be going for sliders or a front bumper first?

 

[NNV4Runner]

Anybody have a Trophy Truck style bumper on their 4th gen? I love this style bumper but I cant find any for the 4th gen...

ICI TSF102CH - ICI Trophy Front Bumpers - FREE SHIPPING!

 

[Earthdigger]

Is there a way we can get this sticky updated? Prices have changed, some of the companies don’t exist anymore, and there are some new companies out there.

Thanks guys, keep up the work.