aluminum hybrid/SSO style bumper

[Sauce839]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I'm looking for a aluminum SSO style bumper, but can't find anything. A quick search didn't bring up anything except for hefty fab works full front bumper... but I often fail at the internet.

I like the look of the hybrid bumper, but wasn't a fan of adding ~75lbs to the front (plus additional weight for a winch, etc).

Thanks.

 

[jayhat]

I don't think they have ever made one. I don't know if they have any plans to. Pelfreybilt also has a full, all aluminum, bumper.

 

[zzdocxx]

https://www.cbioffroadfab.com/products/5th-gen-toyota-4runner/t4r5-front-bumper-2014/

See drop down menus for options.

:cowboy:

 

[Kashoggio]

https://www.cbioffroadfab.com/products/5th-gen-toyota-4runner/t4r5-front-bumper-2014/

See drop down menus for options.

:cowboy:

That's a full replacement... not what the op wanted.
I have not seen anything aluminum that's the sso style. Would be a great choice for some .

 

[steventroyyy]

C4Fab has a hybrid bumper like the sso bumper but it's steel and the same weight.
2014+ 4Runner Lo Pro Winch Bumper | C4 Fabrication

 

[Ojai4Runner]

I'm going to be brave and ask what the more knowledgeable members might say is a dumb question ...

Is adding ~75 pounds of bumper, plus weight of winch going to be a problem/concern on stock suspension?

 

[Jetboy]

I'm going to be brave and ask what the more knowledgeable members might say is a dumb question ...

Is adding ~75 pounds of bumper, plus weight of winch going to be a problem/concern on stock suspension?

It's not a problem per-se. It won't break anything. It'll just sit a bit lower. It all adds up though. A heavy plate bumper can easily run 200+ lbs. Plus another 70-100lbs for the winch and then another 100 lbs of skid plates, and a 2nd battery, and an air compressor, and ?? pretty soon it starts to become an issue. If you want to go fast - it's a lot bigger issue. Even for slower off road use - weight kills performance. On or off road.

 

[Ojai4Runner]

It's not a problem per-se. It won't break anything. It'll just sit a bit lower. It all adds up though. A heavy plate bumper can easily run 200+ lbs. Plus another 70-100lbs for the winch and then another 100 lbs of skid plates, and a 2nd battery, and an air compressor, and ?? pretty soon it starts to become an issue. If you want to go fast - it's a lot bigger issue. Even for slower off road use - weight kills performance. On or off road.

Thanks for answering/explaining. I know it's not a hard and fast number but do you have an opinion on approx at what point it becomes an issue? After adding 200 pounds? 500? 800? Other?

And I'm not just talking on the front end. I mean everywhere. Front, rear, roof rack.

Thanks again.

 

[Jetboy]

Thanks for answering/explaining. I know it's not a hard and fast number but do you have an opinion on approx at what point it becomes an issue? After adding 200 pounds? 500? 800? Other?

And I'm not just talking on the front end. I mean everywhere. Front, rear, roof rack.

Thanks again.

I don't think there's really a great answer to that question. It's highly dependent on what you're wanting to do with the vehicle. Of course there's a point where the front or rear axles aren't up to the task and will actually break. I don't know what that would be - but probably a lot.

Just for some type of perspective, the stock curb weight is around 4700lbs. So every 470lbs is 10% of the vehicle weight. The manufacturer's capacity rating for additional weight is 1,600lbs. If you added 1600lbs of gear you should expect it to sit about 1.5-2 inches lower than stock height. So if you had a 2" lift with stock spring rates, you'd then be back to stock height after loading up.

Rock sliders typically weigh anywhere from 100-200lbs per set. 1/4 steel plate weighs about 10lbs per square foot. A full set of skid plates in steel could pretty easily add 150-200lbs. Heavy guage front and rear bumpers could easily be 200lbs each. Its easy to add 1000lbs if you're not paying attention. And that doesn't leave a whole lot of reserve weight capacity for you and your stuff. Most of the 4runners you see with bumpers, sliders, roof rack, RTT, ARB fridge, and all sorts of gear loaded up are going to be significantly marginalized for off road use.

And driving slower on mountain roads is going to be a lot less of an issue with too much weight than racing the baja, or rock crawling. It's an absolute killer for soft surfaces like snow or sand. So if you're going for a family camping trip - you can probably get away with more weight.

For me - I do my best to minimize weight, but remain reasonable. What that balance is for your particular use and budget (light is not cheap) is really hard to say.

 

[Ojai4Runner]

I don't think there's really a great answer to that question. It's highly dependent on what you're wanting to do with the vehicle. Of course there's a point where the front or rear axles aren't up to the task and will actually break. I don't know what that would be - but probably a lot.

Just for some type of perspective, the stock curb weight is around 4700lbs. So every 470lbs is 10% of the vehicle weight. The manufacturer's capacity rating for additional weight is 1,600lbs. If you added 1600lbs of gear you should expect it to sit about 1.5-2 inches lower than stock height. So if you had a 2" lift with stock spring rates, you'd then be back to stock height after loading up.

Rock sliders typically weigh anywhere from 100-200lbs per set. 1/4 steel plate weighs about 10lbs per square foot. A full set of skid plates in steel could pretty easily add 150-200lbs. Heavy guage front and rear bumpers could easily be 200lbs each. Its easy to add 1000lbs if you're not paying attention. And that doesn't leave a whole lot of reserve weight capacity for you and your stuff. Most of the 4runners you see with bumpers, sliders, roof rack, RTT, ARB fridge, and all sorts of gear loaded up are going to be significantly marginalized for off road use.

And driving slower on mountain roads is going to be a lot less of an issue with too much weight than racing the baja, or rock crawling. It's an absolute killer for soft surfaces like snow or sand. So if you're going for a family camping trip - you can probably get away with more weight.

For me - I do my best to minimize weight, but remain reasonable. What that balance is for your particular use and budget (light is not cheap) is really hard to say.

Excellent! Great info. Thanks a ton. I'm also looking to strike the right balance, whatever that is (and like you said that will vary by person and planned usage). It's easy, especially after reading the forums here, to begin thinking one needs all the options out there, but when i began mentally adding up all the weight i quickly thought it was getting out of hand. I'd rather keep it simple and stay a little on the lighter side and perhaps be a little more nimble (well, as "nimble" as a 4runner can be) which i think would give me more flexibility on the people and personal gear i put INSIDE the truck for the many varied adventures planned. Just like the 4runner itself, i won't be the best at any one thing, but i'll be "good enough" at everything i want to do.

Thanks again.

 

[AZ Craig]

It's a rabbit hole that you can very easily go down. I likely had 500 or more extra pounds on my 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (heavy 33s, bumpers, winch, rock sliders and tub armor, integrated spare carrier); I don't regret it, but I'm trying to minimize getting to the same point on my 4Runner now since that vehicle got progressively worse on road, lost about 3 mpg versus stock and I ended up spending $1200 on a big brake kit since the already terrible stock Jeep brakes were pretty much useless at that point .

Pick and choose what you do wisely. Winches have their time and place and are a great insurance policy, but even with a nylon rope, you are likely adding 100 plus pounds between the winch itself and a winch mount/bumper setup. Plus its weight sitting out in front of the front axle, not exactly where you want it to be for dynamic handling .

 

[wfo9]

Weight is a huge issue on these trucks... I've never understood 5th gen owners who build up their trucks with a ton (literally) of extra weight and then expect good off-road or even on-road performance. The two can't go together... especially when trying to do anything high speed.

Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about... (and I'm not picking on him... just one well known example) there is a member here with a very highly modified expensive truck that recently took it to baja and he was disappointed in the performance.... But... in this walk around video of his build he mentions the weight being about 6,500lbs. That is over the maximum GVWR (which I think is 6,100).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz0kOuMlS9A

At stock weight that truck would be a different animal.

I'm not saying there are not very valid reasons to add that much weight.. but at the same time, you simply will not get decent performance over the GVWR. It's ridiculous how much most of these rear bumpers weigh. You add in Fridges and huge storage drawers + brackets... That stuff is all nice to have for convince while camping... but the weight will simply destroy every aspect of the trucks performance. It is amazing how fast it all adds up. You simply can't have it all. You have to tread lightly....

It's a really hard balance to get durability, protection, convenience, and off-road performance. I still don't have a winch mounted because I just can't stomach another 100lbs on the front of the truck at this point. If I ever run solo... I'm going to have to put one on, but for now.. I almost never need one and can't justify the weight. I carry a manual winch as a last resort.... Same for a rear bumper. I can't justify the weight. I can justify sliders and skids because I'm always on them and they offer good center of gravity.. I avoided a front bumper for as long as possible.. but I finally got tired of clearance challenges and put on a 100lb steel bumper. I wanted aluminum, but just could not find one I liked and I don't have the skills to build one in aluminum. I would like to eventually run aluminum bumper and sliders.. but I'm going to have to learn to build them first.

I've done a lot of experimentation with my truck with different gear.... All the weight you add can be felt on trails. Out on the nose or on the rear (tire carrier...) are the worse possible places. Only thing worse is lots of weight up on the roof. While loading your gear, consider the density... I always keep my recovery gear and tools right behind the front passenger seats on the floor. Try keeping it centered and low. This is why skids and sliders don't really hurt trail performance much. The weight is right where you want it.

For high speed stuff.. it does not matter much. Any additional weight is going to hurt. Sprung or unsprung... For trail use it's just the sprung weight.. heavy axles, tires, wheels.. actually help with stability.

 

[zzdocxx]

That's a full replacement... not what the op wanted.
I have not seen anything aluminum that's the sso style. Would be a great choice for some .

Drop down menu has option for short bull bar bumper only, though I don't see any pics of that configuration on their site.

The SSO bumper basically the short bull bar without the side parts of the bumper? I wonder if the CBI would be a reasonable substitute, considering the lighter weight of the aluminum.

Looking at it more closely I totally see your point!

Good heavens the CBI is expensive, though it is pretty much exactly what I imagined I wanted.

First pic is SSO, second is CBI with hoops. I'm imagining it with a "Center Grill Guard SHORT" only, as the drop down menu refers to it.

:llama:

 

[zzdocxx]

Hey I think I have found an image of the CBI with the "short" grill guard.

What do you think?