Another Noob question...

[Snoodge]

So my first list of mods to meet my needs will involve a bull bar/light setup. I live in serious deer country and have had more than a few run in's in the past and expect more, I just want to make sure that they bounce off this time and that the damage is passed on to them and not my bumper/frame/headlights etc... From what I've gathered through the handy dandy search function in here, my only real options for this level of beef bouncing is an ARB or shockworks bumper/bull setup. And apparently I will also need 3" in the front and 2.5" in the rear plus wheel spacers, so the $$$ goes up a bit more.. Am I right in this being the bare minimum to meet my needs? and if so, I'd be looking at about 2K with the ARB all said and done? Are there any other less costly (not "cheap") set ups that will successfully take a deer out without body damage? Keep in mind that this is a daily driver as well...

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

So my first list of mods to meet my needs will involve a bull bar/light setup. I live in serious deer country and have had more than a few run in's in the past and expect more, I just want to make sure that they bounce off this time and that the damage is passed on to them and not my bumper/frame/headlights etc... From what I've gathered through the handy dandy search function in here, my only real options for this level of beef bouncing is an ARB or shockworks bumper/bull setup. And apparently I will also need 3" in the front and 2.5" in the rear plus wheel spacers, so the $$$ goes up a bit more.. Am I right in this being the bare minimum to meet my needs? and if so, I'd be looking at about 2K with the ARB all said and done? Are there any other less costly (not "cheap") set ups that will successfully take a deer out without body damage? Keep in mind that this is a daily driver as well...

You don't "need" to lift your truck to put a bumper on it. But the stock springs will sag under the weight. Perkins also makes a front bumper for the 4th Gens that came out pretty nice, and his lead time is really short for a front.

My only other recommendation is to not skimp and just get a brush guard. It will do more damage to the front of the truck if you do hit another deer.

 

[S p a r k y]

Mikey is correct, you dont have to have a lift, however with stock suspension that front will be low low from the extra weight. You can try several options, just some different springs may level it out with a bumper. Wheel spacers are never a must, but most of us like the appearance after install.

You could always just get the Deer whistles that stick on the bumper, my 98 yr old great aunt thought I needed them ;-)

 

[Presta24]

You don't "need" to lift your truck to put a bumper on it. But the stock springs will sag under the weight. Perkins also makes a front bumper for the 4th Gens that came out pretty nice, and his lead time is really short for a front.

My only other recommendation is to not skimp and just get a brush guard. It will do more damage to the front of the truck if you do hit another deer.

x3, you could just replace your front struts with something a lil beefier. i myself hope to clobber a deer in my 4runner, so when the insurance cuts me a check I can get a sweet bumper

 

[Snoodge]

Thanks for the info, the perkins do look great and are almost identical to the shrockworks, but the ARB looks like it has center reinforcements on the brush guard as well, keeping it out of my headlights when I inevitably whack something with it. And I just missed the group buy on the perkins too.. Between the bumper and the springs, it looks like I can easily keep it under 2K. If I could only electrify it so that the deer are cooked when they hit the ground, that'd be nice too...

 

[zstampe]

x3, you could just replace your front struts with something a lil beefier. i myself hope to clobber a deer in my 4runner, so when the insurance cuts me a check I can get a sweet bumper

X2.......maybe instead of getting deer whistles for the front bumper you could try a deer call? Ha ha