I found "The One", 2001 Sport Ed. TRD SC'd

[BigFishAllDay]

I also added a shovel mount to the factory roof rack... Yakima 24H Mighty Mounts, some Quick Fists, and some hose clamps made it pretty easy. Big thanks to Hungwin jza80 for the idea on the shovel mount!

When it's all said and done, there's just one question you have to ask:

Is the juice worth the squeeze????

Oh hells yeah! :guitar2:

It blocks the rear view a little bit...

I drove it all over town yesterday hitting potholes and train tracks on purpose wherever I could, trying to get the bumper to rattle. I even did some parking lot flexing on a loading dock, and I could not get the bumper to contact the body. This is good.

Just before the sun went down yesterday, we got to enjoy a great view of the Annular Solar Eclipse...

The bumper project is over, and I am glad. :happens:

 

[zgensler31]

Sorry to hear you had so many issues with cbi man. From my understanding your the first to really have any. But it does look amazing, and seems to function pretty well. Really rounds out the whole rig.

 

[4-Ripcord]

That sounds like a rough time with the bumper. Hope I dont have that much of a hard time too.

Glad to hear all that is behind you now, because that truck looks like a million bucks!


BTW I may be running rio puerco saturday if you are interested. Tacoma guys again, lol.

 

[smallfry]

Despite the issues the bumper looks good.

 

[Hepar]

Man, that stinks that it took that much to deal with. The line that would have drove me insane is about the 6 inches. That's where I probably would have lost it. Of course you could live with it, but it's not what you ordered and not what you paid good money for!

Now that it's on, it looks sick. Really rounds out the look. I go back and forth on rear bumpers, but the more I see them on, the more I'm leaning on pulling the trigger.

 

[quicksilvr]

When it's all said and done, there's just one question you have to ask:

Is the juice worth the squeeze????

Oh hells yeah! :guitar2:

Very glad the response to that question was Oh hells yeah! What a project/ordeal....but man, that thing is SWEET. Top notch work (again) putting it all together. The trucks ride height looks good too....hopefully it doesn't sag over time.

 

[fightman80]

I agree, the bumper does look great, and a very clean install on the wiring and such!

Too bad you had all that bull with CBI though..... Just goes to show with ordering things from afar...... sometimes, you're better off going with someone local! At least you could see the work being done, and get it rectified without worrying about shipping and all that BS!

Again, the bumper looks great, but I'm still gonna put it out there, and say:
Color matching the bumpers to the truck would look sick! Kinda like what Ripcord did...... That being said, I'd be willing to trade you (truck for truck) ANY DAY!

:bravo:

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Sorry to hear you had so many issues with cbi man. From my understanding your the first to really have any. But it does look amazing, and seems to function pretty well. Really rounds out the whole rig.

Thanks for reading ZG. The issues are what they are, but I assure you I am not the only one who has had them. In doing my research on the bumper I found that alot of people have fitment issues w/the CBI's. I think alot of people don't talk about it because from my personal point of view, it's a little embarassing to want something so bad that you're willing to pay so much, AND accept the flaws, to get it. Kinda like being hooked on drugs I'd imagine.

The issue is that CBI has attempted to build a "one size fits all" product for an application with varying tolerances. Not all 4Runners are created equal, and those that are created equal do not remain equal. The tolerances on these trucks change alot with age & use.

That sounds like a rough time with the bumper. Hope I dont have that much of a hard time too.

Glad to hear all that is behind you now, because that truck looks like a million bucks!

BTW I may be running rio puerco saturday if you are interested. Tacoma guys again, lol.

Thanks man. I'd really like to get out on Sat. but I've got a graveyard shift.

Despite the issues the bumper looks good.

Thanks for reading Smallfry.

Man, that stinks that it took that much to deal with. The line that would have drove me insane is about the 6 inches. That's where I probably would have lost it. Of course you could live with it, but it's not what you ordered and not what you paid good money for!

Now that it's on, it looks sick. Really rounds out the look. I go back and forth on rear bumpers, but the more I see them on, the more I'm leaning on pulling the trigger.

Hepar, where have you been dude? I haven't seen you in the thread forever! I miss getting your input.

That "6 inches" line drove me nuts. I had to take a couple deep breaths. "Lord, please grant me the patience."

RE getting one of these things, just think it through. Make sure it's right for your needs. It's not as much a "bolt-on" mod as people think.

Very glad the response to that question was Oh hells yeah! What a project/ordeal....but man, that thing is SWEET. Top notch work (again) putting it all together. The trucks ride height looks good too....hopefully it doesn't sag over time.

Thanks for reading through it all Quick, and thanks for the compliments.

RE the sag, I've already got a cure on the way. Does 8-6-1 mean anything to you?

I agree, the bumper does look great, and a very clean install on the wiring and such!

Too bad you had all that bull with CBI though..... Just goes to show with ordering things from afar...... sometimes, you're better off going with someone local! At least you could see the work being done, and get it rectified without worrying about shipping and all that BS!

Again, the bumper looks great, but I'm still gonna put it out there, and say:
Color matching the bumpers to the truck would look sick! Kinda like what Ripcord did...... That being said, I'd be willing to trade you (truck for truck) ANY DAY!

:bravo:

If there was someone local to me, I would have considered them FM. There are no local options though. For me, it was either CBI, Perkins, or DIY. What I learned from this process is that to DIY would have taken me all summer, and cost a lot more headache/heartache to end up w/a product nearly as good as CBI's.

While the process was not perfect, I will give these guys credit for what they do right, which is A LOT! I wouldn't have it on my truck if the good did not outweigh the bad.

Finally, since you keep mentioning color matching, let's talk economics. To have both F/R bumpers professionally color matched, I'd have to fork over $500-800.

Think about what else I could buy for that $$$. Full budbuilt skids, and LCA armor? Maybe a gas tank skid in place of the LCA armor? I could get halfway to re-gearing? And for what? To scratch them up on the trail?

No thanks. Tough, simple, easy to touch up black powdercoat works for me.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Fish and saltwater make me feel better. You win some, you lose some.

It looks nice; the bumper helps level out the rake.

To drill through that kind of steel, a Dewalt cobalt drill bit makes somewhat short work of what you need to accomplish.

 

[fightman80]

If there was someone local to me, I would have considered them FM. There are no local options though. For me, it was either CBI, Perkins, or DIY. What I learned from this process is that to DIY would have taken me all summer, and cost a lot more headache/heartache to end up w/a product nearly as good as CBI's.

While the process was not perfect, I will give these guys credit for what they do right, which is A LOT! I wouldn't have it on my truck if the good did not outweigh the bad.

Finally, since you keep mentioning color matching, let's talk economics. To have both F/R bumpers professionally color matched, I'd have to fork over $500-800.

Think about what else I could buy for that $$$. Full budbuilt skids, and LCA armor? Maybe a gas tank skid in place of the LCA armor? I could get halfway to re-gearing? And for what? To scratch them up on the trail?

No thanks. Tough, simple, easy to touch up black powdercoat works for me.

You obviously did your homework man, not surprising considering the detail in your builds. One thing I'd like to mention though, which I'm sure you're already aware of, you can get silver powder coat too. Actually, a local builder here, knowing my attraction to all things shiny (lol), once told me he could powder coat a bumper for me that would almost look like chrome! lol!

Again, you said it best, (paraphrasing here), you have nobody to impress other than yourself! If your happy with the bumper color, that's all that matters!

I still think it looks great on your truck, I've just always been a fan of color matched armor. That being said, I can't afford to spend that kind of dough on steel bumpers, so I try to live vicariously through you guys! lol!

 

[Hepar]

Hepar, where have you been dude? I haven't seen you in the thread forever! I miss getting your input.

That "6 inches" line drove me nuts. I had to take a couple deep breaths. "Lord, please grant me the patience."

RE getting one of these things, just think it through. Make sure it's right for your needs. It's not as much a "bolt-on" mod as people think.

Don't worry. I've been here all along. I've just run out of things to say! Only so many ways to say that I dig the build. :cheers:

And when/if I get a rear bumper, I'll probably end up getting it done by the Badlands guys. Come up with something custom that I like. And that way we can test fit everything. Not going to happen anytime soon as I still want to add more power before adding anymore weight.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Hey man, glad to read that it all worked out.

I know it is a huge chunk of change to drop on a bumper but it looks pretty awesome on your truck.

I just hope I don't have any problems when I pick up my tube Savage Offroad bumper this Sat. The owner / welder said he will help me install it at their shop.

 

[rickashay]

BFAD, if looks could kill, your 4runner would have murdered me just now when I saw the pics of the CBI on there.... and that's my absolutely atrocious attempt at poetry. Or something??? haha

Regardless of my poor linguistics, the bumper really does look awesome on there. Matches the ARB perfectly IMO.

Regarding CBI: I honestly think that their jig for the plate bumper is wrong. I have heard of SEVERAL (2 being local wheeling buddies/friends) issues with the mounting holes. I am kind of upset with the response you recieved about the 6" swing out thing.... that's BS. I'm glad your through with the ordeal and can finally reap the rewards. I'm praying my CBI Hybrid doesn't have these same issues.....

 

[BigFishAllDay]

You obviously did your homework man, not surprising considering the detail in your builds. One thing I'd like to mention though, which I'm sure you're already aware of, you can get silver powder coat too.

I considered having the rear powdercoated silver, but like you said, it was a distance transaction so I had no way of knowing if it would match. Not to mention I looked into getting the ARB powdercoated locally.... $400. Powdercoat or paint, I've got better ways to spend the cash.

Fish and saltwater make me feel better. You win some, you lose some.

It looks nice; the bumper helps level out the rake.

To drill through that kind of steel, a Dewalt cobalt drill bit makes somewhat short work of what you need to accomplish.

I used a 1/2 cobalt bit to go through the top sections of the vertical mounting holes, but the other 6 holes only needed 1/4" so a drilling them out wasn't practical. Good thought though.

Don't worry. I've been here all along. I've just run out of things to say! Only so many ways to say that I dig the build. :cheers:

And when/if I get a rear bumper, I'll probably end up getting it done by the Badlands guys. Come up with something custom that I like. And that way we can test fit everything. Not going to happen anytime soon as I still want to add more power before adding anymore weight.

Very true. After awhile you just kick back and read through these things. Having the bumper built on the truck is the way to go if you can make it happen.

Hey man, glad to read that it all worked out.

I know it is a huge chunk of change to drop on a bumper but it looks pretty awesome on your truck.

I just hope I don't have any problems when I pick up my tube Savage Offroad bumper this Sat. The owner / welder said he will help me install it at their shop.

Thanks Brian. I think it worked out well in the end. Like I said to Hepar, having the opportunity to work with the builder in person, I doubt you'll encounter any issues that can't be resolved in short order. You guys are lucky to have talented builders that are local. I'll be looking forward to some pictures of your truck w/the new bumper.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

BFAD, if looks could kill, your 4runner would have murdered me just now when I saw the pics of the CBI on there.... and that's my absolutely atrocious attempt at poetry. Or something??? haha

Regardless of my poor linguistics, the bumper really does look awesome on there. Matches the ARB perfectly IMO.

Regarding CBI: I honestly think that their jig for the plate bumper is wrong. I have heard of SEVERAL (2 being local wheeling buddies/friends) issues with the mounting holes. I am kind of upset with the response you recieved about the 6" swing out thing.... that's BS. I'm glad your through with the ordeal and can finally reap the rewards. I'm praying my CBI Hybrid doesn't have these same issues.....

Addison, Just missed you on my last reply. That's a huge compliment coming from a guy who does work as nice as yours. Thanks man!

I think CBI has an issue with their jig as well. I was on the verge of having them make a 3rd bumper for me, but I was tired of waiting. Not to mention that after recieving the second bumper with enlarged mounting holes rather than holes drilled at the proper width, I was sure that I would end up w/the same thing the 3rd time around. I was very close to cancelling the deal altogether, but that would have been an epic waste of time and energy.

I still think they could have done a better job of making things right, but it is what it is. Here's to hoping they do a better job w/yours than they did with mine.

 

[josh.bunch]

Don't worry. I've been here all along. I've just run out of things to say! Only so many ways to say that I dig the build. :cheers:

And when/if I get a rear bumper, I'll probably end up getting it done by the Badlands guys. Come up with something custom that I like. And that way we can test fit everything. Not going to happen anytime soon as I still want to add more power before adding anymore weight.

There is always the Outdoor Logic rear hybrid bumper. I think it would look pretty sweet with your badlands tube bumper, and I think there quality and customer service speak for themselves around here. Just a thought.

 

[tylerbaird]

The bumper looks great man! It really compliments the rest of the truck. That sucks about all the trouble you had to go through though. I think that CBI could have done more to make it right.

 

[rickashay]

The bumper looks great man! It really compliments the rest of the truck. That sucks about all the trouble you had to go through though. I think that CBI could have done more to make it right.

I'm also surprised they didn't do more. BFAD is such an active member and I'm sure this kind of "negative publicity" isn't good for CBI. Hopefully they are poking their heads around this forum still and see how much a negative word of mouth can affect their reputation. Hopefully they smarten' up in the future...

 

[BigFishAllDay]

The bumper looks great man! It really compliments the rest of the truck. That sucks about all the trouble you had to go through though. I think that CBI could have done more to make it right.

I'm also surprised they didn't do more. BFAD is such an active member and I'm sure this kind of "negative publicity" isn't good for CBI. Hopefully they are poking their heads around this forum still and see how much a negative word of mouth can affect their reputation. Hopefully they smarten' up in the future...

Thanks Tyler. I was quite please with the way it came out and integrated with the overall look of the truck.

RE CBI, what is done is done. I was talking with my Wife about it last night and I think the slide in customer service comes down to the fact that as a business grows, if they are lucky enough that demand exceeds supply, the people who run the business can get a little... cocky... and forget that it is their customers who put them in that position of success.

CBI actually used to offer a 25% discount on ANY ORDER that took more than 4 weeks to ship. As a matter of fact, the offer is still posted in their vendor subforum here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/www-c...-cbi-offroad-fab-introduction.html#post714356

Do you think they'll honor that now? Of course not. They have so many orders and have grown so much that they can't keep up. They'd be giving 25% off left and right. The matter is closed, and it is what it is. I just wanted to post a fair, accurate account of how it all went down and let people decide for themselves.

 

[gs300tt]

I have a 2002 and installed a CBI rear about two months ago. I had to modify the exact same holes that you did. I first thought it was my 4Runner but it has to be something with their jig or changes to the later model frames, but I have never heard anything about the frames changing.

Glad you got it on and it looks great.