**NEW 3rd Gen 4R "OEM+" Front Bumper Prototype**

[rickashay]

**UPDATED - PLEASE READ**

I will keep this upper section up to date with current bumper status and general info. If you want ALL the details, please set aside your requirement for instant answers and instant gratification, and sit down with a coffee and read through the whole thread - just like the good ol' forum days before Facebook and IG! (I can make that joke because I'm old now and used to spend as much time on this forum as most people do today on IG

General Bumper Info:

There are two components to our bumper design: The "Lower Bumper" (LB3R) and the "Upper Bumper (UB3R)

Fitment: ALL 96-02' 4Runners
Weight: Approx 45lbs for the LB3R (true weight TBD)
Frame modifications: Frame rail end flaps removed - like all aftermarket 3rd Gen 4Runner bumpers that I am aware of (full instruction (written & video) will be released with product at official launch)
Bodylifts: The LB3R and UB3R are designed to accommodate no-bodylift and 1" bodylifts out of the box


Render of the LB3R with factory OEM 96-98' Upper bumper (ignore the tweak in the bumper we had scanned!)

!PT4 - Truck Assembly For Forum 2 by Tamarack, on Flickr

Render of the LB3R with our fully design UB3R:

Untitled by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr

Bumper Configurations:

Any 96-02' 4Runner can run the LB3R with a 96-98' OEM Upper Bumper (the chrome factory bumper on the 96-98 4Runners) OR with our upcoming UB3R.

1. You have a 96-98' 4Runner:
- you can run our LB3R with your factory OEM Upper bumper
- or you can run our LB3R with our fully designed UB3R

2. You have a 99'-02' 4Runner:
- you can run our LB3R with a factory 96-98 OEM Upper bumper
- or you can run our LB3R with our fully designed UB3R














Progression of the Design:

Below is the first post when we starting talking about the design. We have received a ton of great feedback from forum members on how to make the product better - props to the 3rd Gen 4Runner community, you guys rock!
Hey Guys/gals,

Long story short, we've (Tamarack) been working on a OEM+ bumper design for the 3rd gens for ~6 months.

Background & Goals:
We've built a lot of trucks and ran a lot of aftermarket bumpers, and ran a lot of different camping/wheeling configurations, and we seem to be constantly trying to simplify (lighten?) our truck(s) as time and experience continue. I often compare the 4WD scene (I hate the word "Overlanding") to the mountain bike scene - bikes started out beefy and heavy and built like tanks, but as the technology and time has passed, bikes have become more evolved, more advanced, lighter, and stronger. Our goal with this project was:

A) Provide a winch mounting point (duh)

B) Incorporate recovery points that are more or less in line with the frame rails (reduce the lever-arm effect during a recovery - lots of bumpers have the recovery points mounted too high/offset from the frame rails IMO)

C) Make the bumper fairly modular and allow for different user groups to spec it to their uses

D) Try and tie in to the OEM aesthetic as much as possible - "thus OEM+"

E) Keep weight down to a minimum

Below is the prototype that we will be cutting in the coming weeks and I will be running on my 4Runner.

A couple interesting points about the current design:

- Approx 50lbs using the factory chrome 96-98' bumper
- 3/16" steel
- Will be a Weld-It-Yourself kit with most of the major components being pre-bent. This will minimize welding, increase the consistent level of quality of appearance for bumpers out on the market (varying degree of welder skill), and allow a flat-pack/cheaper shipping.
- Lower front skid bolts on, so access to winch mounting points will be a breeze
- We will be making brackets to house 2x LED pods in the factory turn signal locations
- Accommodates 0 and 1" bodylifts into one design and it can be interchanged back and forth
- We will later be producing a full aluminum/steel replacement for the OEM chrome bumper valence, that will be a direct swap, but modernize the OEM design while increasing strength for the more hard-core user

We are a ways out from production on this and still in the prototype phase. I wanted to throw this out there to the awesome T4R forum community and GATHER SOME FEEDBACK.

- Would you buy a bumper like this? (pricing still in the works - will know soon)
- Any thoughts, ideas, questions, or recommendations on the design? (please ignore the slightly bent OEM chrome bumper I had scanned... it should straighten itself out when I bolt everything up


!PT4 - Truck Assembly For Forum 2 by Tamarack, on Flickr


!PT4 - Truck Assembly For Forum 1 by Tamarack, on Flickr

Thanks for your time!
Addison

 

[photoleif]

Hey Guys/gals,

Long story short, we've (Tamarack) been working on a OEM+ bumper design for the 3rd gens for ~6 months.

Background & Goals:
We've built a lot of trucks and ran a lot of aftermarket bumpers, and ran a lot of different camping/wheeling configurations, and we seem to be constantly trying to simplify (lighten?) our truck(s) as time and experience continue. I often compare the 4WD scene (I hate the word "Overlanding") to the mountain bike scene - bikes started out beefy and heavy and built like tanks, but as the technology and time has passed, bikes have become more evolved, more advanced, lighter, and stronger. Our goal with this project was:

A) Provide a winch mounting point (duh)

B) Incorporate recovery points that are more or less in line with the frame rails (reduce the lever-arm effect during a recovery - lots of bumpers have the recovery points mounted too high/offset from the frame rails IMO)

C) Make the bumper fairly modular and allow for different user groups to spec it to their uses

D) Try and tie in to the OEM aesthetic as much as possible - "thus OEM+"

E) Keep weight down to a minimum

Below is the prototype that we will be cutting in the coming weeks and I will be running on my 4Runner.

A couple interesting points about the current design:

- Approx 50lbs using the factory chrome 96-98' bumper
- 3/16" steel
- Will be a Weld-It-Yourself kit with most of the major components being pre-bent. This will minimize welding, increase the consistent level of quality of appearance for bumpers out on the market (varying degree of welder skill), and allow a flat-pack/cheaper shipping.
- Lower front skid bolts on, so access to winch mounting points will be a breeze
- We will be making brackets to house 2x LED pods in the factory turn signal locations
- Accommodates 0 and 1" bodylifts into one design and it can be interchanged back and forth
- We will later be producing a full aluminum/steel replacement for the OEM chrome bumper valence, that will be a direct swap, but modernize the OEM design while increasing strength for the more hard-core user

We are a ways out from production on this and still in the prototype phase. I wanted to throw this out there to the awesome T4R forum community and GATHER SOME FEEDBACK.

- Would you buy a bumper like this? (pricing still in the works - will know soon)
- Any thoughts, ideas, questions, or recommendations on the design? (please ignore the slightly bent OEM chrome bumper I had scanned... it should straighten itself out when I bolt everything up

Thanks for your time!
Addison

hey. i am looking out of the corner of my eye for bumpers to replace the OEM one but that aren't the full-on bull bar or TJM-style stuff. slightly more refined and not quite as giant; i don't really want to upgrade a ton of components just for this. i do want something that will protect against deer, which we have in spades here. it would be nice to have something that won't look dramatically different from the OEM bumper, but 'just enough' so it's not looking like a rebuilt fat lip bumper.

that said, i'm curious to see how your design evolves, and i wonder how it would integrate the OEM bumper and still offer protection for the headlights, grille, condenser, and radiator. we totaled a subaru this way, and i really don't want to lose my baby (my 4R) to another deer. do your modularity plans include the possibility of adding on a refined (loaded word, sorry) bull bar sort of top portion?

another consideration: i am no welder, and frankly don't like my neighbor (a professional welder) enough to beg for his help. would you consider an option for supplying a bare but welded product, if the customer were to supply as many exact measurements as you need?

edit: my bumper is a little bent just like that. makes me feel like i was looking at a scan of mine oh and a winch mount wouldn't be in the cards for my 4R; i have a truck i go beat up on the trails. would it be straightforward to offer a no-winch option?

thanks

 

[Brian3627]

I really like the design

 

[HiLife]

I'm liking the along the oem design too.
How bout incorporating a 2" front receiver option?

 

[Zoom-a-Loom]

I look forward to seeing a final design and yes I would purchase your product.

 

[JZiggy]

Second on adding a front receiver hitch. For folks who are allergic to weight having a receiver mounted winch is a great solution.

Will this be compatible with typical aftermarket skids (like Savage)?

 

[raty4R]

Will these fit the 99+ years? 1999-2002.

 

[WeakSauz]

Addison- Love the design, as I'm a sucker for OEM designing. You just can't beat the stock lines of these trucks, and this bumper helps preserve that while also giving the needed clearance.

Really looking forward to checking out production versions. I've got a 2000 fat lip, so curious about how that may work out in future revisions as well

Awesome stuff!

 

[rickashay]

that said, i'm curious to see how your design evolves, and i wonder how it would integrate the OEM bumper and still offer protection for the headlights, grille, condenser, and radiator. we totaled a subaru this way, and i really don't want to lose my baby (my 4R) to another deer. do your modularity plans include the possibility of adding on a refined (loaded word, sorry) bull bar sort of top portion?

The beefier replacement for the OEM Chrome valence will do a better job for deer and offroad protection for sure, although I cannot promise we will ever do headlight hoops or the like, as I feel that starts to wander from the OEM+ aesthetic.

another consideration: i am no welder, and frankly don't like my neighbor (a professional welder) enough to beg for his help. would you consider an option for supplying a bare but welded product, if the customer were to supply as many exact measurements as you need?

We will not be offering a fully fab'ed bumper at this time. It will increase lead times and shipping costs to a point we are not comfortable with at this time. Possibly in the future but not out of the gate.

edit: my bumper is a little bent just like that. makes me feel like i was looking at a scan of mine oh and a winch mount wouldn't be in the cards for my 4R; i have a truck i go beat up on the trails. would it be straightforward to offer a no-winch option?

thanks

We designed the bumper to still look good and function without the winch in place. So I'd say that if you'd rather not run a winch, you can totally not install one and it will still function as intended.

I really like the design

Glad to hear! I've been obsessing over the details for a while. Honestly was kind of nervous releasing this, thinking.... I hope what's in my head is actually cool for other people! haha

I'm liking the along the oem design too.
How bout incorporating a 2" front receiver option?

Never thought of that. I'd say it wouldn't be too hard to incorporate behind the lower front skid area (so it would be hidden). If demand is enough, I think we could incorporate that.

I look forward to seeing a final design and yes I would purchase your product.

Glad you like it, Cheers!

Second on adding a front receiver hitch. For folks who are allergic to weight having a receiver mounted winch is a great solution.

Will this be compatible with typical aftermarket skids (like Savage)?

Some notes on the hitch receiver in my comments above - not a bad idea at all. I just hope it wouldn't increase the weight of the "bumper chassis" a ton for guys who don't want/need it and who are also allergic ot weight.

RE: skids - I can't speak to them all until we try them but I will say that we know 95% of the skid plates bolt to the factory front crossmember, and this was made to not interfere with those mounting locations. You can see my Element aluminum skid plate in the scan, and it will work flawlessly with the bumper.

Will these fit the 99+ years? 1999-2002.

Addison- Love the design, as I'm a sucker for OEM designing. You just can't beat the stock lines of these trucks, and this bumper helps preserve that while also giving the needed clearance.

Really looking forward to checking out production versions. I've got a 2000 fat lip, so curious about how that may work out in future revisions as well

Awesome stuff!

I'll try and answer both comments here. I agree on the classic/timeless lines of the 3rd gen. Definitely trying to preserve that in the design, so I'm glad you've noted that.

- My truck is actually a 00' 4Runner, so yes it will fit with 99-02' trucks. Our thoughts are that if you want the lightest possible version - you buy our bumper kit and source a 96-98' bumper to work with it. They are ~$100 on RockAuto for a new one or you can source one from a wrecker. This ensures the bumper fits all 96-02' 4Runners.
- Alternatively if you have a 99-02' we will soon be offering a fully fabricated replacement for the 96-98' "chrome bumper" that will bolt to the same mounts. This can A) either be an optional upgrade path for people or B) they can choose the fully fabricated version from the start if they don't want to run the flimsy 96-98' bumper.
- I also know that the 99-02" fat lip bumpers have a very similar mounting point to the 96-98' bumper. There is a very high possibility (especially if we have the demand) that we will be able to accommodate the top half of the 99-02 fat lip bumper in the same way as we do with the 96-98' bumper with some tweaks to the mounting points. Our thinking initially was that the 96-98 bumper looks better (especially when we have the brackets to mount 2x LED pods in the turn signal openings) and it natively has a greater approach angle than the 99-02 bumper.


Hope that makes sense and answers your questions!


Appreciate all the good questions and feedback everyone! Please keep it coming!

 

[Endlessblockades]

Yes!! Please help those of us with duck-lips to de-puff. I would either buy a full solution from you or a version based on the LTD upper lip. A front hitch would be cool but not a deal-breaker. I am working on a home-made hitch-based camp table that might be nice to have up front. Also, the ability to mount a friend's MTB rack for those shuttle runs would be sick.

Bikes on both ends!

 

[5 Speed Dave]

Congratulations on ALL your effort! That's a great looking bumper and I would be interested in one for my daily driver. I like the reduced weight while keeping the strength, off road function and clean factory appearance. Great Job!

 

[fourfive]

My truck is actually a 00' 4Runner, so yes it will fit with 99-02' trucks. Our thoughts are that if you want the lightest possible version - you buy our bumper kit and source a 96-98' bumper to work with it. They are ~$100 on RockAuto for a new one or you can source one from a wrecker. This ensures the bumper fits all 96-02' 4Runners.
- Alternatively if you have a 99-02' we will soon be offering a fully fabricated replacement for the 96-98' "chrome bumper" that will bolt to the same mounts.

If I understood you correctly, your bumper will bolt directly to 99-02 mounts without modifications?

Not naming any names but will your bumper have any love for 3rd gens with 2" body lifts?

Front receiver hitch would be a very cool option.

 

[rickashay]

Yes!! Please help those of us with duck-lips to de-puff. I would either buy a full solution from you or a version based on the LTD upper lip. A front hitch would be cool but not a deal-breaker. I am working on a home-made hitch-based camp table that might be nice to have up front. Also, the ability to mount a friend's MTB rack for those shuttle runs would be sick.

Bikes on both ends!

Dual bike racks would be nice for sure. Another +1 for the front hitch.

Congratulations on ALL your effort! That's a great looking bumper and I would be interested in one for my daily driver. I like the reduced weight while keeping the strength, off road function and clean factory appearance. Great Job!

Awesome, glad to hear others out there like the use-case!

If I understood you correctly, your bumper will bolt directly to 99-02 mounts without modifications?

Not naming any names but will your bumper have any love for 3rd gens with 2" body lifts?

Front receiver hitch would be a very cool option.

You will need to trim the flaps on the end of the frame rails. Similar to the Coastal Offroad bumper installation. It's literally a 5 minute job with a grinder and no structural components are removed. We would be including all of this information in the installation video & instructions but otherwise it's a factory fit. We will be recommending that a single hole be drilled through the frame rail as an additional through-bolt. It will install without it but it will be recommended.

2" bodylift was an initial consideration. We like that nothing changes on the bumper itself between the 0" and 1" bodylift trucks other than which holes you use to mount up the OEM bumper skin to. We stopped at 1" because making the mounting points work for the 2"+ bodylifts all within the same mounting bracket, started to ruin the aesthetic when used on a non-bodylift truck (this will be the primary market). So at this time, no options for a 2" bodylift but if we get enough requests it could certainly be added to the line-up later.

Loving all the feedback. I'll keep posting more as things progress.

 

[Simmer]

There is a very high possibility (especially if we have the demand) that we will be able to accommodate the top half of the 99-02 fat lip bumper in the same way as we do with the 96-98' bumper with some tweaks to the mounting points. Our thinking initially was that the 96-98 bumper looks better (especially when we have the brackets to mount 2x LED pods in the turn signal openings) and it natively has a greater approach angle than the 99-02 bumper.

Definitely demand/interest. Would love a way to incorporate a winch but retain the factory "fat-lip" bumper look. Great work guys!

 

[MarkamisPrime]

Yes to all of the above

 

[rickashay]

Bumping this back.

Working on some final adjustments before it goes to cutting for the prototype. I’ve been trying to find a clean 99+ OEM bumper valance to model that variation but have not turned any up as of yet.

Working on the OEM bumper valance replacement in the background as well. I’ll have some initial sketches up soon for some feedback on that.

 

[Endlessblockades]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Are you still in Nelson? I get up to BC when I can (haven't for a year+ of course), but usually the Sunshine Coast/Squamish area (thinking about pick-up options rather than shipping if this goes live/retail).

Good luck with the project

Edit - BC is a big territory and would cost me another $200 in gas - it would be a nice trip, but I'll opt for shipping if that day comes...

 

[rickashay]

Cool! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Are you still in Nelson? I get up to BC when I can (haven't for a year+ of course), but usually the Sunshine Coast/Squamish area (thinking about pick-up options rather than shipping if this goes live/retail).

Good luck with the project

Edit - BC is a big territory and would cost me another $200 in gas - it would be a nice trip, but I'll opt for shipping if that day comes...

Yes, still out in Nelson. Would be rad to meetup if you’re even in the neighbourhood. Good biking and wheeling/camping in these parts


UPDATE

A couple notes…

I’ll post pics of the receiver tube cutout below the winch plate when I get back on my computer.

Bumper had to have a fairly large revision once showing the plans to the shop who will be manufacturing them with us. Aesthetically it will barely change but that’s where the delay is coming from on my end.

Hoping to have the #1 cut in the next 10 days.

Next steps:

- Begin working on the “fat lip” version for the 99-02’ OEM bumper valence
- Complete the full “off-road” replacement version (will be available in both steel and aluminum) and will be interchangeable on the bumper with either of the factory versions (so you can even upgrade later if you want)
- Work on brackets to mount LED pods in the factory turn signal locations on both the 96-98’ and 99’-02’ bumper variants

Also have a slider design that I’m just about done. I will share that pretty quick here as well to gather some feedback.

 

[rickashay]

I'm liking the along the oem design too.
How bout incorporating a 2" front receiver option?

Second on adding a front receiver hitch. For folks who are allergic to weight having a receiver mounted winch is a great solution.

Will this be compatible with typical aftermarket skids (like Savage)?

If I understood you correctly, your bumper will bolt directly to 99-02 mounts without modifications?

Not naming any names but will your bumper have any love for 3rd gens with 2" body lifts?

Front receiver hitch would be a very cool option.

Yes to all of the above

See update above. We made a provision under the winch plate to mount a 2” receiver tube. I’ll have some screenshots before the end of the weekend.

 

[MarkamisPrime]

Yes, still out in Nelson. Would be rad to meetup if you’re even in the neighbourhood. Good biking and wheeling/camping in these parts


UPDATE

A couple notes…

I’ll post pics of the receiver tube cutout below the winch plate when I get back on my computer.

Bumper had to have a fairly large revision once showing the plans to the shop who will be manufacturing them with us. Aesthetically it will barely change but that’s where the delay is coming from on my end.

Hoping to have the #1 cut in the next 10 days.

Next steps:

- Begin working on the “fat lip” version for the 99-02’ OEM bumper valence
- Complete the full “off-road” replacement version (will be available in both steel and aluminum) and will be interchangeable on the bumper with either of the factory versions (so you can even upgrade later if you want)
- Work on brackets to mount LED pods in the factory turn signal locations on both the 96-98’ and 99’-02’ bumper variants

Also have a slider design that I’m just about done. I will share that pretty quick here as well to gather some feedback.

Can’t wait to see these.