*REVIEW* Artec Industries Venture Bumper

[ironguy]

This is an interesting thread and I am glad to see there isn't a bunch of finger pointing and rash judgments. The company seems to have made some significant changes in communication,packaging,fabrication and fitting not to mention the obvious elimination of MIG spatter.
I have never dealt with Artec but I have say their commitment to customer satisfaction seems genuine and resulted in a better product with much improved two way communication.

 

[barongan]

Great review, thanks for sharing

 

[Globetrotter78]

Thought for sure I posted these but it would seem not. Perhaps in another thread.

I got my Artec bumper installed with very little issue (other than the weight with the winch UGH). The install was even easier than planned since I had already done the "high clearance bumper cut". The OEM crash bar basically dropped right out the bottom eliminating the need to remove the factory cover, I made my cut for the Artec and notched the hood latch for the winch clearance and she bolted right up. It was definitely a two person job with the added weight of a winch but nothing of note. I am very very pleased with my bumper and the service I received!!

As you can tell I also had a buddy weld on a bull/push bar for aesthetics and a bit of help with larger brush. Artec doesn't offer the option and I personally just really like the look, especially since it projects forward a bit instead of just upright like the SSOs and such.

 

[Globetrotter78]

Does anyone know if these bumpers play nice with the TSS sensor on the 2020?

These bumpers don't have a bull bar option and its typically the bull bar height that interferes. That said, these should be perfectly fine.

 

[socomanche]

Great bumper and A-Arm Skids

I bought the venture without the light bar cutout right around Valentine's day while they had 14% off. It came with a "free" pair of a-arm skids and a sweet necklace I gave to my 10 year old daughter. I was very pleased with getting all three items shipped to my house all in for about $580. I don't know if there's better bang for the buck out there for a winch bumper AND a-arm skids. Everything arrived within 10 days of ordering which was great. I didn't have a winch when it arrived, but wanted to mount it anyway, so I got it mounted sans winch until the winch arrived. I pulled it off, and remounted it when the winch arrived. The winch with the control box mounted on top of it was 13.75" tall, and it fit perfectly without issue. Other than re-mounting the bumper with the winch solo using a floor jack, the only trouble I ran into was getting the three outer bolts on each mount tightened up. They're just tough to access. I don't see how any other low profile bumper on the market would be easier when it comes to these bolts though. I ended up getting an adjustable angle socket wrench which actually made a world of difference, and I had to use my jack to support the bumper to line each bolt up well enough to make the tightening easier. When mounting the bumper with the winch using the jack, I found that it was easier to mount without using the hangers because I could guide the bumper right against the mount plates and then jack it to the exact height to get the first two bolts in.

I actually like how integrated (and almost stock) the bumper looks on the 4runner. I ended up getting some perfect match silver to paint it to make it look even more subtle. I'm sure others would want it to stand out more, and you can do that too with whatever color you choose.

Overall, I don't have any side by side comparison experience with another low profile bumper, but I feel like I don't need one because I'm plenty satisfied with this bumper. The installation video Artec has tells you everything you need to know to install. Great bumper!

 

[DAF54]

What winch did you go with?

 

[socomanche]

winch used

What winch did you go with?

Hopefully, I don't get too much flack for admitting this, but I was on a tight budget and bought a generic winch off ebay for $270. Seems to work well thus far. No issues with the remote, and I was able to pull a truck up my inclined driveway with it without issue. Easy install and operation thus far.

Electric Winch 12000LBS 12V Synthetic Rope Towing Truck Off-Road Jeep 4WD | eBay

 

[Metal Head]

Has anyone else had recent experience with these? Wondering if the QC issues have been sorted.

 

[Chvscks319]

Anyone have any experience with their "lite" version?

 

[Waepek]

Just about to pull the trigger on this bumper. Anyone got any recent experience installing or quality issues?

 

[StrykerT4R]

Great fit, no issues

Hey Waepek. I installed one of these last year and it has been great. I haven't had any fitment issues and did not have to use the shims that were included with the bumper. I had mine powder coated dark gray. I chose not to install a light and use the light bar cut out during the operation of my winch. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!

 

[Waepek]

Hey Waepek. I installed one of these last year and it has been great. I haven't had any fitment issues and did not have to use the shims that were included with the bumper. I had mine powder coated dark gray. I chose not to install a light and use the light bar cut out during the operation of my winch. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!

Does it come with any bracket for mounting a light bar??

 

[StrykerT4R]

It doesn't look like it. I attached a couple of pics from my unboxing and I don't see any type of bracket on the sides of the bumper.

 

[Waepek]

It doesn't look like it. I attached a couple of pics from my unboxing and I don't see any type of bracket on the sides of the bumper.

Thanks for posting pictures. So how do you mount a light bar?? hwell:

 

[StrykerT4R]

Looking at other company's bumpers, looks like they include mounting brackets that are pre-welded in. If you want an Artec bumper, maybe you should contact Artec and see if they can provide that option, or you may need to pick another bumper.

 

[Waepek]

Looking at other company's bumpers, looks like they include mounting brackets that are pre-welded in. If you want an Artec bumper, maybe you should contact Artec and see if they can provide that option, or you may need to pick another bumper.

Called them and yes they come with mounting bracket for light bar.
Placed the order. Cant wait!!!

 

[Waepek]

Anyone running TRD Pro skid plate on these bumpers?

 

[StrykerT4R]

Hey, I was walking by my rig this weekend and stuck my finger in the light bar cut out and noticed that it did have a preinstalled light bar mount! It wasn't evident in the pics I sent you but it is there. Hope everything works out for you!