That look tough. Looks like it would plow down zombies haha

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All right fellas, ARB has arrived!! Holy bajeezus, this thing is redonkulous, I love it! Came in the usual giant crate, bolted to the bottom with 4 lag screws and then a smaller box inside with all the extra install goodies.

This will be a much more involved project than the hour or so it took to do my truck (with only one friend to help); will need at least two men (and maybe a horse) to do this... I was right tho; the bumper itself weights around 175lb but the brackets and other hardware, skidplate, etc... it for certain rings in at every bit of 250lbs I'm betting.

hee hee hee....


did a pretty good job of filling my Taco bed....



pulled the cardboard deal off and began pulling it off the bed:


hahaha! armor at it's finest....


yeah, so this was an understatement, hahahaha!

the install manual online is 20 pages.... jeez....

here's all the goodies layed out....


these suckers are heavy, maybe 20lbs?? crikey...



and some nice new turn signals.....



and ye ole skid plate, woo hoo!

That is GORGEOUS!

I may pick your brain in the future about that tool bag. I have a Consew 226 industrial sewing machine sitting here doing nothing. I want to make myself some seat covers and bags to. gotta learn to sew first though I guess!

install party at your house on saturday?

will be glad to send you designs that will be easy to sew; recommend just sewing as much stuff as you can to get used to the machine and it's capabilities. A lot of the first stuff you make may not impress you very much but you will get much better the more you sew.

I look at stuff I made 10 years ago and think, wow, what garbage; but in reality it just 'looks' crappy, it's actually pretty strong; just pulled out a very old chest rig I made for shotgun shooting and used it the last two weekends and was pretty happy.

Any sewing advice I can give just ask; I can give you reputable suppliers and advice on fabric/thread, etc....

most industrial repair shops will offer some 'under the table' instruction for your machine for a small price. worth it!

I'm seriously considering it! I want this joker on soon and out of my (cluttered) garage. I think I have all the tools, will need to add a friend for some muscle but I think a short day will have this thing up and runnin'.

I need to look thru all of the instructions better and figure out if I'm missing anything, I think I need some caulking adhesive and some other random garbage; also have to find someone local to add to the party to help out.

shoot me a text tomorrow, but I've been putting out the word so should be able to get an install party set up soon. I pay in beer or whatever works!

Thanks vital!

oh, and no winch going on, but stock fog lights to wire in and the new turn signals, license plate are the only 'add ons' for now.... the instructions showed drilling holes on the vehicle but no welding so should be fine. I don't have a big floor jack, might want one of those but I do have my new hi-lift and a few jack stands... instructions said up to 25mm socket???? not sure what that's about... got some reading to do tomorrow...

OK, I have at least one other maybe for Saturday, Vital, you wanna come lug on this beast with me? Saturday is lookin' good. (other than the weather....) some say clouds but reading we might be getting some rain.

Got nowhere to do this inside but will throw up my canopy and tarp off of the garage and we can stay mostly dry. I plan on pulling all the crap off the front and have everything ready to go by friday night.

Dang I wan't one!!! Cant wait to see pics!!! I am planning on this also but getting the important stuff done first then I will have one....oh I will

OK, got started! got rained on for a good 3 or 4 hours today doing this, didn't help things much but whatever...

I do want to take this opportunity to wish bad things on whoever used an impact gun on my stock skid plate (5 bolts, 12mm), I used breaker bar, 6 point socket, no avail... finally busted out my own impact gun and jacked up the frame to clear the extension to get at it; broke the bolt but got it out and will be able to have about 1/4" of clearance when I install a new bolt. Pretty sure torque spec on skid plate bolts is not 300 ft/lbs.....

Not even going to mess with pics and photobucket right now but will post the finished project tomorrow, install to be completed then.

Pulled the plastic 'bumper' off, lower inner fender trim panels, the 'real' bumper, a crossbeam and hose, and mounted the brackets up to the chassis.

Got started on the bumper a little, got the turn signals in (which won't work until I tap into the existing ones, Tundras are a bit different). Some of the install instructions are a little bit different but so far all is fitting good. I wasn't real happy with the turn signal mounts tho, 2 weak plastic snaps and screws, and there's a gap when looking from above.... might need to mod that later.... just seems weak, completely unlike everything else on this so far...


need to pull the fog lights from the stock plastic crap and mount them into the ARB and wire them up, install skidplates and brace, fit bumper, tighten and go!

I did have to remove the transmission cooler cover/air inductor thingamajigger, I might relocate the tranny cooler about an inch or so to the right so if I do impact anything, the bracket won't smoosh it; the mounting bracket (pass side btw...) is only about an inch and change from the cooler, should be too easy to move it over and possibly re-install the cover.

Anyway, wet and cold, it's pizza and beer thirty, gonna call it a night; tomorrow back at it and then some pics. (lots of 'em too, beware....)

I'll be there buddy. Just need to make a dump run at 9.

Those sequoias are awesome, my mom has one and I absolutely love driving that thing. The most comfy vehicle I have ridden in. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

They ARE great! can't believe and totally don't understand why there are not more of these and more who want one. It is a smooth giant cadillac for sure.... Fairly capable offroad rig... fills a lot of rolls very well... muscle car, soccer mom car, camping/offroad assault rig... you name it!

I guess the number one reason would be the $$ although an equivalent suburban or expedition isn't really any cheaper... With all the Tundras rolling around, just don't get the lack of Sequoias. anywhooo...

Install complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pics coming in a sec...

Too lazy to do a full write up at the moment but by tomorrow I should have a good one complete. here's some teasers....

Before.....


AFTER !!! hahhaaa!


need to do the fog light inserts and mess with the stock skid plate with how it mates up to the stone guard but all is done! Now for some IPF lights..... and wire up the turn signals....

so with the extra weight, before and after ground to fender height only dropped 1/4", not lying there; hardly moved the suspension. In due time I'm expecting more sag of course but no rub or any issues. did a 10 min test drive today and she does great.

And a huge thanks to Vital for the help today! Had 4 of us working this joker today, certainly recommend at least 3 to do this install.

Anyway, tired and my wireless isn't working so gonna veg out on the couch and do the write up tomorrow.... I took quite a few pics, gonna try and put it together in a detailed job so future Sequoia owners can benefit.

Woooo Hooooo!!!

Looks tough!!

sweet them 5.7's have some power i got headers intake exhaust on mine

Haha glad to help. Its the truck looks great. Next time we'll have a tuning party and get the taco and my truck dialed in better.

OK, will start with some initial removal of the stock junk front end....

Skid plate off first, 5 bolts; 3 in rear, two front on crossbrace. Someone used and impact gun on these, jeez. They are 12mm.

lower inner fender liners were the first thing to go; these do not get re-used. Here's a side shot also showing the stock plastic 'bumper'


lower inner fender liner; just held in with 3 plastic tabs; two have 'screw' slots but are worthless. Pull the center piece with a screwdriver out about 1/4" and then pry on the whole thing, comes out clean.



removed the trim below headlights; two plastic tabs on each towards the center, pull straight out; the small rectangular deal is some sort of add on that I don't have and not really sure what it is but carefully removed with a small screwdriver on the release tabs.

Also, I did disconnect the neg battery terminal to avoid any airbag deployment! could not find the fuse so just yoinked it all to be safe.

removed the bumper cover/trim, held in place with 7 or 8 plastic tabs; same deal, pry the center part up first and then the whole rivet thing pulls out clean. Here's the real bumper, some alloy crap held on with M12 flange nuts (3 each side?)



the stock mounts get removed, these are held on with large flange nuts also, 14mm wrench for those; flange nuts do get re-used here, save them for the new mounts.



also, had all my bolts from the bag install kit layed out and organized with my instructions....



Remove stock tow hooks, two 17mm nuts, these also get reused.

also, there is a thin stamped bracket accross the front holding a hose line, remove connectors for the hoses to free hose, then use 10mm socket to remove the 5 flange nuts holding it in place; This DOES fit back into place, but set aside until the bumper itself is on initially at least.





This thing got in the way of the pass side bracket, thought about trimming it but decided to just get rid of it altogether; it's a 'guard' for the tranny cooler radiator.



bracket fitted up...

oops, 6 nuts holding that small brace...

Now here's where the tundra/sequoia instructions differ; the chassis nut (large rectangular chunk) that goes thru the frame and is secured with the super long bolts provided is installed backwards on the sequoia; the nut will be on the bracket, not from the other side; the frame must be different from the tundras.... does the same thing tho, no issue...

here it is with the 8mm plate installed as a 'washer' or spacer.

I believe that one was an 18mm wrench, no room for a socket either

didn't take much pics of the lights intalling into the new bumper but it's pretty straightforward; install the OE fog lights to the new bracket provided, bolt it to the bumper from the inside with the adjustment screw fitted in there; I still have not put the plastic inserts in yet, cut the centers out and then they get glued in to the bumper hole with sikaflex or whatever it's called... later...



this is the bracket you install the OE fog lamps too...


the other turn signal lights, the original screws and clips do not get reused; take them apart and pop the nuts into the inside of the bumper and use the new (shorter) screws to secure them; pretty loose/crappy IMO but they are inside and protected at least. The other funny thing is that I don't have turn signals down there on the OE bumper so they are just there for show until I wire them to the existing ones located in the headlight cluster.

then it was go time, the distance between outside of brackets needs to be 930mm (36.6"). Leave the nuts on the brackets loose enough for some wiggle room. This is where you need a couple of people to help, get the bumper positioned and with at least two people holding it, and one pounding and pushing with a rubber mallet, shimmy the bumper onto the brackets and get it roughly aligned; start your bolts to secure the bumper to relieve the two 'holders'...

The bumper secures to the brackets with 3 large bolts on each side; then it's tighten brackets snug, start tightening the 3 bolts on the bumper itself and use a hammer and man strength to get the bumper aligned and straight; should be a 25mm (1") gap or so; get them even on each side and torque your brackets, final check, then torque the 3 bumper bolts on each side.

in progress...



Then the skid plate, jeez....