jx94148

Last weekend I was winching a pretty heavily loaded 3rd 4Runner up a steep hill and my Rockstomper front bumper bent pretty badly.

Exibit A


You can see that it creased right above the mounting bolts and below the vertical triangle brace thats supposed to prevent this (I guess). The triangle is just a bit too short.

I was worried about the lack of front to back stability when I was installing the thing but there were no instructions to follow so I just kind of winged it. I decided to drill the bumper right above where it bolts to the frame crossmember to utilize the stock bumper mount holes. You can see here that the stock mounts bent right along with the bumper.


When I got back home and had time I drove up to Longmont to visit the shop and see what they had to say about it. Scott, the owner of the shop, came out and looked at it. He asked where the braces were. I don't know any thing about braces. It must have been written with invisible ink in the non exsistant instructions. The bumper came with 2 24inch pieces of angle stock and 4 weld on bolt tabs and some hardware, I had no idea what to do with these parts so I didn't use them. Scott said that this is why it bent and its my fault for not not installing it properly. He offered to give me new braces and suggested that I use a Hi Lift jack to straighten out the bent part. :rolleyes: He also suggested that I cut holes in the body on either side of the radiator and weld 2 of the tabs to the frame near the motor mounts or steering box and idler arm. I know now that I will have to have some welding done but I really don't want to cut up the body to make this thing work.

I'm now thinking about using the front body mounts to gain the front and back stability I need. Then I would only have to weld 2 tabs to the bumper and fab up some flat pieces to tie into the body mounts to bolt the other ends of the braces to. That will be a lot easier and less ugly than cutting holes and welding tabs in the engine room. I'll also have the vertical triangle enlargened to go all of the way down the the bottom of the bumper and all of the way forward to the front edge of the horizontal flat area, how It should have been when it was made. I'll also have some turn signal and liscence plate mounts welded on so I can ditch the zip ties. Then it might actually be finished and ready to re-paint and re-install.

I won't be buying any more fabricated pieces from Rockstomper because everyone I know that has their stuff like skidplates, rock sliders, bumpers, etc says that they had to do extensive modifications to both truck and fabed part to make them work properly. And there are no instructions included with anything they make. I think they think that everyone in the world is a mechanical genious or a mind reader and that instructions are for idiots. I did get a High Lift from them because its not something they made and they have better prices on them than anyone else around here. (And it does come with instructions) I may also get a snatch strap from them but that's about it.

I'm currently talking with Bill Morgan on ODW, he lives in Littleton, CO, relativly close to me, also has a RS front bumper on his 1st gen 4Runner, and just bought a welder. We are bouncing ideas off of each other and together we will come up with a solution to this rediculous problem on RS bumpers.

Buyer beware... Rockstomper, A decent start that you get to finish. That should be their motto. Thanks Steve Scheafer for giving that one to me.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

That is a bummer Matt that it bent so easily like that.
That is not something I'd want to happen to my ARB, but I don't think it will with the way it's mounted.

Already winched two vehicles with it. One up a hill, and another bad stuck out of a snow drift.

Judging from the way Bill's 1st gen looks, I'm sure you guy's will end up with it looking nice afterwards.
He's got a very cherry 1st gen.

If you do decide in the future to go with another one, but don't want ARB or TJM, the guy who made my sliders makes awesome looking bumpers.

http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/tando/f...e_more_day.jpg

http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/tando/sliderz/e.jpg

http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/tando/sliderz/f.jpg

http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/tando/sliderz/g.jpg

http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/tando/sliderz/h.jpg

The last one would look good on your rig.
All his bumpers feature hidden winch mounts too, so your winch won't get kiped.
He ships anywhere.

jx94148

I won't be buying another bumper, just fixing the one I have. I have read as much as I can find about arc welding from the library and online. Now i'm ready to make sparks fly. By friend's welder has yet to be dug out of the back of his very cluttered garage. His son's furniture is blocking access to it and we have both been too busy to get together and un-bury it.

I kinda straightened the bumper by nudging a cemented cart corral at the grocery store parking lot. It looks ok now but its really weak. Whan I grab it and pull or push it moves a lot. I'm thinking i'll add 4 full gussets to the bottom instead of just adding to the existing 2. Today i'll be taking it off and putting what's left of the stock bumper back on to hold the winkers and liscence plate. All of the yellow paint is coming off today as well. I'll be back to square 1 on this mod and ready to do it right.

jx94148

I finally got around to having some work done on this thing, I just got it back moments ago. I had some full legnth gussets added to that lower area where it bent, along with a new 2x thicker backing plate. I had the guy weld on some tabs for the turn signals and bolts for the liscence plate to mount on to. Bye bye zip ties. Anyway, sorry I don't have pictures yet. I have to hurry up and get it drilled, painted and re installed before tomorrow at 8 AM when I leave for a trail ride to Carnage Canyon. I may really need the winch on this trail so I MUST get it on NOW.

Pictures will be up later, maybe Monday. Gotta run.

Matt

PS If any Colorado members want to join in tomorrows run meet at the trailhead at 10 AM. Its me and about 5 jeepers I met on Colorado4x4.org forum. Check the Staging area board there for details.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Cool Matt.
Did the red chille man help you?

If so, did you get anymore pics of his nice 1st gen?
Corey

SteveO

I would agree about the bumper bit. I purchased the Quick Discos from them, and I can tell you (as well as many other people) they are crap. I have broken 4 Heim joints just on the street. I called them up and asked for replacements. They stated they would send them out, but I never received them. Figured it wasn't worth my time. I did purchase the hinge from them, however I don't think they make the hinge. I used the hinge in my rear bumper, and it was been working great. Even with the tire holding a great deal of the vehicle weight (transfered to the hinge) it did very well in Las Cruces.
http://www.Hunt4Steve.com/99_4Runner_Buildup.htm
(at this time 16:15MST, yahoo webhosting is having issues)

Steve

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Hi Steve, I'd just like to butt in here for a second
I now reconize your rig after posted the "huntforsteve" link.
I have been on your site before checking out all of your mods.

Several of us in the past were checking out your rig and mods you have done to it.
Very nice.
Corey

SteveO

I have been working on it for some time. I have not had a chance to update the website with the lastest fixes, such as the ARB, 4.88 Yukon gears, Powertank, etc. However, when I do, I'll let y'all know. I'm trying to get ready for Las Cruces in February. Hopefully, the IFS will handle it. I figure if I can pick the right line, and take it easy, I should do all-right.

SteveO

Robinhood150

Where did the heim joints break? where it threads on the rod? where the ball is?

Steve

jx94148

I need a break for a minute while the paint dries. It's still going to be the brightest yellow I could find. I'm actually a little excited to own this POS front bumper again.

I never did hook up with Bill Morgan on ODW to get input on what to do. We never could find a time that was good for both of us and its a 1 hour drive to his house from mine one way.

I happened to cover a shift at another store here in town and met a guy who is into wheeling as much or more than I am. He just bought a MIG welder and was looking for projects to break it in. He had taken 2 community college classes on ARC and MIG so I let him have the bumper for a few days. He brought it back in 500% better shape than it was in when took it. Its still not as good as I want it to be for REALLY heavy pulls but it is easily good enough for any self recovery or pulling of CJs or Wranglers off of rocks like I might have to do tomorrow.

I'm sure the paint is dry enough now. Out come the work lights for my after dark wrenching session. See you guys later.

justinh

steve are you running the ORS manual hub conversion kit on your 3rd gen?

SteveO

Yeah, I had them install them. ORS has some new axles and stuff they are now putting on the kits. However, when I went up there, they didn't have the stuff. They stated that the Taco axles are actually stronger then the 4Runner axles ,so they put these on. The rest of the kit is the ORS kit that they are selling in the latest Performance Products catalog (P71). When you think about it, is is actually a pretty good price. I was going to have Mark's Off-Road center do this setup for me, but Clay (who works in the shop and occassionally answers phones) coudl't get his poop together. I paid them a month in advance for the parts, and as the date got closer, the price started to go up, and they still didn't have the parts together. Then, Mark stated that he didn't remember giving me a quote. IF YOU DO ANY BUSINESS WITH THEM, GET A QUOTE FROM MARK IN WRITING WITH HIS LETTERHEAD ON THE QUOTE! :pat: This will ensure he can't back out of a price that he stated earlier. AFter it was all said and done. I lost about 250 bones to Mark's shop for supposed (restocking fees) and went to ORS. At any rate, I'm very pleased with ORS's work. They took a little longer than expected, but isn't that the way it works anyhow? I always tell my wife a couple of hours and 6 hours later, I'm just finishing up.

So, to answer your question, ORS did install the manual hubs with Warn Premium hubs. I'll have some pics on my website pretty soon.

SteveO