Squiddy

OK, after going round and round looking for anew rear bumper (e.g. I don't feel like dropping $700 for Wern's) I figure I'll get a smittybilt TB80RH (as confirmed on forums here). However the only price I can find on line is now bout $280 (from the Partsbin.com ubergroup). Anyone know of any better?

Thanks. In the meantime I eagerly await arrival of a new OME suspension

surfersr5

go to autowherehouse.com!

dcg9381

Marlin and all pro both carry rear bumpers - not smitty though...

bktaco

i have a smitty that i would sell. its in good condition, no dents/scratches/rust, and is bolted up to my 85 runner. PM me if you are interested, i am in no hurry but i will be posting it on the auction forum soon. it has the hitch reciever.

Intrepid

I would recommend ANYTHING but Smittybuilt bumpers, they are huge, they hang too low, and they aren't that strong. Go with Marlin or All Pro. I had a smittybuilt rear on my 4runner and I hated it, not to mention it dented, smashed, and somewhat fell apart. I was so excited to get rid of it.

86Original

I have one. It's dented, scratched (only on the bottom ) and hangs too low for rock crawling. But it works great for towing my popup camper. I think you have to ask what it will be used for. If you'll be doing a bunch of rock crawling, you'll want something that has a better departure angle. If not, it will probably work great.

Squiddy

All -- thanks much for the imput. As I am mostly a mountain/fireroad/beach user at this point, hopefully will do OK with this, for now. Also, lazy amidst other projects and don't feel like cutting or moving the spare for the moment. Feedback to follow

all_terrain17

I gots a Smittybilt rear bumper, and it has gotten me and my friends out of a lot trouble...

Don't like the way it looks though, much to bulky and heavy. It's also starting to rust from around the ends

Go for a marlin crawler bumper or a Warn rear bumper. Looks much less bulky and more functional.

86Original

A compounding problem with the Smittybilt is that it has too much slop in the mounting holes. Thus, if your back end ends up resting on the bumper (dropping off a shelf while rock crawling), the mounting brackets push up into the tailgate and dent the bottom of it.

drew303

I don't run a bumper, instead I drive very carefully. Only hit my ass once dropping into mud, off a ledge, into mud way deeper then anticapated. I run one OEM bumper mount for a tow hook point.

Workn great so far ;-)




In all truth I care less about the bed, its gettin chucked and im puttin on a custom flat bed. No sense having all the heavy sheet metal to just get banged up and look like crap.

amgraham

Here's mine after getting rearended by a Camry doing about 40 mph (I was stationary):



This is why I will never run without a strong rear bumper on the street. It would have been totaled without that bumper. It bent the mounts slightly and pulled the framerails down slightly as well. I say it's a great choice for street, towing, and light wheeling. Heavier wheeling it hits coming off every obstacle and will dent. Here's a pic at full flex to show how little clearance there is:



I'm gonna bob the lower bars and move the mounts up within the next couple weeks to get some more clearance out of it till I can afford to build the bumper I want.

Numbchux

Where are you located? I've got a Genuine Steel one that looks identical to the smittybilt one. dual tube, with 2" receiver. came on the truck, and I'll be replacing it with an all-pro one designed for the body lift...when that stage of the build comes up.

if you happen to be in MN, or close, I'd be willing to sell it for pretty cheap. but don't think it'd be worth trying to ship.

Squiddy

Thanks everybody!

I am in Mass (which I regret!), but thanks for the bumper offer anyway.
I'd agree with everyone's inpu about the SB's -- too clunky. Like the Warns, but awfully expensive -- so now leaning towards Marlin Crawlers - despite the hefty lead time. Not sure if anyone has experience with BadLands? Mind you I e-mailed them and they never replied...
...BTW, I had tried to order a Smitty through Autowarehouse, and what a mess -- after 30 minutes on line being told they had it, would ship it, etc, turned out they didn't. Would avoid them for stuff like this (fine for minor parts).

86Original

I wish I had a SB one on about 13 years ago when I got rearended. I had the stock chrome step bumper at that time. It messed up my tailgate and a little of my lower rear quarter panel. Their insurance paid for the repair at a Toy dealership.

I agree that it's great for street, towing, and light wheeling. I had it for a couple of years w/o scratching it. It wasn't 'til I started dropping off ~3-foot rock ledges that it started to be a problem You can see mine dragging in the pictures of Moab Rim's Z-Ledges in my profile, linked in my sig. There you climb about 6 feet of ledges in one shot, so the rear bumper was draggin', fer shur.