Lee, Join the crowd! I have been wanting to replace that piece but it looks like a major operation to get to it. If you (or anyone else) do this on your own it would make a good write-up. I am sure this is common for 3rd gen owners to get that piece dented.

 

Check out rockauto.com. I own a small car lot / rebuilder lot and we order tons of stuff from them (and it is usually cheaper than my local venders at my discount prices). I did a quick search for you and it looks like the center section is only $78.00 in chrome before shipping. I just got done ordering all the front end parts (except hood $$$$ for shipping) for a 99 tacoma, had them all in 3 days, and saved over $350.00 from my local venders that I get a 25-30 percent discount from. Just a thought, check them out.

 

wow, thanks! sounds great! up to now, lowest i got was 110 before shipping.

4runner4christ, looks like you need to replace the plastic piece too!

im going to take a look and figure it out for myself, once i get the new piece, which wont be till i get my appraisal on the 12th.

ill let you know what i come up with.

 

I can't see that the removal and install would really be that bad. I had to take one of my side wings off and it was pretty easy...I think barring any really rusted bolts, you would:
-remove the rear flare mud flap
-remove the tow hitch (may not be necessary, but would sure help access)
-from the bottom, use a large flat bladed screw driver or a punch or drift and begin popping the plastic center piece out
-once part way loose, use a pry bar or the same large screw driver and pry it the rest of the way off. IIRC, there is one tab on the top of each side wing that takes some work to get off
-remove the side wing
-unbolt the center section and remove it

For installing the new pieces, work in reverse order, but leave the center plastic piece and mud flaps for last. Also, don't tighten the center piece more than just finger tight until you have the side pieces on and finger-tight. Make sure eerything lines up and is even top-to-bottom and left-to-right. There shouldn't be much more to it than that, other than dealing with rusty hardware a few days ahead of time...

 

I know this seems ghetto can you get a piece of wood from the back
and hammer out the depression.?

 

If it makes you feel better, mine was dented, and I did the wood and hammer thing.

Worked out okay.

 

Why go to the Insurance Company i the first place?

With the part that cheap, I would have replaced it without their knowing, and kept my insurance rates down. Even though it wasn't your fault, it still counts in their eyes as a claim.

 

i didnt think it would raise rates, and my insurance agent said it wont. im hoping this is true.

its easy, and ill get much more money. im probably just gonna keep the money and buy my daystar lift at last.

 

Don't pay anybody to install your bumper, its a piece of cake do it yourself and save even more money. I saw a few bumpers on ebay.

 

yea, if i do decide to get the piece ill definitely try myself first. ill drive out to my parents house and use their driveway.

 

PLEASE! Dont even bother replacing the bumper, it is sooo minor. Use the the money for mods or something fun. The wood trick works very good, if you need to, take the bumper off so you can get at the back of the dent. A little brut force goes a long way.
You could also just give it a complamentary dent on the other side of the bumper
My 2 cents

 

Lee,

Personally, I think that dent is not that bad. You've been in Boston long enough to know that it will most likely happen again. My poor Civic got dented, scraped, etc more in the two years I was there than the previous 4 years I had it in LA I'd say take the insurance money and use it for something else if that is legally permissable, which I think it is once the check is cut.

I like the other suggestions from other members to buy a more stout bumper. If the same thing happened to me, I'd probably buy one of Sonoran's bumpers or ask if BruceTS could build me one of his

Bob

 

yea, as time passes, im thinking ill just buy a daystar lift with the money i get.

all depends on the amount they give me.

thanks for the input fellas, ill let you know what happens.

 

Just be careful keeping the money. I just got into a fender bender and when the check came form the insurance company, it also came with a form for the body shop to fill out, sign and send back to the insurance co. Without it, it is considered fraud.

Be careful!

 

bump.

thats not true. it says you can turn it in so that the value of your car wont go down in the ins. company's eyes. thats it. you do NOT have to get it repaired.

anyway, while i insisted on getting OEM, the guy said with cars over 20K miles, they cannot (software wont allow?) put OEM unless an aftermarket part is unavailable.

so i bitched for a while, and he was like "ok ok, hang on, youll be ok, just give me a minute".

he ended up saying i needed a new pad too (the plastic thing on top of the chrome bumper) and gave me a 1/2 hr extra in labor charges for 'removal/reinstall of tow hitch' while fixing the bumper. hah!

$385.41 later, im getting a lift.