I'm in the same boat Ian, had 5 flats in 1 month on a trip in South America, and 2 flats in one weekend here in VA. I have beeen planning on getting the tire carrier to mount a spare in addition to the one underneath. Perhaps later I may use the space underneath for an extra gas tank.

 

Allright guys, Who wants to publicly speak out good or bad on this bumper.

I have seen all the pics (it looks beefy) and although (no offense steve) it does not seem as 'clean' as the Rockware,
is it half the product?
I mean at $650 vs $1400, is the value really in the Rockware.

FLY, I know, I know...you get what you pay for, but for those of you who have seen this swing, does the hinge function well? Will it drop my rear lift? (I have downey 3.5's and bils in the rear). Will it hold up for another 10 years? Steve I am interested, just want to know what the others think!

Let me know guys

wierd...all your comments weren't there when i made this post, but now when i went back to the thread there was a bunch of posts i hadn't seen (Darren, Fly, etc) anyway, disregard this post and thanks for your input on SteveO's swing, I appreciate the insight. Dave

Ohhh, Darren I know that had to be you I passed on Sunday night, right? Next time give me a shout...so we can wheel, there are still a few trails minus the snow...see you next time.

 

Yeah, I'm sure it was me that you saw. I'm the only UFO around. :alien:

Let's see, Sunday afternoon/evening I went up to Alta Lakes, then did an un-and-back trip through town up to Bridal Veil and back. Where did you see me at? I always look for 4Runners, and I was always on the lookout for yours, but I didn't see any TJMers.

What color is yours? I did pass and see a lifted 3rd Gen as I was entering town. I think around Society Turn. It was maroon and had some lights on the front as I recall. I thought it was a brush guard. I didn't get too long of a look at it. Have you seen that one, if it isn't yours?

My itinerary was pretty full in trying to get some pictures in this trip. The only trail I did, or semi-did was Pougkeepsie. Did you see my incident from there on the Trip Report section?

 

DSP,

I would agree, you do get what you pay for. I am not a professional welder, nor do I bulid bumpers or fabricate for a living. However, when I do build something, I build it to last. Sure my bumper is not as clean as the Rockware, and the paint is coming off (something I will be repainting or powder coating this winter), but man this thing is strong. The welding on the class III hitch is not not lightweight at all. The welds on the shackle mounts are not lightweight either. When I made this, I wanted to make absolutely sure, without a doubt, that a weld would not be a weak spot. Essentially, I wanted to have confidence in my work, so when I hook up a winch cable to the bumper, it won't come flying off under pressure. That could be devisating to me, as well as anybody else around, and would certainly ruin anybody's wheeling trip.

This is not a sales pitch by any means, I'm just stating this thing has been built to protect the 4Runner and take any abuse the rocks can throw at it. Thus far, it has shrugged off the rocks feeble attempts to mar this bumper.

I just threw it out there because you were looking. And weather you consider this bumper or not, I will still build another bumper and sell this at a different time. No pressure here or hurt feelings here.

 

I like your style SteveO...

No pressure given, none taken, I'm not sure what I want to do.
I'm about 5-6 g's deep since I got my truck in january...
Mere pennies to what have thrown down but nonetheless,
I really want the swing but am having a hard time rationalizing it right now...especially going into winter here in Telluride.
I'll tell you what, I am carrying my spare for now underneath, where it probably will stay thru the next 6-8months, at least until stuff starts to thaw again in may. By that time if I can afford it...I'll probably go custom...
However, by that time if you have built your new bumper and are ready to sell, I will take another hard look and see if it is for me!
You are probably the same distance from me as colorado springs anyway.
I appreciate you making the offer to me, and i am seriously considering it, so please keep me in the loop, if and when that thing becomes available. Also if you drop the price, wink, wink.

Seriously though, you have a bomber product that you should be proud of, I wish I had half the courage and talent to tackle such a great project. My hats off to you, nice work!

-Dave

 

I might be a little late to the party, but I have seen Steve's bumber in action, too. Its quite impressive, and very well made.


It really shined at the CO4RJ, in my opinion...



I wish I had gotten a pic of what followed this one...As the Runner comes off of that big rock, the bumber rests and drags across it before the rear tires touch the little pile of rocks you see underneath the truck...Like others have said, the bumber just laughed at such obstacles. If nothing else, I'd suggest you guys try and meet halfway, just so you can see it for yourself. Just thought I'd throw my $.02 in there and vouch for Steve's work

 

i personally like the look of the swing out tire rack, i have seen Darrens, looked like it was built to last longer than the rig, and we all know how long they, can last, lol, althou Rockware is to steep for me right now, i am saving my pennies, i believe you get what you pay for, and "you only say ouch once" if i could do more than wheeling than i do now, i would find the cash to get one, i have learned alot from all you guys, when i first got into wheeling, i want the "nerf" bars, and a grill gaurd, i thought they where "real" off-road equipment, but thankx to all of you, ive been schooled, sorry for rambling on here....

 

SteveO's Bumper kicks @ss!

I, however would be concerned that i would need more lift due to it's apparent weight. Did you weigh that thing?

Also, I would probably re-work the inner section to eliminate the factory plastic tub.

But overall, if you are looking for a stout rock crawling bumper at a very reasonable price this is your deal. Steve put enough "lead" in that thing to sink a ship.

 

Once I have my 96 runner I will be designing a new rear swing out bumper. I think I can cure the vibration that most are experiecing. and I can make the swing out easy to remove for just in town driving. Give me a couple weeks and I should have something!

Jason

 

i have a stock rear tire carrier and i like it. i dont have any problems.
here's a pic....
https://www.yotatech.com/members/jbu...uji-japan.jpg.

 

Oh WOW thats an older thread! Hopefully they've decided by now. Nice Surf though!

 

haha. wow. i didnt notice that....thanks for the comment tho!