i am digging the look of these bumpers with the 2" rcvr built in and two D rings. I guess i'd have to fab mounts for it but if anybody has a photo of similar or input let me know.
Thx.

 

I'm looking around right now for bumper ideas for my first gen 4runner too. I really want to get my spare tire out from under the truck. It's a 31 x 10 50 that just barely fits, and it certainly hangs too low. My next tires are going to be 33s, so I definitely need a bumper mount for the spare. The bumper in the picture that you are showing might be a good starting point, but it would need a lot of work to serve my needs.



The Jeep bumper pictured below is too bulky for the back of a 4runner but I like the idea of some powerful LED back up lights built into the bumper.





I think this 4 x 4 labs bumper is more like what I imagine the final product to look like.

 

That last photo looks really nice! But i do a lot of highway and traffic driving so i think it would be tough to have the spare obstructing rear visability.
i'll check out the 4x4 labs offerings.

 

huh?

i use the side mirrors exclusively on mine, even though i have no obstruction from the window-mount rearview mirror. in fact, i only use outside mirrors on every vehicle i drive; i never use the inside rearview to observe traffic. it isn't hard to get used to doing this.

 

"huh?" what.
I use all my mirrors. I like to see who's on my back bumper at 80mph on the Mass Pike. A big tire blocking out the rear window would also be a problem in parking lots when reversing.

Very happy to hear you are such a disciplined driver. Do you think before you type and decide you would like to sound like a know-it-all talking down to people, or is that just accidental? I'd imagine if you have this problem on line, you probably have it in real life also.

But I digress.

This isn't a thread about Wally's driving. It's about rear bumpers.

 

sorry that you read it that way. the point was that having a tire that blocks the rear window does not hinder driving on the highway, or on roads with traffic. use the pair of side mirrors; you'll be fine. even for backing up into parking spaces. really. thus, the bumper shown in the picture should work great.

 

A marlin crawler style tube bumper used in conjunction with the 'hinged gate" type of spare tire carrier is another possibility. I think some version of that tire carrier was available as a factory item on the second generation runners, and I think I have seen them adapted to the first-generation.

 

I have some trailer hitch parts and some steel that I would like to try to make it into a bumper for my first generation 4runner.

I like to visualize what I'm going to build by drawing it. I find that I can also work out potential problems before they become actual problems. One of the Jeep bumper's pictured in an earlier post in this thread features some nice LED lights built into the bumper. I thought I might try to incorporate that into my design. In doing so, I noticed that my bumper was getting to be about 5 inches tall. And I noticed something that is unique to the design of the 4runner. Unlike the Toyota pickup trucks, there is no valance panel underneath the tailgate. The tailgate is the lowest part of the body, so any bumper that you build has to go below that so that the tailgate can swing down without interference from the bumper. The thicker you make your bumper, the more ground clearance you lose.

So the tube bumper that Marlin Crawler, Low Range Off-Road and Trail Gear all sell or have sold in the past is really the efficient and a budget-friendly design that also includes side protection for the rear corners. That is pretty hard to beat! Though it still leaves me looking for somewhere to mount my spare. http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/rock-...ar-bumper.html





If I were to build my own, the materials I have and the tools and methods that I can employ dictate something a little different, but the general idea, to have a relatively flat bumper, is best. I was leaning towards something like the second bumper in my drawing, without lights, but I think I'm going to go back to the drawing board and try to get something even flatter.



SaveSaveSaveSave

 

decent designs. i like the version with lights. still not a fan of the look of the 4runner rear corners when the stock bumper ends are removed, but it's a compromise for function.

 

NWTI also has a similar bumper w/ tire mount. It's off center so that opens up visibility out the back. I too use the rear view to see out the back and don't like obstructions. I plan on ordering their front bumper and I'm still debating on the rear.

http://nwtrailinnovations.com/1984-1...ear-bumper-kit

 

I like that NWTI bumper, wonder if it includes the swing out for that 450 price? I'd really like a swing out.

I had my bumper made by a guy who I offroading with, just a piece of 2x6 with angled ends and a receiver welded in.

 

I like that a lot. I want to build a similar one but 2x4 with matching sides like the stock bumper. Are the sides braced off the frame as well?

 

I don't think it comes with the swing out but I like the simplicity of a hitch mount as well

 

i recently added a rear swingout tire carrier to my 5th gen and it was a huge learning curve. that being said, its much chunkier than my 1st gen.. alot of guy have good luck with mounting a spare standing upright to their rollbar, you only lose partial visability this way.

 

I changed my mind. I'm now leaning more towards the last example (bottom). I like the lights and I am thinking that the bumper needs to be bigger and beefier to support two swing outs. I would try to incorporate some kind of wrap-around at the corners for protection.SaveSave

 

This thread has taken on a life of it's own! I am Glad to see people contributing different ideas.

I stumbled across this today while looking at the Front Range Offroad Fabrication's website:




It goes for $499 with a powder coat finish. Subtract $50 for bare steel. That's pretty reasonable for a fabricated bumper of the size and complexity. It would almost certainly require some modifications to fit an early 4runner. I am pleased to see that it is a lot like the bumper I created in the drawing in my earlier post. https://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/hea...a-rear-bumper/

 

Nice protection on the corners/sides too.

 

Found two more views of the 4 x 4 labs bumper.

When you look at it from the back with the swingout's and they're open you can see that even have hydraulic dampers on the swing out arms! The bumper costs over $2000 with all the bells and whistles. I paid a little more than half that for my 4runner! That said, the attention to detail, the clever design and the execution really seem to warrant that kind of money.

​​​​​​​I got my info about these bumpers from this link: https://4x4labs.myshopify.com/produc...nt=19148626630





I got my info about these bumpers from this link: https://4x4labs.myshopify.com/produc...nt=19148626630
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I like the way your rear bumper protects the bottom of the quarter panels This is another example of low profile rear bumper I like:

 

I'm definitely happy with my bumper, the guy did a great job on it, but I dream of having a swing out. I've thought about adding one to mine, but I think the bumper really isn't designed for it and I'm not sure my should are up to it. That 4x4labs bumper is really a thing of beauty.