Aluminess Bumpers and Storage Boxes photo shoot....

[loren85022]

Nice stuff Brent. I think that after some good product shots, the next step is to get some action shots. Mud, snow, creek crossings, beach run, etc. Sounds like a fun week of shooting. Especially if it includes an expense account.

[Mrknowitall]

I definitely like the aluminess bumper for the front- priced very competitively and saves weight on the front axle. In the rear, that much stuff cantilevered past the end of the frame would concern me. Some experienced European builders reccomend that the completed rig, ready to roll, not exceed 50% of the rated payload. Easier said than done, but that really helps to keep your GVW in check. Does any one know how (if at all) the Hilux axle is sronger than a Tacoma axle?

[Utah KJ]

The winch position does not seem to be well thought out.

[Aluminess]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. We had a lot of fun that afternoon with Brent and Jay and I think the pictures turned out looking fantastic.

To answer a few of your questions, the bumper is mounted with an aftermarket hitch which allowed us to grab the frame with steel brackets instead of mounting down through the top of the hitch with the couple if tiny bolts that Toyota uses. We also utilized the hitch as a 3rd mounting point. The hitch alone has a 350+ pound tongue weight rating. This setup is very strong and allows us to put the extra weight on the rear bumper. Our Tacoma rear bumper with 2 swing arms weighs 73 pounds and each of those boxes weigh 34 pounds which puts the total weight of our product at 137 pounds.

The winch position in our front bumper is directly off the frame. You don't want to move it above the frame because it creates leverage off the frame that is not ideal for heavy duty applications. If you were to look inside the bumper at where the winch is mounted you would see that its the best place for it.

Thanks again to Brent and Jay for being a part of this project. We hope to do more of this in the future.

[fourfa]

I have the Aluminess front bumper and winch. The bottom of the winch, where the line feeds, is exactly between the frame rails. It just doesn't look like that because of the slant on the exterior. I don't think it's a good fit for roller-type fairleads, just because of how they stick out compared to the recessed mount on the ARB for instance. I have synthetic line and a Hawse fairlead and it works great and looks fine FWIW.

[TEJASYOTA]

Nice photos!

The design is not what I would want in a bumper... when I wheel.
Too much overhang and reduction of departure angles...even compared to my ARB (which one day I will sell and replace).
I do love the thought of using an aluminum front bumper... does anyone know if Aluminess is designing a wheeling type of bumper (similar to CBI or Shrockworks).

[tomesd]

I love the Aluminess products as well- tough and well built. It's interesting to see how much we all have in common- I have seen your SMB on the forum there and you have a Tacoma as well. I guess it's a tight group!

[Frosty_1]

Nice photos!

It's too bad they don't make 5th Gen 4runner bumpers! All the 5th Gen 4 runner products are either super heavy or look like crap!

[cyclingj]

Pretty sure that I saw you and your ride in Lone Pine Saturday afternoon, the truck looks good in person. And if it wasn't you, there is a clone of your truck out there.

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

maybe...but I suspect that truck is way over payload capacity...even with all the aluminum bling...
I so wish we could have a "world" type small truck with a true 2000lb payload...

I think a lot of people would be shocked to find out how much over weight rating their vehicles actually are on this site. Especially loaded up with a passenger for a trip.