Dipodomys
Observer
I recently purchased Body Armor's rear bumper for my 2008 Tacoma, and thought I'd share my impressions. I've wanted a replacement bumper for some time, but was put off by the crazy prices ($1,000+). I didn't understand why a relatively simple rear bumper should cost several hundred dollars more than a substantially more complex ARB front bullbar. I guess it's an economy-of-scale sort of thing. Anyway, the Body Armor model is available for about $400 on Jet with free shipping, and is less than half the price of the rear bumpers offered by other manufacturers, so I jumped on it. Despite the lower cost, the materials are first rate and the bumper is very stout, and the provided hardware is high quality, though I will replace mine with black oxide Grade 8 bolts to better match the bumper itself. All in all, this bumper is nicely heavy duty and is very well constructed. I've included a few photos, and you can also get more details and photos on the Body Armor website (http://www.bodyarmor4x4.com/rear-bumper-for-the-2005-2015-toyota-tacoma_159).
One suggestion I would have for the manufacturer is to also offer this in a smooth powder coated finish. The textured finish is nice and appears to be quite durable, but it doesn't match the ARB bumper I have on the front of my truck. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice to have that as an option.
Installation was a breeze. Removing the factory bumper took longer than bolting up the replacement unit. About 1.5 hours for the entire install, taking my time, using minimal tools. I did it by myself, though a buddy would be handy as it is awkward to mount it by yourself without scratching the body. The factory receiver hitch remains in place, along with the factory wiring, which is great. No drilling or other modifications are required.
There is no provision for mounting a license plate light, which is required in most states, if not all. I'm not going to worry about it, but it seems like this should be provided. I suppose I could fabricate and wire something if I need to, but it would be nice not to have to. More expensive bumpers offer this.
Bolts/screws for fastening a license plate were also not provided (a very minor annoyance), but four holes for mounting a plate are nicely pre-drilled to left of center, presumably so that the plate will not be blocked from view if you decide to add the optional swing-away tire carrier. The tire carrier looks really nice, but costs as much as the bumper itself and I don't need it.
My only dissatisfaction with the bumper is the styling. The lines along the sides do not conform to the body lines of the adjoining rear fenders, and the bottom corners of the bumper stick out and look kind of goofy. They also look like they will catch mud thrown up from the rear tires. The bumper itself is quite boxy and looks a little stodgy. See the attached photos. I expect this is a reflection of the low price...adding angles, bends, and additional welds would add to manufacturing costs and thus to the price. You get what you pay for, and I notice that more expensive bumpers seem to offer a better fit. The somewhat clunky styling is not a deal breaker, however, and the bumper looks way better than the original factory unit, and is multiple times stronger and provides a great attachment point for recovery purposes, something that is totally lacking on the original bumper. Still, I'd knock a star of the review for the Plain Jane styling. I'm not expecting Ferrari styling here, but a step or two up from a base model Plymouth would be nice.
One suggestion I would have for the manufacturer is to also offer this in a smooth powder coated finish. The textured finish is nice and appears to be quite durable, but it doesn't match the ARB bumper I have on the front of my truck. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice to have that as an option.
Installation was a breeze. Removing the factory bumper took longer than bolting up the replacement unit. About 1.5 hours for the entire install, taking my time, using minimal tools. I did it by myself, though a buddy would be handy as it is awkward to mount it by yourself without scratching the body. The factory receiver hitch remains in place, along with the factory wiring, which is great. No drilling or other modifications are required.
There is no provision for mounting a license plate light, which is required in most states, if not all. I'm not going to worry about it, but it seems like this should be provided. I suppose I could fabricate and wire something if I need to, but it would be nice not to have to. More expensive bumpers offer this.
Bolts/screws for fastening a license plate were also not provided (a very minor annoyance), but four holes for mounting a plate are nicely pre-drilled to left of center, presumably so that the plate will not be blocked from view if you decide to add the optional swing-away tire carrier. The tire carrier looks really nice, but costs as much as the bumper itself and I don't need it.
My only dissatisfaction with the bumper is the styling. The lines along the sides do not conform to the body lines of the adjoining rear fenders, and the bottom corners of the bumper stick out and look kind of goofy. They also look like they will catch mud thrown up from the rear tires. The bumper itself is quite boxy and looks a little stodgy. See the attached photos. I expect this is a reflection of the low price...adding angles, bends, and additional welds would add to manufacturing costs and thus to the price. You get what you pay for, and I notice that more expensive bumpers seem to offer a better fit. The somewhat clunky styling is not a deal breaker, however, and the bumper looks way better than the original factory unit, and is multiple times stronger and provides a great attachment point for recovery purposes, something that is totally lacking on the original bumper. Still, I'd knock a star of the review for the Plain Jane styling. I'm not expecting Ferrari styling here, but a step or two up from a base model Plymouth would be nice.
