1st Gen. 4Runner Rear Bumper and Tire Carrier

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4Crawler Offroad Products

1st Gen. 4Runner Rear Bumper

and Tire Carrier

a division of Visual Diagnostics LLC

Visitor # 82682 since 04.DEC.2002

NOTE: Due to high order volume and supply chain issues, it may take some time for deliveries, production and shipments to catch up. Order backlog could be up to 8 weeks.

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Contents:

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Introduction:

After running an aftermarket rear bumper + tire carrier for a number of years, I wanted to design a rear bumper that maximized departure angle, had more side/corner protection and had a more flexible setup for attaching tow straps, hitch receivers, etc. I used 1/4" wall, 2-1/2" square tubing as the basic building block for the bumper, as that is the size that a standard 2" high receiver fits inside. The bumper was also built to bolt on, using only stock bolt holes and is adaptable to varying degrees of body lift from stock height to 3". This is what I came up with:

Frame brackets Intalling frame bracket Stock bolt attachment Bumper installed
Frame Brackets Bracket Installation Stock Bolt Holes Bumper Installed

Here's a detail of the frame mounting system. The brackets are designed to fit the stock frame channel and bolt securely to the existing holes, no drilling or welding required. The bracket swings into the frame channel, the bolts are attached then the rear bumper tube attaches to the frame brackets. The brackets shown are for a 3" body lift, but versions for 0-3" body lift are easily fabricated.

Receiver lifting test Bumper tube tucked high up
Receiver Lifting Test Bumper tucked up high and close to the body
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Installation:

Easy installation is one nice feature of this design, but if its not strong, it won't work. The three 2" hitch receivers are not just for looks. The two outer ones come straight off the frame rail and offer the ultimate in strength for pulling stuck vehicles, ot installing a HiLift jack and the receiver tube prevents the jack from sliding off the bumper. The center receiver is set up for normal towing where a centered load is desired. In the test above, I was able to lift the back end of the truck up using just one frame bracket without any of the supporting bumper. I measured about 1/4" of flex, most of this seemed to be in the frame/body itself.

Rear bumper and side protection Underneath shot of bumper
Bumper and Side Skids Underneath Bumper View

Pictured above are some shots of the basic bumper and wrap around side protection. For reference, this is pictured on my '85 4Runner w/ a 3" body lift and with the rear tire (33x9.50) on the stock spare tire carrier. I am running a rear auxiliary gas tank which lowers the spare approx. 4" below the stock location, which explains why the tire is so low. In the above left image, you can see the 3 - 2" receiver points for attaching recovery shackles, hitches or other receiver mounted accessories. As an option, I can replace the two outer receiver locations with welded on tabs for attaching recovery shackles. I do not like D-rings hanging off my bumper, they rattle and clank on the trail and they can get hung up when you try to back up with the bumper near the ground. In the above right image, you can see the clearance of the spare tire and the bumper. A 33" spare will fit, but with less body lift or no gas tank in back, you may not be able to get the hitch receiver inset into the bumper. One could probably be attached below the bumper tube or it could be set to project out in the rear. I set my own bumper up for maximum clearance and departure angle, nothing hangs down any farther than needed, nothing sticks out any farther than needed. As witnessed by the heavy scrapes and scratches, it still takes some abuse, but I have yet to get hung up on it on the trail in 2 seasons of use.

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Bumper Kit Pricing:

Currently, the rear bumper brackets are available in kit form. We're unable to supply any other components. You should be able to source the steel locally for far less cost than we could source it for plus pay the exhorbitant shipping rates to send it to you.

Pricing on the basic rear bumper kit is $600.00, which includes the bolt on frame brackets, wrap around side rails.

Shipping to be determined by weight and distance.

Stock Height bumper and hitch Detail of mounting brackets
A: Stock Height Finished Bumper B: Mounting Bracket Detail
Extended Hitch Receiver Another bracket detail
C: Extended Hitch Receiver D: Another Bracket Closeup

Above are pictures of a finished bumper, built for no body lift. In order to be able to use the stock spare tire winch with a 33" spare, the hitch receiver was extended out to the rear and supporting rings and safety chain loops were added.

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DIY Bumper Bracket Kits:

The bumper and components are also offered in kit form. A full bumper kit of all the parts pre-cut and ready to weld, subtract $150.00 from any of the above prices for the bumper in kit form. So for example, the above $450.00 assembled bumper would run $300.00 in kit form.

Also available, are the frame brackets that are useful for mounting your own bumper. Three versions are available: