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Offroad bumper Fiber glass of Steel ???


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Hello there fellow Carnity members, hope you all are having a good day.

With my Prado's stock bumper having had enough of my off-roading adventures and has finally reached a point where it has to be replaced, I have to get myself a new off-road bumper. I have been looking at a lot off options and already concluded on a plate bumper. but however I am still not sure on what material do I make for. 

Should I go for a fiber glass one which shall be lighter and cheaper but will be damaged easily it gets a big hit or a steel bumper which will be able to absorb impacts much better but will much heavier on the car and cost more. 

 

 

Please help. 

Edited by luwaimn
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I personally won't go for a steel bumper mainly because of the weight. Especially with a LWB, I already feel the car is heavy enough and actually I want to get rid of weight.

Secondly when u go for vehicle testing during renewal, they can be picky and might ask to put some rubber padding etc...

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@luwaimn a proper bash plate (6mm or more) will keep the bumper pretty safe unless you maneuver extremely to make impacts and cause damage.

We have members who drive Prado, probably can advise better with their experience( @Tero Vallas, @Mahmoud Hamzawy , @Nizam Deen , @asif , @Mikhail Lukichev

Slightly altering your approach and departure with some controlled speed will save your bumper for sure with a bash plate. Yes the air dam or low liners have to be removed .

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Based on my experience below are a must for prado:

Skid plate front and back

Ensure skid plate its made of aluminum with 6 MM thickness. Aluminum is light weight so i found it to be best.

Offroad Tyre - Geolander ATS

2" Lift would do alot of wonders if you want to continue with your prado until Intermediate and above.

 

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@luwaimn if the clips are still holding and the bumper has not come of the body, I'd suggest just trimming it and getting a skid plate.  If the clips are broken and it has to be replaced, try getting a second hand one and trim it. 

Adding a metal bumper would not only add weight but can also be a problem passing the RTA test. You would have to put the rubber blocks on it for it to pass. 

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2 hours ago, Nizam Deen said:

Based on my experience below are a must for prado:

Skid plate front and back

Ensure skid plate its made of aluminum with 6 MM thickness. Aluminum is light weight so i found it to be best.

Offroad Tyre - Geolander ATS

2" Lift would do alot of wonders if you want to continue with your prado until Intermediate and above.

 

Thanks for the tip. I already have a 10mm aluminum bash plate installed. Main reason is the side clip which always tend to come out even when when a small bump occurs.

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HI

@luwaimn, I am driving with just a stock Prado, do not have skid plates or anything really. Looking now the engine area below, I would say skid plates definitely makes sense. Low liners definitely no go, they'll be lost in first drive.

If you wish to have a sturdy front, steel bumper makes sense. It will increase weight a bit, maybe 30 kg +. I don't think this additional weight will impact your car performance too much though, hardly at all, if you have 4,0 l engine. It has plenty of power.

@Luca Palanca Falsini has in his Fortuner modified steel bumper and looks cool and certainly will not get bent easily. 

As @Chaitanya D said, speed and approach angle for dunes makes big difference. I learn that hard way, having small dents in my front now.

See u on sand... 

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20 hours ago, Anish S said:

I personally won't go for a steel bumper mainly because of the weight. Especially with a LWB, I already feel the car is heavy enough and actually I want to get rid of weight.

Secondly when u go for vehicle testing during renewal, they can be picky and might ask to put some rubber padding etc...

@Anish S & @Brette, yeah, your point regarding resale value of the car makes sense...

 

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Am driving my stock Prado for almost 2 years offroading perfectly, I fully agree on the side clips of the bumper but all what you need is as mentioned just trim the bumper and have more holding for it 

Prado has a stock engine protector at the bottom of the car, sure Skid plate is a good add on but from my experience with Prado its not a must 

Lifting 2'' is a great you can use King lifting kit which is perfect for Prado, some are using Fox but I can say KING is the best

Never think of metal bumper it will add weight and will not pass RTA 

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