I don't mean to keep prying on this, 'cause it sounds like you have a plan and all. Can you get to the bolts easy? I mean like to get a drill in there?

 

the reason to have the bolt-on bumpers(front or back) is to allow the frame to flex under force, it's a good thing, that's why on any passenger car or SUV you see the crossmembers are in the middle of the frame like an H not at the ends of the frame like a closed box. nut/bolt connection is rigid but not a solid structure. buy weld rear bumper and frame into one solid piece, the rear won't be able to flex out when needed, causing premature metal fatigue, next thing you know, there's crack.

i'm not an expert on this thing, all i know was from what i heard here and there during the process of getting my bumper. from the info i gathered, it's a big deal, but others please chime in if anything i said is not accurate.

 

Well I don't plan to wheel it that hard at all, it's my DD so it will see some trail usage but nothing hardcore for a long time.

Yes, I can get to the bolts easily from underneath but I don't have the tools to drill them out. Well, not yet so we'll see.

 

Wow. wish I would have seen this beforeI bought mine from this guy. I ordered my bumper from this guy last march or april and didn't get the thing till june. I luckily got mine without having to threaten canceling. However, I did get ripped on the shipping. Once I got it in hand I found out that it wasn't predrilled to mount to my frame as I assumed it would be a simple bolt on application. Also, the flat balck paint that it comes with is a single coat of paint that I could have done with a rattle can. I knew it was going to need some sort of extra painting/coating when I bought it but didn't think it would be just a single coat (or at least it appeared to be). Once I got it mounted I had to modify it because my tailgate hit the tire carrier. A lot of grinding later I could finally get it down. I also had to modify the stops on it for the tire carrier. they didn't line up right. I still have to modify the rear stop so the tire doesn't bash against my bed. All in all I would give the whole process and product a C-. Took forever to get but the product material is good even though the wormanship wasn't as up to par as I would have liked. It is a nice bumper and I do like it now that I have almost all the bugs worked out. Have to readjust my exhaust so the tips stop rattling on the d-rings.

Big Blue, what did you do for your stop so it doesn't hit the side of the truck?

 

Sorry to hear that, it sounds like the hammer has been officially swung on this place

 

Yeah, my brother order a front bumper for a tacoma about 2 yrs ago from them and it took 5 months to get it, but with only about a year and a half of being on the truck, the paint is starting to fall off of it. It only had one coat of some spray paint on it, so what do you expect.

 

Here's a couple of pics of mine installed. I coated mine with duplicolor truck bed liner. There waas no way I was going to leave it with just the paint they put on it. You can also see where my exhaust hit the right side d-ring (that's not their fault though).

 

I made up a lockout rod and used a window lift strut to push it out. So, it's automatic!!

If you get the the drill and drill bits I would just drill the the bolts out. Flatten them out with a file if you need too and then just start small and work up till you can knock out what's left. Use PB as you go!

 

Told ya, now how is your perception of this company going to be when your asked? Remember you have no first hand experience.

 

Thaks big blue. I'm going to have to try that on mine. Sorry about the hijack terminator. Post the pics of yours when you get it on

 

Yo Froggy it's all good I don't mind people asking related questions in my threads one bit and it actually helps me prepare to modify mine later. Love those wheels!

I do want to drill out the bolts but now that it's raining again it looks like the plans to put the bumper on may not go so well unless the dude that helped me take off the hitch comes through again. I'm going to go to Lowe's and check out the bits they have, grade 8 bolts must be difficult to drill out I'd guess.

 

If I could figure out how to embed a photobucket video I would show you how I hooked mine up.

Yeah, but if you start out small and work up it's ALOT easier!!! Get a good pilot hole started and you shouldn't have a problem.

 

is the bolt spinning at all? if not, just use a grinder to grind off the head and punch the bolt into the frame rail. you can get it out later. if it spins when you try to turn it, just tack weld it and grind it down. remember, the nut is not welded to the frame rail from inside. by drilling up side down, chances are you are gonna break a drill bit or two. a harbor freight cut off disk is way cheaper then a good drill bit.

good luck. let us know the progress.

 

terminator, any chance you can post a photo of the mounts on the new bumper before it's installed. I'd just like to see how it mounts before it's mounted. If not, that's cool.

 

I have had first hand experience with their bumper just not as a customer. The black 3rd gen that they show on the website is a guy I went to high school with, I've spent a few hours toying around with that thing on the trails and it is in fact a pretty stout bumper. But my comments are in regards to his business mentality, not his quiality of product. And if that was the reason you compiled those quotes you should look at how I got the same point across as you, except mine is backed by user experience and better choice of words. Demeaning remarks, if you feel they're absolutely necessary to getting your point across, are best said when you have the first hand knowledge to do so.

 

I wasn't talking about the quality of his products, well actually as i think about it I was. I am not saying the bumper sucks, I am saying the business acts and customer service sucks. But the product you just bought is the bumper and those services and to me those horrible services out weigh the good parts of the bumper.... which make it an over all crappy product.

Well mine is backed by user experience too, its called reading........................................... ....................................

How else are you gonna say a business sucks than with demeaning remarks. There products aren't the best, that is demeaning to someone. Why try and fool around with something or you can go right for the kill to save someone grief about getting a horrible product.

 

To end this I disagree, respectfully, with how you handle your 'reviews'. Having some decency in giving a bad review is in no way fooling around. Things like 'the company need s to burn in a fire' really don't speak much for maturity, especially when you have absolutely no knowledge except for a few forum posts of customer accounts. If you have any more critiquing you'd like to do feel free to pm me but lets keep it off of here

 

word of mouth is the life line for a small shop or any small business. the customer serivce of 4WP is stinkier then a pooper but they have the money for advertising to cover it up. when i started to get trained as a CS rep at my previous job 9 years ago, a small printing shop, 50 people. one of the supervisors told us this, a 90% customer saitisfy rate sounds good but isn't good enough, because for the rest of 10%, you are 100% failure, and normally, they are not the quiet ones, they will scare off whole lot your protential customers.

in the case of KM, if you cant finish the jobs on time, unless it's due to the shortage of materials, there's no way they couldn't hire some more people to have it done. it's just plain stupid. like lose $50 profit to save $10 cost. get some high school senors to do the prep work, parttimers, welding takes seconds but prep takes hours. raise the prices if you have to cover the overtime, people understand everything is getting more expensive, as long as deliver as promised, the market will play it out itself.

 

Nicely put! I did not hesitate to pay the amount that I did for my KMA bumper because at the time it was EXCATLY what I was looking for. HOWEVER, that cost to me holds a high expectation as to whats coming to my door step.

 

Certainly, I'll get pics and post them ASAP but definitely before it goes on.

As for the bolts I'll try and punch them through. The little tab that slides through the frame with the bolts on it for the hitch are out, no problems. I'll look again and if I'm thinking right the other bolts that are broken off (2 or 3 per side) are flush with the frame except for one. If it's possible to bash them to break the tack weld that holds it to the inside of the rails then I'll give that a shot too!