Need shop recommendation for possible bumper conversion

tonyride

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
After my recent encounter with a wild turkey on an interstate in PA that caused over $8K in repairs to my GX, I'm thinking about doing what many have done to theirs. My Lexus GX460 is all grill and plastic cover up front. When a turkey decided to jump on the highway right in front of me it basically went right through the grill, no bumper at all. I know many GX owners have cut away the bottom portion of the grill/cover and installed a steel bumper in its place, some even with a wrench. I know they're probably doing it to go off-roading and to increase the approach angle of the vehicle but I'm thinking of doing it just to have an actual bumper. I'm not looking for anything aggressive nor am I looking to have a wrench but do want something more than just a plastic cover at the front of the vehicle. Does anyone know of a shop that can do something like this in the area? I know there are bunch of specialty conversion shops out west that know what they're doing but I don't know if there are any shops in NJ or nearby that can do that.
 
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i mean iv never known anyone to add a wrench to their bumper either, most of the guys building them probably want to keep their wrenches for the next job. . . .
 
What year do you have? A quick Google-search turns up a bunch of bumper options. Installation will vary depending on what you have and want.

My first instinct is to DIY it as it's usually a plug-and-play swap, but again - depends on what year you have an which bumper you want.

Bear in mind a steel bumper will add considerable weight to the front of the vehicle and suspension changes may be required. It can snow-ball quickly... Aluminum options can offer similar wild-life impact resistance but with less of a weight penalty. Aluminum tends to cost more.
 
Santapez said:
$8k in repairs? What did it take out?

You sure it was a Turkey and not a boulder?
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Yup. On the surface it didn't look that bad, just a hole in the grill and cracked bumper cover (see picture). But when they opened it up they found a lot more damage that was done behind the grill. The parking sensors got busted, the headlight assembly mount broke, same goes for the fog light and turn signal light assemblies, the grill, grill surround frame, bumper cover and some other things. Those are just the parts. Then we have labor. The grill and bumper needed to be painted. For some reason they need to bring in someone to align the headlight and all the sensors. It has dynamic auto-leveling headlights.
20250608_142412.jpg
 
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Ian F said:
What year do you have? A quick Google-search turns up a bunch of bumper options. Installation will vary depending on what you have and want.

My first instinct is to DIY it as it's usually a plug-and-play swap, but again - depends on what year you have an which bumper you want.

Bear in mind a steel bumper will add considerable weight to the front of the vehicle and suspension changes may be required. It can snow-ball quickly... Aluminum options can offer similar wild-life impact resistance but with less of a weight penalty. Aluminum tends to cost more.
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It is 2017. I'm looking for one that will allow me to keep the fog lights and front parking sensors. Aluminum is a good option. I get what you're saying about it snowballing to other mods. I can pick the perfect bumper but then decide it doesn't match the stance of the truck so now it needs to be lifted a bit. When I do that then I'll need bigger tires. It has KDSS so any mods will have to account for that. I'm just exploring that possibility for now.
 
So... something like this one?

cbioffroadfab.com

Lexus GX460 Covert Series Front Bumper | CBI Offroad Fab

The 2nd-3rd Gen Toyota Tacoma Battery Tray is compatible with 2005-present Toyota Tacoma models. Fits in factory location. Battery is not included. Shop today!
cbioffroadfab.com cbioffroadfab.com

1758070902508.png

Keep the factory lights, but I'm not sure it will offer as much in the way of the protection you seem to want, but I could be wrong.

Installation looks straightforward, but I'll admit I'm no stranger to ripping apart cars old and new and putting them back together again and I have a lot of specialized tools to do it.
 
tonyride said:
Yup. On the surface it didn't look that bad, just a hole in the grill and cracked bumper cover (see picture). But when they opened it up they found a lot more damage that was done behind the grill. The parking sensors got busted, the headlight assembly mount broke, same goes for the fog light and turn signal light assemblies, the grill, grill surround frame, bumper cover and some other things. Those are just the part. Then we have labor. The grill and bumper needed to be painted. For some reason they need to bring in someone to align the headlight and all the sensors. It has dynamic headlights.
View attachment 268597
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Oh man... that brings back memories... my ex- hit a road gator (truck retread carcass) in her 2003 MINI a bunch of years ago. On the outside, the damage didn't look that bad, but under the bumper cover the radiator support panel (Modular Front End or MFE panel) was shattered and it destroyed one of the fog lights and headlights. She bought replacements and I had to cobble together a mount for the fog light. Stayed that way for years until she finally bought a new MFE panel some years later (after we split) and fixed it herself.

Since I did that work, there are more/better tools for repairing plastic parts, so I could probably do a better job now. A lot of these parts are such a PITA to source that repairing can be faster and almost always cheaper. But a lot of the time insurance companies want fixed figures and fewer variables, so new parts are often what body shops prefer to do.
 
OP, be very careful on which bumper you choose. God forbid you are in a serious accident that requires the airbag to deploy; you want the vehicle to function as designed by the manufacturer. Many, if not all, aftermarket “heavy duty” bumpers aren’t crash tested and aren’t designed to absorb impacts like a factory bumper. I ran an ARB bar for many years until I saw one in a bad crash.

Take a simple bull bar or small push bar. That have been shown to cause more damage and it some cases frame damage.
 
Oey12 said:
OP, be very careful on which bumper you choose. God forbid you are in a serious accident that requires the airbag to deploy; you want the vehicle to function as designed by the manufacturer. Many, if not all, aftermarket “heavy duty” bumpers aren’t crash tested and aren’t designed to absorb impacts like a factory bumper. I ran an ARB bar for many years until I saw one in a bad crash.

Take a simple bull bar or small push bar. That have been shown to cause more damage and it some cases frame damage.
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Very good point. Never thought of that.
 
Ian F said:
So... something like this one?

cbioffroadfab.com

Lexus GX460 Covert Series Front Bumper | CBI Offroad Fab

The 2nd-3rd Gen Toyota Tacoma Battery Tray is compatible with 2005-present Toyota Tacoma models. Fits in factory location. Battery is not included. Shop today!
cbioffroadfab.com cbioffroadfab.com

View attachment 268599

Keep the factory lights, but I'm not sure it will offer as much in the way of the protection you seem to want, but I could be wrong.

Installation looks straightforward, but I'll admit I'm no stranger to ripping apart cars old and new and putting them back together again and I have a lot of specialized tools to do it.
Click to expand...
If my GX was set up like the one in the picture then there would have been no damage at all. The skid plate would have scraped the top of its head and the truck would have just rolled over it. I don't expect to hit another turkey so I can't mod my truck to be just turkey proof but the idea of not having a real bumper is a real bummer. But I think I may just have to live with it.
 
Yeah... Oey12 is not wrong... Up to a certain impact level, the parts are meant to be sacrificial. Expensive, perhaps - but at least an impact shouldn't total the vehicle whereas an impact on a heavier bumper directly bolted to the structure of the car is not likely to dissipate the impact forces in the same way.

My bumper thoughts are based on a history of old 4x4 trucks with body-on-frame construction vs. unibody construction. Different variables. What I would install on my 1992 E350 is not what I'd want on my minivan.
 
As a fellow toyota 6 lug wheeler, i'd recommend Victory 4x4 bumpers. They make a Blitz hybrid style (think more minimalistic, meant to integrate with factory bumper, lights and sensors) for the GX460. It's also 1/4" alum to keep weight down to only 70lbs whereas others will be using steel and you'll add 100-125+ lbs on the front. I'll soon be getting a Blitz for my tacoma to house a 12k winch since it is the cleanest hybrid style of all the reputable brands

www.victory4x4.com

Lexus GX460 Front Bumper | Blitz | 2014-2023 - Victory 4x4

Offering quality steel and aluminum goods for Toyota and Lexus 4x4s.
www.victory4x4.com www.victory4x4.com

Also, if you need installation, i know a toyota offroad specialist up in north jersey that can do this. He's a Lexus tech by day and he's got a land cruiser and a tacoma both fully kitted for overlanding. I go up there for Woolwax coatings every year or so and he's always got a lot full of built trucks getting this or that.

 
Just to clarify, the GX460 is a body on frame vehicle, not unibody. I remember back in the day when cars were all body on frame with 5 mph bumpers front and rear. I know my little Datsun had them and that saved the support posts of our carport many times when I just started driving.
 
I 2nd OK4WD.

The Lexus front end is difficult as there is no clear dividing line for a lower bumper replacement. Your best bet would be to discuss Lexus options with someone that deals/installs them.
 
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