Wench bumpers/Off Road bumpers

[ApproachMedium]

Anyone on here running wench bumpers, or some kind of fabricated steel bumper on their trucks? I have had it with the stock bumper. I have an ebay one and ive replaced the lower plastic valance twice because it crumbles like old cookies driving in the snow. My truck can more than handle driving in and over piles of it but the plastic is trash. I think it looks terrible without the plastic bottom part seeing all of the odd body parts . Plus im sure it doesn't do much for my aerodynamics.

So I was looking at Blue Lake Offroad and Logans metal products. They are the only two places i have found online so far that custom make these for S10 trucks. The BLO ones can be customized almost any way you see fit in many different configurations. My goals is to have something that looks good, is functional for pulling someone out or getting pulled out, or pushing a disabled/stuck vehicle out of my way (BLO offers Rubber Dock Bumpers for this). I do very minimal off roading, mostly just railroad rights of way for work etc. If i am pulling someone back on the road its usually someone who got stuck in the snow or ran off the road in bad weather. I really dont have much use for an actual wench out here, but it may be something ill consider playing around with if I get one of these bumpers.

Feel free to post pics.

[HenryJ]

How much $$ are you going to spend?

Hammerhead bumper

[ApproachMedium]

Yikes, yea i dont think i want to spend that much. And I cant pick any options either. I dont like the pre runner bar id rather just have the bumper with the wench mount and two light holes for my LED spotlights.

And the other question is, does that as expensive as it is, fit a body lifted truck?

[HenryJ]

That one may be ZR2 only, not sure. I recently bought a bumper for the Avalanche. I had similar problems in that no one builds for the 1/2 ton crowd. Everything is 3/4T or bigger. Tough to find a bumper.
I sort of had to get over the sticker shock. Under $1000 is just not going to happen unless you build it yourself. I got lucky finding the RanchHand bumper for about $900 delivered.
Over the years there has been lots of talk about building S-10 bumpers. One outfit has changed names three or four times and has a terrible reputation. Looong build times , if you ever get one. Be cautious.
I hate to say it but you may have to build a hitch, add to your stock bumper, hide a winch or something like that. I am somewhat skeptical about there being a good cost effective solution out there.

[ApproachMedium]

That sucks. Do you know which company it was that had problems? I found a site tactial armor group via s10 forum. There was also another guy on s10 forum who was deployed to china and supposedly now that hes back hes making them.

I dont want to add anything to the stock bumper. I have the all chrome one and my original idea that brought me to this is because it looks terrible without the plastic valance that broke off again because it cant survive cold weather/snow storms. I may have to pay my buddy who did the v8 swap to build me one as much as he probably doesnt want to.

[HenryJ]

It has been a long time , but I think the guys name was Chris? Kennesaw Mountain mfg. or something like that was what he started out as, I think? He changed to one with Green something in the name? Then at least one or two other names.

[ApproachMedium]

Kennesaw is a place in Georgia, i wouldnt be surprised if its the Tactical armor group people. Reading reviews on facebook and the jeep forums it seems nobody is happy with any of these places making these things. Dave who did my V8 swap sort of offered to make me one. I am going to try and go that route. I can have him make it locally, watch the progress, and see where my money goes. I pay him in cash. I may see about having him do a rear bumper for me too with integrated tow hitch and a way to carry gas cans maybe. I dont need to tire mount since my level of 4 wheeling never leaves me in a place where id need the spare to not be under the truck.

[Built2Bend]

Yes kennasaw mountain became alien patrol, and than tactical armour group, and I think blue lake off road now. I'll post a link to the only winch bumper builders for s10s.

Here's a link where they are all listed except for the one above.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9142

[ApproachMedium]

Yes kennasaw mountain became alien patrol, and now tactical armpit group. I'll post a link to the only winch bumper builders for s10s.

Awesome thanks. it seems to me most of the issues with TAG is people are upset with the time it takes. These things are one off, and knowing a fabricator personally I know how long it can take to make stuff. But it doesnt take 6 months to make a bumper. It takes maybe a couple weeks. Found out thru someone that they also outsource parts of their work too. Bad.

[ApproachMedium]

hum not seeing anything in that thread that I havent already seen before. Logans was one of the other places I found but not so sure on their reviews either. Synergy does not have anything for s10s anymore at all.

[Built2Bend]

After I add everything I want to the tag bumper (I think they're blue lake off-road now). It's cheaper to get the logans metal bumper and Logan's builds them for body lifted trucks. But I never heard from any one who owns one of they're bumpers.

[Built2Bend]

Ya I just saw that synergy doesn't have boondock bumpers any more. Maybe you can get ahold of boondock. But if I remember right they were way over priced.

[ApproachMedium]

Logans is loaded with horrible reviews on the jeep forums. I'm not sure to even touch it at this point, though people who did get their stuff say its built very well. Any post trying to defend them and make a good review is the single only post by that username. Sounds like trolls. The TAG and BLO stuff looks like its almost the same. Its probably the same people doing it or working with one another. Whats funny too is i emailed all of these places and they took a few days to respond to me. TAGs address if you put it in google maps and do street view shows a building for rent, and they supposedly been there for a while. No answer from blue lake though.

Emailed boondock just now. They dont mention what they make bumpers for on their site other than jeeps. I emailed asking if they still do or will do S10 trucks.

[Built2Bend]

Really. Logan's has bad reviews. I was talking to them about building me a bumper seemed like good people. They were even wiling to custom make a grill guard for mine because I don't like theirs. They said I could pay half now and than the other half when I pick it up(located only 3hrs from me). They also mentioned that my bumper would be done in a week.

[HenryJ]

A week seems sort of optimistic if it is s custom job. Either they are so slow they can dedicate all their time to your project, or it will be a quick job. That could mean no style, or sloppy. Half down? No thanks. I would do that for a close friend doing a favor, not I shop I don't know. A reputable shop should be able to build it and work on their own resources. On a custom job, perhaps a deposit. 10% should be plenty on a $2k bumper.
Talk is cheap. Look at one that was done in a week.
Think about coatings too. Powdercoating is not cheap.

Eyes wide open, and buyer beware.

[ApproachMedium]

Yea if you read the reviews online it seems that MAYBE they have gotten a little better over time, but they have a history of having good communications until they have your money.