UPDATE! This bumper is also awesome for another reason... protection from deer strikes. While on vacation a week ago we sadly hit a deer. I was able to slow from 60 MPH to under 20, but the collision was unavoidable. The new bumper protected the 4Runner very well and was not damaged at all. The only repairs ended up being the plastic bumper cover that got ruined on the driver side corner. Terrible that it happened and that an animal was killed, but I'm very thankful that my family is safe and that the 4Runner was easily fixable.
I just wanted to share a tip that some people would argue against. I like to wire my offroad lights to only turn on when my high beams are on so in case I encounter oncoming traffic offroad I can turn them off quickly all at once. It is really simple to do, all you need to do is tap into the high beam wire and connect that as the switch's power source.
Great video Jason. The level of detail was awesome. I have been watching your channel for about 6 months. That is when I got my 4Runner. I look forward to the next video upgrading the suspension. That is next on my list of things to do. Keep the great videos coming.
Good call on the fog light wiring. But… Why would you trace the front cover on the sides and then not cut what you traced? Just trace the top and then draw your side line once you have removed the cover. Also, why do you rip the cover off if you are about to remove the entire front valance? Just leave it on till you remove the front end, then remove the clips so you don’t destroy it.
Why didn’t you get the side brackets mounted and the nuts started before reinstalling the plastic front end? That way all you need to do is make a few final turns once the front end is on.
Great video Jason! That CBI bumper looks great. Any reason why you didn't go with the bull bar option on the covert bumper? Can't wait for the Eibach video to drop!
Wait, to remove the pins on the radiator support you push them?! I’ve been using a pick or small screwdriver for years to pull the center out. Mind. Blown. Great setup btw
I bought the bumper - waiting for delivery. Will buy Warn winch. Silly question: since it's a stealth bumper, I assume you need to access the winch clutch lever and connector through the engine compartment, correct?
nice job! im getting the same bumper with the bull bar and the same winch. you did not use the relocation kit. looking back do you think using the relocation kit would be better? thanks in advance.
According to the law I read if you bumper is modified and no longer has a place for one it’s ok. But don’t quote me on that and check for yourself. I have yet to have an issue in the past several years.
I have a bone to pick about CBI. I contacted them about a skid plate for my 4Runner. Waited for a response then finally received one where they explained they are a small business and might take time to respond. So, I waited then a couple of weeks later, they respond via email that they will get back to me soon. So, another couple of weeks later they responded, again by email, to request my satisfaction with their product/service. Scratch CBI off my product list.
Yeah I clean it from the front mostly. If mud gets in there I’ve also opened the hood and cleaned it from the top… be careful with pressure washers that you don’t blast it too hard.
Jason, I'm at the point where I'm doing research on front bumpers. I've narrowed it down to C4 and CBI since I have a TRD skid plate. What are the pros and cons to the CBI and are you happy with it? Any insight on your own research will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Overall I’m very pleased. No complaints. I don’t know if you saw but I did a video about hitting a deer with the 4Runner. It had no damage to the covert bumper and protected the vehicle well. A full bumper would offer more coverage. One gripe is the winch access is limited but still works.
Hi Jason. Just wanted to ask, did you install your winch and front bumper before your upgraded suspension or after? Just wanting to know because I ordered a full set of suspension and need to know if there is something I should do 1st before I work on my front-end. I do have a winch and bumper. Thanks jason
Thanks for going the extra mile on the wiring details as you said it is ignored by other UA-camrs. Can’t wait to save up and make the upgrade on my 4runner! Please keep the 4runner videos coming and trips you make with it. Best!
Nice video! It will be a great help to me when I do my winch and bumper. Same brands, cbi and warn. Question: Would you be able to tell how much room there is between the radiator and a winch? I need to install transmission cooler and I will need to estimate how space there is left. I would need around 6 inches gap between a radiator and a winch for the remote type of cooler, which can be installed somewhere else, but that would be the best spot for the air to circulate at a better rate. If there is not enough room or less than 6 inches, I will stick to the non-remote type of transmission cooler. Please let me know Jason. Thank you.
Man I’m not sure. It’s tight around the winch and control box. But maybe it could be mounted up higher? Take a look at my Tacoma bumper/winch install. In that one I relocated the control box and that was a much cleaner install in my opinion. I would do it that way if so were to do this again.
CBI stuff is awesome, but man the shipping is so expensive! Any way to minimize that through dealers that might be more local in the PNW? (I’m in Portland, OR)
Hey Jason love the video going to refer to it when I get my bumper for install. Where did you mount the relay holder bracket never seen one and will definitely help for the relays I have.
Jason, I have a different winch and it is a little larger, but I still don't want to relocate the solenoid. Do you know of anyone who has relocated the power steering tube, or replaced it with say a steel braided flexible line or something? Just wondering what my options might be. Great video by the way.
What kind of relay do you use? You briefly showed it attaching to the relay holder. I don’t have a relay setup like the switch pro, ideally would like to avoid that and just use the blank button spaces in the dash for my extra lights
Very well, also I just bolted the winch to the bumper same warn as you. How do you plug the remote in with it installed seems hard to get to through the access holes.
Does your light bar have a backlight feature requiring a second switch? If so did you use the cali raised small dual switch in one or did you go with two separate switches?
Justification: you never know if/when you’ll need to rescue/recover yourself or others. Two videos to check out that sell it well… my “Adventures in Mud Land” video when we thought we were going to a camp ground and the road was washed out and we ended up using the 4Runner to rescue several people. And the other is a video I posted about sadly hitting a deer a month ago. The bumper saved the 4Runner from serious damage.
How did the weight of the bumper and winch affect your front end? Did it drop? Do you have to upgrade the front suspension when you add these 2 things to account for the extra weight?
Hey Russ. Great questions. The added weight does indeed affect the front end height and handling. I'd say it dropped at least an inch and made the vehicle handle noticeably worse. You do indeed want to upgrade the front suspension to account for the weight. I installed an Eibach full suspension system that lifted the rear one inch and the front by 2 inches. The springs I installed are supposed to negate any negative effects up to 200 lbs in the front (I added about 180lbs). And now the vehicle handles better than before even installing the winch. That video will hopefully be out in the next 7-10 days.
Can’t say personally. My friend Ben has an SSO bumper on his Tacoma. It’s nice, but one negative is the cut requires you to put a rubber trim on the bumper cover rather than overlapping it. I don’t know if the 4Runner would be the same. So I guess just some aesthetic differences.
CBi is the worst company I ever dealt with. I ordered the same bumper and they said it was a 2 month delivery time. 7 months went by with no follow up. I called them several times and each time they said "the bumper is in welding" and I called them over a span over 4 weeks. So they were lying or they take 4 weeks to weld a bumper. I will never buy anything from CBI and will tell everyone I know to never buy from them. I will gladly share my emails with them where they give me non answers for weeks, to anyone that wants to see them too. Trail Standard Offroad makes the same bumper with shorter turn around time and better customer support, Death to CBI/Prinsu
I ordered from them, 8 weeks and nothing, I had to call and pressure. Unit finally came in dinged and dented with finish scraped off all the edges. I had to send it back and wait another 8 weeks to get replacement bumper. Then, the TRD Pro skid plate I was told would just "bolt up" didn't. Tech said add a few washers, that does nothing in the front of the TRD skid plate as there is a space that has to be filled. Major pain that was.
@@JasonExplainsThings Thanks! I have been reading that the CBI Covert doesnt really fit clean and nice. There are gaps between the plastic and the steel bumper. Is that your experience? Thx
Not sure what you mean by front trim piece. But I’m happy to help if you can be more specific. FYI, I plan on doing an update to this soon. I hit a deer and needed to replace the bumper cover. I was able to do this without taking the covert bumper apart so I’ve done the install a few times now.
You can replace/ re-seat it as long as you don’t damage the clips. If you damage them, then you’ll have to replace them or live with a looser bumper cover (It’s a cosmetic item). Alternatively, you can just purchase a new bumper cover from Toyota and paint it whatever color you want.
Good for you in taking that project on, had the same project done on my 2016 4runner trail with kdss, but I went with a Fab four centre bumper with a amber light bar. Really like how it makes my baby look, just subscribed to your channel, keep up the good work.
UPDATE! This bumper is also awesome for another reason... protection from deer strikes. While on vacation a week ago we sadly hit a deer. I was able to slow from 60 MPH to under 20, but the collision was unavoidable. The new bumper protected the 4Runner very well and was not damaged at all. The only repairs ended up being the plastic bumper cover that got ruined on the driver side corner. Terrible that it happened and that an animal was killed, but I'm very thankful that my family is safe and that the 4Runner was easily fixable.
When will those darn deer learn to cross at the Deer Xrossing signs like their supposed to?! Glad you, the family are safe!
Speed kills.
I just wanted to share a tip that some people would argue against. I like to wire my offroad lights to only turn on when my high beams are on so in case I encounter oncoming traffic offroad I can turn them off quickly all at once. It is really simple to do, all you need to do is tap into the high beam wire and connect that as the switch's power source.
Thanks Nate. Not a bad idea.
Great video Jason. The level of detail was awesome. I have been watching your channel for about 6 months. That is when I got my 4Runner. I look forward to the next video upgrading the suspension. That is next on my list of things to do. Keep the great videos coming.
Good call on the fog light wiring. But… Why would you trace the front cover on the sides and then not cut what you traced? Just trace the top and then draw your side line once you have removed the cover.
Also, why do you rip the cover off if you are about to remove the entire front valance? Just leave it on till you remove the front end, then remove the clips so you don’t destroy it.
Do the install how ever you like buddy. I intended to throw the valance away from the beginning.
Why didn’t you get the side brackets mounted and the nuts started before reinstalling the plastic front end? That way all you need to do is make a few final turns once the front end is on.
Following the instructions.
Great video Jason! That CBI bumper looks great. Any reason why you didn't go with the bull bar option on the covert bumper? Can't wait for the Eibach video to drop!
So I went back and forth about that, but decided to forgo the bull bar because it blocks the front camera I installed partially.
That was awesome Jason, looks great 👍😁
I have the TRD off road in Underground. The silver front and rear valances definitely need to be changed
Great video as always… helps me a lot in my runner built. Wow eibach suspension happy to c that too
Very methodical and clean install! I like how you moved the power steering cooling line out of the way. Look forward to your next install video!
Thanks! You’re videos were a huge help with the suspension project.
Wait, to remove the pins on the radiator support you push them?! I’ve been using a pick or small screwdriver for years to pull the center out. Mind. Blown. Great setup btw
Magic clips!
Great video, can’t wait for the next one on the suspension upgrade!
I bought the bumper - waiting for delivery. Will buy Warn winch.
Silly question: since it's a stealth bumper, I assume you need to access the winch clutch lever and connector through the engine compartment, correct?
Yep.
Great video Jason! I do have one question, do you still have the Eibach lift on the 4runner?
Yep. There’s several videos about it.
nice job! im getting the same bumper with the bull bar and the same winch. you did not use the relocation kit. looking back do you think using the relocation kit would be better? thanks in advance.
Possibly. I used one on my Tacoma and it was a slightly cleaner install. But I haven’t had any issues.
Good tutorial, Jason! Was wondering, pretty sure front license plate is required in the WA state. How do you solve that issue?
According to the law I read if you bumper is modified and no longer has a place for one it’s ok. But don’t quote me on that and check for yourself. I have yet to have an issue in the past several years.
Protect those winch cables with some flex wrap or cable loom! I’d also recommend a battery disconnect.
I have a bone to pick about CBI.
I contacted them about a skid plate for my 4Runner. Waited for a response then finally received one where they explained they are a small business and might take time to respond. So, I waited then a couple of weeks later, they respond via email that they will get back to me soon. So, another couple of weeks later they responded, again by email, to request my satisfaction with their product/service.
Scratch CBI off my product list.
That's too bad. Haven't had a bad experience with customer service. They've been helpful when any issues came up.
How do you clean the winch and around the light? Will a spray of water access it for cleaning?
Yeah I clean it from the front mostly. If mud gets in there I’ve also opened the hood and cleaned it from the top… be careful with pressure washers that you don’t blast it too hard.
Jason, I'm at the point where I'm doing research on front bumpers. I've narrowed it down to C4 and CBI since I have a TRD skid plate. What are the pros and cons to the CBI and are you happy with it? Any insight on your own research will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Overall I’m very pleased. No complaints. I don’t know if you saw but I did a video about hitting a deer with the 4Runner. It had no damage to the covert bumper and protected the vehicle well.
A full bumper would offer more coverage. One gripe is the winch access is limited but still works.
The one thing I noticed, and don't really like, are the 4 holes on the top of the bumper. What are those for?
Hi Jason. Just wanted to ask, did you install your winch and front bumper before your upgraded suspension or after? Just wanting to know because I ordered a full set of suspension and need to know if there is something I should do 1st before I work on my front-end. I do have a winch and bumper. Thanks jason
I installed it first so I could set the ride height with the final weight in the front. I did the suspension within 2 weeks or so.
Thank you 😊@@JasonExplainsThings
Thanks for going the extra mile on the wiring details as you said it is ignored by other UA-camrs. Can’t wait to save up and make the upgrade on my 4runner! Please keep the 4runner videos coming and trips you make with it. Best!
Nice video! It will be a great help to me when I do my winch and bumper. Same brands, cbi and warn. Question: Would you be able to tell how much room there is between the radiator and a winch? I need to install transmission cooler and I will need to estimate how space there is left. I would need around 6 inches gap between a radiator and a winch for the remote type of cooler, which can be installed somewhere else, but that would be the best spot for the air to circulate at a better rate. If there is not enough room or less than 6 inches, I will stick to the non-remote type of transmission cooler. Please let me know Jason. Thank you.
Man I’m not sure. It’s tight around the winch and control box. But maybe it could be mounted up higher?
Take a look at my Tacoma bumper/winch install. In that one I relocated the control box and that was a much cleaner install in my opinion. I would do it that way if so were to do this again.
Ok. Thank you. I will do that.@@JasonExplainsThings
Looking good... have fun off-roading it ❤️ 😍
Thanks! The bumper and winch have already paid for themselves in rescues and avoided damage.
Great video, front end of the car looks amazing and badass!!
Thanks Kevin! Yeah I love it.
Dang bro, you ripped that valance out 😢. Could have just undid the clips and sold it 😅
CBI stuff is awesome, but man the shipping is so expensive! Any way to minimize that through dealers that might be more local in the PNW? (I’m in Portland, OR)
I’m with you man! It isn’t cheap. I believe the only satellite store is in California.
Here’s my code for 5% off. Helps a bit! 😁 CPM6LYBLBP
Thank you!
Hey Jason love the video going to refer to it when I get my bumper for install. Where did you mount the relay holder bracket never seen one and will definitely help for the relays I have.
How about your front radar? Did you re install it does the bumper block it?
Thanks. This video helped me wire up my light bar👍
Jason, I have a different winch and it is a little larger, but I still don't want to relocate the solenoid. Do you know of anyone who has relocated the power steering tube, or replaced it with say a steel braided flexible line or something? Just wondering what my options might be. Great video by the way.
Hey there. I've heard there is a relocation kit for the power steering tube. I'm not sure who makes it but I've heard one exists.
What kind of relay do you use? You briefly showed it attaching to the relay holder. I don’t have a relay setup like the switch pro, ideally would like to avoid that and just use the blank button spaces in the dash for my extra lights
Hey there. The relay came with the light bar wire harness.
Dumb question but did you put the skid plate back on easily??
Yep. Clears fine.
Very well, also I just bolted the winch to the bumper same warn as you. How do you plug the remote in with it installed seems hard to get to through the access holes.
Should I get new shocks and raise ? before gettin this
I did it right after. Yes, I'd recommend new shocks and springs if you install this. It will cause the stock suspension to sag.
Here's the suspension I installed: ua-cam.com/video/OFcjtX_t45E/v-deo.htmlsi=uOMSljPG60U8GGjN
Does your light bar have a backlight feature requiring a second switch? If so did you use the cali raised small dual switch in one or did you go with two separate switches?
Nope.
Any Jason any idea if with the stock "skid" plate on my 4runner if I still need to remove it and install the bumper then put the skid plate on after?
You’ll most likely need to take it off. At least the plastic piece in front of it.
This is an amazing video! thank you for posting it! Now to come up with a realistic justification to my wife. :D
Justification: you never know if/when you’ll need to rescue/recover yourself or others. Two videos to check out that sell it well… my “Adventures in Mud Land” video when we thought we were going to a camp ground and the road was washed out and we ended up using the 4Runner to rescue several people. And the other is a video I posted about sadly hitting a deer a month ago. The bumper saved the 4Runner from serious damage.
How did the weight of the bumper and winch affect your front end? Did it drop? Do you have to upgrade the front suspension when you add these 2 things to account for the extra weight?
Hey Russ. Great questions. The added weight does indeed affect the front end height and handling. I'd say it dropped at least an inch and made the vehicle handle noticeably worse. You do indeed want to upgrade the front suspension to account for the weight. I installed an Eibach full suspension system that lifted the rear one inch and the front by 2 inches. The springs I installed are supposed to negate any negative effects up to 200 lbs in the front (I added about 180lbs). And now the vehicle handles better than before even installing the winch. That video will hopefully be out in the next 7-10 days.
Great channel! What benefits do you see with this bumper over the SSO slimline hybrid?
Can’t say personally. My friend Ben has an SSO bumper on his Tacoma. It’s nice, but one negative is the cut requires you to put a rubber trim on the bumper cover rather than overlapping it. I don’t know if the 4Runner would be the same. So I guess just some aesthetic differences.
What winch hook did you get?
Link in the description.
I LOVE the lights, I wonder if they can be added without the winch and the new bumper?
I believe someone makes a light bar mount that fits inside the stock bumper
I like your sense of humor guys ✌🏽
For the wired winch remote did you make an access hole somewhere so you could get your hand in there to plug it in when you need to?
The remote is wireless and wired. So far I've just used it wirelessly. You can cut an access hole or remove the radiator cover.
Jason all your sound effects and exclamations at various points were amazing haha!
Appreciate it! Yeah I try to makes these fun to watch... even if you don't have the same vehicle.
Does the light bar butt right up against the bumper or do you set it back a bit so it doesn't touch the bumper?
There’s a small gap.
I need a bunch of the electrical components for a related project I've been putting off. How do you feel about the TICONN stuff?
Hey Wade! Good experience so far. I’ve used their connectors a bunch actually.
@@JasonExplainsThings I hope you're ready to make 10 cents then!! You'll have the deer damage covered in no time.
CBi is the worst company I ever dealt with. I ordered the same bumper and they said it was a 2 month delivery time. 7 months went by with no follow up. I called them several times and each time they said "the bumper is in welding" and I called them over a span over 4 weeks. So they were lying or they take 4 weeks to weld a bumper. I will never buy anything from CBI and will tell everyone I know to never buy from them. I will gladly share my emails with them where they give me non answers for weeks, to anyone that wants to see them too. Trail Standard Offroad makes the same bumper with shorter turn around time and better customer support, Death to CBI/Prinsu
I'm glad you found a bumper you're happy with.
I ordered from them, 8 weeks and nothing, I had to call and pressure. Unit finally came in dinged and dented with finish scraped off all the edges. I had to send it back and wait another 8 weeks to get replacement bumper. Then, the TRD Pro skid plate I was told would just "bolt up" didn't. Tech said add a few washers, that does nothing in the front of the TRD skid plate as there is a space that has to be filled. Major pain that was.
I couldn't find the bumper on their website, looks like this product is either discontinued or the website link is broken
It’s there. Just use the link in the description and then enter “4Runner Covert” in search.
And thanks for using my link if you choose to get it! Not many do so it means a lot!
Sweet Runner. Is that stock height? Or lift?
Lifted! Video about the suspension coming in a matter of days.
Did you also need to purchase the brackets for the light bar within the bumper?
They came with the bumper. 👍
@@JasonExplainsThings Thanks! I have been reading that the CBI Covert doesnt really fit clean and nice. There are gaps between the plastic and the steel bumper. Is that your experience? Thx
Can that front trim piece be removed and put back on? I’ve been wanting to paint mine and removing it would make the job much cleaner.
Not sure what you mean by front trim piece. But I’m happy to help if you can be more specific. FYI, I plan on doing an update to this soon. I hit a deer and needed to replace the bumper cover. I was able to do this without taking the covert bumper apart so I’ve done the install a few times now.
@@JasonExplainsThings the piece removed at 3:30
You can replace/ re-seat it as long as you don’t damage the clips. If you damage them, then you’ll have to replace them or live with a looser bumper cover (It’s a cosmetic item). Alternatively, you can just purchase a new bumper cover from Toyota and paint it whatever color you want.
Great video. Are those tie down points on the CBI bumper recovery rated?
Yes, very much so.
Excellent. Makes that bumper a great option. Thanks.
Good for you in taking that project on, had the same project done on my 2016 4runner trail with kdss, but I went with a Fab four centre bumper with a amber light bar. Really like how it makes my baby look, just subscribed to your channel, keep up the good work.
Thanks John and welcome! Lots of good stuff planned and in the works.