The purpose of having bumpers on your truck is to protect the front and rear ends of the vehicle. That’s why just any old bumper wouldn’t do the trick. Most (if not all) aftermarket bumpers are marketed as strong enough to provide adequate protection, but it’s not always the case. Aftermarket bumpers vary widely in quality.
With the market so saturated with aftermarket bumpers, looking for a high-quality bumper can be quite overwhelming. If you know how to differentiate a high-quality bumper from a low-quality bumper, you’ll have an easier time finding the right aftermarket bumper for your truck. The best way to do this is to look for features that set a bumper above from the rest.
Below are the 6 key features to consider while shopping for an aftermarket bumper. These features guarantee a strong bumper that will provide plenty of protection in a crash. The more of these features a bumper has, the better.
1. 100% Steel
Bumpers come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. For example, OEM bumpers are usually made with plastic or aluminum, both of which are pretty much the weakest materials for bumpers. If you’re looking for a strong bumper, you want to consider ones that are 100% steel (like ours – more on that here).
Why? For starters, steel is very hard to bend or puncture. That makes 100% steel bumpers thicker, stronger, and more durable than other types of bumpers. As an added bonus, a steel bumper gives your truck a more rugged look.
At ThrottleDownKustoms.com, we understand this. That’s why all of our bumpers are made with a solid 100% PNO steel plate.
2. High-Quality Welding
Since the whole point of having bumpers on your truck is to add protection in the event of a crash, it’s important to find an aftermarket bumper that’s welded right. The quality of the weld on a bumper plays a big part in the amount of protection the bumper will provide in a crash. The weld points buckle first before the other areas on the bumper. Once that happens, the rest of the bumper can’t protect anything. You want the weld points to stay strong as long as possible.
All of our bumpers are hand-welded by certified and trained welders, and every single weld is thoroughly inspected. We take a lot of pride in the quality of our welds.
By the way, if you are thinking of doing one of those DIY bumper kits, read our article about the downsides of that plan first.
3. CNC Cut
CNC stands for “computer numerical control”. That means CNC cut bumpers are very precise in terms of fitment. All the angles, joints, and bracket locations are accurate. When you have a CNC cut bumper that’s built specifically for your truck, you won’t run into any fitment issues. Precise fitment also means that the bumper is stronger and lasts longer.
Since fitment is really important, all Throttle Down Kustoms bumpers are built with a solid PNO steel plate that is CNC laser cut.
4. Made In The USA
Even though you might save a little bit of money with a bumper made overseas, you’ll still get a lot more bang for your buck with a bumper made in the USA. It’s because steel quality standards are much higher in the USA than in most other countries. So when shopping for an aftermarket bumper, look for one that’s made in the USA.
We make all of our bumpers in-house at our facility in Montana. All the materials are sourced within the USA, as well.
5. Made To Order
There’s really no point in spending hundreds of dollars on an aftermarket bumper if it doesn’t accommodate your truck to a tee. You want to make sure that your aftermarket bumper comes with all the light holes, parking sensors, etc. that your truck requires. Also, by getting a made-to-order bumper, you’ll get to customize it further. For example, you can opt for customized lighting, winch mounts, powder coating, etc.
6. Lifetime Warranty
It’s always smart to get an aftermarket part that’s covered under warranty. When it comes to aftermarket bumpers, you want one that comes with a lifetime warranty. It’s because a poorly-built bumper can take a while to reveal any structural defects. That makes a one year (or so) warranty pretty much useless.
We offer a lifetime warranty against any structural defects on all of our bumpers. Read more about our warranty policy here.
If you’re looking for an aftermarket bumper that has all of the must-have features listed above, look no further than Throttle Down Kustoms. Our bumpers are made in the USA with 100% CNC cut steel, hand-welded by skilled welders, made to order, covered by a lifetime warranty, and more. Read more about our high-quality bumpers here.