This is topic Thunderstruck Bumpers in forum Hunting Vehicles at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 31, 2015, 06:41 PM:
Hey guys,
For anyone looking for a damned solid, sturdy front or back bumper, take a look at these.
A buddy of mine is part owner of this company. He lives on my mail route and recently relocated their manufacturing facility to my route as well.
These are some of the sharpest, best looking brush guards and bumpers I've ever seen.
Another friend of mine has one on his Dodge. He blew through a mature Kansas whitetail buck two years ago going 70+ mph on the highway. Not only did it prevent any damage to his pickup, there wasn't a single scratch or dimple in his bumper, either.
Worth the money for you rich bastards.
http://thunderstruckbumpers.com/
Posted by earthwalker (Member # 4177) on November 07, 2015, 06:00 PM:
I like the look but shipping is a killer.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on November 09, 2015, 05:56 AM:
I don't think you would want something like this shipped as a kit? It probably needs at least a little bit of custom fitting, so if you buy it, buy it installed.
Randy Shaw has a grill guard on his red Chevy that looks a lot like the one on the red Ford with the fancy diamond plate. I couldn't guess what something like that would cost but the one I put on the front end of my Titan cost somewhere around $800 installed and it is nowhere near as elaborate. In fact, I barely bumped something a while ago and it pushed it just enough that I couldn't open the hood; had to get out some wrenches and wound up installing a few spacers to "try" and keep that stuff from happening again. All these things do is sort of cushion the damage, and maybe the engine will still run and the radiator won't leak?
Good hunting. El Bee
PS one thing it will help is four wheel drive traction with extra weight on the front end.
Posted by DAA (Member # 11) on November 09, 2015, 06:23 AM:
Don't agree with the front end weight being any help. For the most part, 3/4 ton and 1 tons are too front heavy in stock trim. Diesels are WAY too heavy in the front, already. Adding weight to the front just makes them worse. Totally sucks ass in soft terrain and is only ever helpful at all on steep hill climbs.
50/50 front/rear is ideal for serious 4x4 work. That's one of the reasons Jeeps work so well, Wranglers are pretty close to that in stock form. And the trend for many years now, has been towards keeping the weight down as much as possible while modifying. Aluminum bumpers are all the rage now.
Those bumpers look like they are primarily made for running into stuff. I didn't see built in winch mounts on any of them? The number one reason the guys I know buy front bumpers, is to accommodate winch mounting. Approach angles, recovery points, protection from rocks underneath, those are the things we like in a bumper. Looks would be important for a lot of guys too.
Those are obviously not intended for serious offload work.
Probably pretty popular in cattle country though? Completely different set of priorities.
- DAA
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on November 09, 2015, 07:01 AM:
I guess I can agree with that analysis?
And, yes, it's a Cattle Country install, for sure; just like the racks in the back to protect the rear window.
My attitude. If I have to get in four wheel drive, I want out of it as soon as possible, usually in a different direction.
Also, from where I sat in that big Dodge, I was very surprised that Dave knew the score, immediately. I was only mildly concerned, but he knew we were in deep shit.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by booger (Member # 3602) on December 04, 2015, 09:40 AM:
Interesting observation on the Thunderstruck Bumpers…there was an ambulance that had a wreck last week during the ice storm in Ellsworth County…the adjacent county to where I live, and about 60 miles from Lance.
The driver hit a patch of ice transporting a patient, and rolled the ambulance. The driver was pinned in the ambulance and is still in the hospital now. The EMT in the back of the ambulance credited the Thunderstruck Bumper for saving the driver’s life—said the cab would have been crushed more if not for the bumper’s construction…great testimonial!
Posted by 3 Toes (Member # 1327) on December 04, 2015, 04:45 PM:
Several good brands out there and Thunderstruck is one of them. I've had several on various pickups, but not Thunderstruck. A brand called Ranchhand is pretty popular here. I like them for two reasons, one as Dave pointed out is a place to mount a winch, either fully built in or a reciever type. The other is a jillion miles of highway and county roads at fairly high speed before daylight and after dark. Deer and other ungulates seem to appear at the most inopportune times. A deer through the front end of a newer pickup is anywhere from 5 to 10 grand if not more. A thousand dollar bumper is pretty cheap insurance. I like them.
Posted by trapper2 (Member # 3651) on January 01, 2016, 08:09 AM:
yea ranch hand is the one you see here, I would figure 25% of pickups here have a full bumper replacement and 40 or 50 have just the added grill, I have a full replacement on my wifes feed truck but from now on I will just go with a grill guard, to much weight setting out on the frontend of the truck, we and a lot of guys I know have ad a lot of frontend trouble that I think comes from the extra weight
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