Aftermarket Steel Raid Series Front & Rear Off-Road Bumpers For 2nd Gen (2014-2021) Tundra From Ironman 4×4 – Detailed Review & Overview
2nd Gen Tundras have a plethora of options for front and rear bumpers, no matter what your taste or wants are, there is sure to be a bumper out there that fits your build.
For me? I wanted a simple, clean, strong, and functional setup. I wanted all of that without sacrificing, and best case scenario; enhancing my approach and departure angles while also opening the wheel well up to allow for larger tires or wider more aggressive wheel and suspension setups.
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- Complete Raid Armor Package (front and rear)
- Bumper Only Kits
Ironman 4×4 Raid Armor Review
Table of Contents
My Truck/Build Needs
I wanted something with the option to mount a winch, plus an array of different sized lights in different modular configurations. Bonus points if the bumper setup allowed for lights in the rear bumper.
The only thing part of me wishes the Ironman bumper featured (that it does not) would be some sort of tube work protecting the upper grille/radiator more.
However, with the length of the upper deck of the bumper, there is still a significant amount of protection over factory. But to each their own for this design element.
The Ironman Raid Series bumpers checked many of these boxes; and more!
Safe, clean, well built with tons of extras and features that make it a real strong contender for bumpers in the game for 2nd Gen Tundra owners.
Before running the Ironman bumper I was running an SSO winch bumper, which I did enjoy, but with the jump to 37” tires and desire for more front end protection (using my truck the way I use it), I needed to switch things up.
The old bumper setup integrated stock components + aftermarket mounts, the Ironman bumpers beef up EVERYTHING while still bolting up in factory locations.
Construction
The welds on these bumpers were done well, this is one of the first things I take notice of on just about any integral part of the truck; especially bumpers.
The next thing I like to look at is what’s protecting those welds and that base metal. For these bumpers, it is a very tough but also very subtle and sleek powder coat. These last few months I have really tested the durability of this powder coat and have been VERY impressed.
The bumpers are very well thought out, and have an interesting two-part-mounting system for both the front and rear bumpers; more on that later on.
The lighting spots have slots that allow for different-sized lights + different angles if you’d like to fine-tune your beams. It also comes with brackets that fill the gaps should you decide to not install lights in the bumper cutouts – which is something I’m not familiar with any other bumpers offering.
On top of the modular lighting, there is also a very slick cover for the 32” light bar spot that not only looks amazing, but provides added protection for the lightbar.
You can choose to run this guard on or off depending on your style. I opted to put the grill on, which gives more protection and a more aggressive look (in my opinion) while hardly at all sacrificing any output from the lightbar.
The front bumper comes in at just over 100 lbs. and the rear bumper is sitting right under 125 lbs. All said and done, this is only a marginal difference in weight over the stock crash bars and chrome bumpers you are replacing.
This was one of the most shocking things for me because adding all of the thicker hardware, multiple mounting plates and systems, plus recovery points, I would have thought for sure these bumpers would weigh in a LOT more than stock!
Safety
A big thing for me is the safety of me, but also that of my family. Ironman has rigorously tested these bumpers to have integrated crumple zones to transfer the energy of impact if God forbid there was an accident; away from you and your family.
They also have been tested extensively in the Australian Design Regulation and are SRS airbag compliant.
This testing and attention to detail are great and something that really makes these bumpers stand out.
You may think – “Well I do not want crumple zones, I want to be able to crash into walls” – and that may be your goal. However, for me, if I was to be rear-ended or smash into something, my preference is that my airbags go deploy and I stop moving with as much energy absorbed in the things that are engineered to keep me safe as possible.
To our knowledge, there is no other company that can tout the same safety engineering that the Ironman 4×4 Raid bumpers have earned.
The rear bumper comes with a very integrated mounting system as well which is a bit simpler than the front end to put together. The rear bumper also allows for more tweaking and tuning – so pay special attention when installing. The mounting plates retain some factory hardware and factory plates, but also include two very thick steel plates which mount to the frame, which the bumper then mounts to.
These things are STOUT. The rear bumper also does not mess with or relocate any part of the factory installed hitch option. It does however offer supplied mounting locations for reverse lights and trailer plug ins.
Total, there are more than 5+ bolts on each side of your rear bumper between the bumper and the frame, all of which are thicker and have more contact and security than the stock setup.
Accessory Options
Winches, lights, recovery hooks, license plate mount, etc., this bumper comes out of the box ready for you to put your own touch on it.
For me? I have chosen to install 3 Ironman 4×4 lights on each side up front, and two on each side in the rear. Additionally, I installed the frame mounted recovery points while installing the bumper and knowing I have those is great peace of mind.
I have not installed a winch yet, but will do so eventually. The tray is large and very accepting of a wide array of options for mounting.
For now, I have a fairlead license plate bracket mounted since I live in a state that requires a front plate, this is something that I also took really seriously for my front bumper choice because if you need a front plate but get a bumper without a winch option OR front plate mount, you will need to sacrifice something one way or another.
The Ironman 4×4 lights are IMPRESSIVE, I have used these a LOT these last few months on this season’s hunting trips, they saved my butt more than a couple of times.
They provided all of the light I could have asked for on the back country roads of Missouri and on the long stretches of highway between Nebraska and Michigan.
As mentioned before, something I love about the bumpers is the options for custom setups, you do not HAVE to run the ironman lights, as almost any light setup could and would bolt up just fine with the generous space you have to work with.
Or maybe you do not want to run as many lights? Use the supplied filler plate, a clean, well-thought-out, and purposeful design.
The rear lights also have plates that cover the lights up to prevent mud and debris from caking up in the lights and area surrounding, another point for Ironman!
Final Thoughts
These bumpers have checked all the boxes for me, they are safe, well-designed, properly coated, lightweight, affordable, fully customizable, sleek, and most importantly; badass looking.
Improved approach and departure angles, clean lines that flow with the body, and a rigid tube design, these bumpers are meant for whatever we can throw at them.
I have been running these bumpers since last fall/winter, spending nearly every weekend in the woods, on the highway, or driving down the dirt road in this truck. Over 15,000 miles across 6 states for 6 months, I have run into trees, backed into gates, drove through thick brush and fields, drove into creeks, and really put this truck and these bumpers through the wringer.
All the while, these bumpers have held their own and still clean up to look as good as they did the day I installed them.
