Smittybilt M1 all the way around.

I finished installing Smittybilt M1 bumpers front and rear, an M1 grille, and a 17.5k winch. The good the bad and the ugly.

First, overall I'm happy with the look of the M1 gear now that it is installed. It is a little heavier duty than I anticipated (after hearing from others that they used thin metal). It seems very solid.

The instructions are horrible, seriously, you'd almost be better off using them as toilet paper and guessing your way through it. The pictures don't match, the sentences and wording used doesn't always make sense and it seems like there are key details left out. I couldn't find much on YouTube for a Tundra either...trial and error process making it take much longer than it should have.

The grille insert is a huge PIA. You have to Dremel and grind your way through this. Make a mistake and you are hosed. Fitment takes forever to get it even close to being square and to make sure the hood will latch afterwards. Admittedly I'm not a finesse guy, and this part of the project takes finesse and a patient approach. I have neither.

The 17.5k winch, despite being Smittybuilt doesn't fit the Smittybilt winch mounting plate, in fact only the front two bolts will line up (no bueno on a winch this heavy duty...or any winch for that matter) and the back two bolt holes actually hang over the winch mounting plate. So either I have an additional adapter plate fabricated or return the winch for something with a smaller footprint. Given how close the back of the winch sits to the front two AC lines, its going back and I will have to downsize the winch. Maybe a 12k or a different brand altogether. The whole point was to buy the same brand for compatibility and ease of install. Not so much!

The ProComp LED lights they include with these bumpers are NOT plug and play. They each have an included (fortunately) harness with loom and separate control...so between the two sets in the front (flood and spot) and the rear flood I will have to install 3 separate toggles in the cab to run the whole setup. No big deal, BUT the ProComp LED lights do not fit well in the cut outs on the front bumper, its like they didn't account for all the angles when they created the mounting slots.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Well it looks good.

What a pain in the ass though. So far, I've seen the same with every truck fab shop; guys who make cool stuff with metal are geniouses with kinesthetic learning, but can't translate anything into words. And because they only need one picture to "see" how to make this pile of parts into that cool thing, they think that's all the rest of us need.

Glad you got through it! Thanks for the report out.

 

Perhaps Transamerican Auto Parts couldn't find a Chinese tech writer who also spoke English. Those bumpers and winch must weigh 500 pounds...

Take a look at this from their website:

"Winch Mount System that can hold up to a 16,500 lb winch and completely bolts on and requires no drilling."

 

Exactly! They claim its all plug and play...totally compatible...I'm here to tell you it isn't! I think the front weight was about 375lbs and another 100 or so in the back..so you are pretty close to spot on with the total weight.

 

Thank you! Yes it was, and man that is so true about metal fabricators!!

 

Can you upload a couple photos of how you got the cubes installed. I’m guessing large fender washers and using the side access. Or drilling new holes into sides of the bracket for top mounting. I suspect the later will be easier for adjusting later.

 

I have ordered an M1 and was wondering how you are liking your bumper?
Is there anything beyond the original post that would be helpful?
Thank you in advance.