CBI covert Tundra bumper

Just ordered this bumper, to the guys that have added a winch do you have any advice on what to get that fits with a 30” cheap light bar? Main concern is having clutch access and all that with a light bar in there.

Not against minor adjustments to get a fit but obviously a bolt on solution would be ideal.

 

I think it depends on the brand/size winch you go with. I emailed CBI to ask what the truck on their website had and they weren’t sure but thought it was some rigid/Baja + warn 10k combo. All I know is a badlands apex and a blackoak LED light bar will not work together. The badlands winch is definitely a tight fit, and after taking measurements I’m pretty sure the Heretic bar is the only one that will work with it. Not sure about the cheaper options.

as far as clutch access, if you have a 2018+ model with the TSS, the hatch that allows access to the sensor plug on the grill will let you get your hand down there. But if you do too many curls it’s gonna be difficult.

 

I am about the install this exact same combo. Can you send me some pictures of what you had to trim to fit the Badlands Apex 12k winch and any suggestions for the install? Thanks!

 

Yeah for sure man. The only thing you have to cut to fit the winch is the a piece of C-Shaped channel that runs the width of the bumper. Just take about an inch off to fit around the control box like you see in the picture. I'll also include some other pictures to show how tight of a fit it is.

Basically I did it in two sections. You have the covert bumper with the winch mounted and a light bar if you found one to fit, and the little bit of bumper left with the fog light buckets attached and put that on over the winch/bumper combo. This is the only real drawback to this set up. The brackets CBI uses to attach the fog light buckets leave a lot to be desired. They are a little flimsy but use what you have available to you to sturdy them up.

It is tight working in there so definitely have a good combination of ratcheting wrenches and socket wrenches with U joints/extensions to choose from.

You might think half way through you should have bought a full bumper, I know I did. But just know it'll be worth it if you bought this so you could be a little subdued without sacrificing recoverability. I don't wheel often or hard enough to justify a full bumper, and I like the look of the Tundra front end. Not to mention the weight savings by going with this unit.

I hope the pictures help, they'll probably do better than me trying to explain things but feel free to reply here or message me.

 

Thanks for the pictures and explanation, that is very helpful! You’re quite literally the first person I’ve found who shows a picture of the fog light brackets lol. It’s disappointing CBI doesn’t have an installation video!

 

I’m assuming it’s because it’s a relatively complicated install and they don’t want to put the time or effort into the video. Not to mention the potential liability with cutting OEM stuff out. Or they don’t want to scare away any would-be customers with it.

 

They’ve made installation videos for 4Runners, Tacomas, and even newer Tundras which all involve cutting. Plus they even make a part that bypassed the active front spoiler on the new Tundras, so I don’t think it’s that… I just think they’re lazy.

 

That’s true, but the demand for those platforms is so much higher than the 2 & 2.5 gen Tundra. I agree laziness to be a factor.