- Joined
- Aug 20, 2022
- Threads
- 5
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 95
- Location
- Pittsburgh
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 Bronco 2 Door, 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
- Your Bronco Model
- Black Diamond
- Thread starter
- #1
So to start off with, I had a bit of an issue with the "capable" bumper that came on my Black Diamond. When I pulled through my parking spot, I didn't see the concrete remnant of a lightpole. I'm new to trucks, forgive me.
Given the cost of my deductible, it just made more sense to go with something aftermarket. I didn't need anything crazy, and honestly I'm so incredibly disappointed in the stock unit. Honestly, I feel like the plastic bumper would have just ate this. So, I went with really the only decently beefy budget option I could find. A lot of aftermarket bumpers seemed to tuck very close to the bodywork, and I wanted to avoid that at all costs., Enter Havoc.
https://realtruck.com/p/havoc-offro...MIwoTu7I7h-wIVE8DICh1TXgNoEAAYASAAEgLKHPD_BwE
So, a couple of problems here. First is how it arrived:
Now I'm basically certain this isn't the fault of FedEx, as the bumper is supposed to have these plastic corners to prevent this from happening. They had no real attachment to the bumper and had come loose in the box. Even still, I'm not sure they were doing much.
This had led to some chips in the powder coat on the corners from where the bumper had tried its best to rip free of the box. It touched up fine with some grill paint.
Also of note:
" Plus the Steel Bender Front Bumper is compatible with all the Bronco’s factory equipment like proximity sensors and front camera, not to mention OE and aftermarket flares, so your Bronco can tackle the rough stuff in style."
So, yeah. Kind of important, honestly. I don't have the parking sensors or adaptive cruise, but I was hoping for compatibility with the front fogs and skid plate for simplicity sake. A call to customer service wasn't helpful either, as they had no idea about the front skid.
So I can confirm there are mountings for the parking sensors and cruise. Factory front skid does fit. But there are no mountings whatsoever for the factory fog lights. You could fit them, but it would involve drilling holes, which seems kinda silly just to mount these driving lights. I was more hoping to tide me over until I could afford some real fogs, but for now I just have everything disconnected. Oh, and they do include plastic plugs for the sensors if you don't have them.
So the bumper itself. To my eyes, it's actually very well made. The welds are great considering this was one of the cheapest bumpers of this kind available.
It's thick steel, and the powder coat has a nice cast to it. The only thing I really don't like is that the bull bar... well....
Yeah, you aren't pushing anything with that.
Installation is pretty straightforward, although the instructions have some glaring errors. I will say this: do NOT assemble the bumper first. Maybe the sensors and such, but not the main components. It's way easier to do after. Also, don't forget to disconnect the wiring harness on the old bumper. I couldn't find the plugs immediately and got lazy. It was a mistake.
Here they are, drivers side.
EDIT: you do not have to remove the grill shutters for the intercooler. However, you do need to remove the external ducting/shroud (basic pull tabs) and possibly the plastic aesthetic piece on the outside to fit under the bumper.
As you can see, the bumper attaches straight to the frame. There aren't any kind of shock absorbers or nothing. Something something federal 10mph laws. At least you can feel confident you aren't ruining crash safety with this thing. So, on to the good stuff!
No light bar
Light bar.
Note: the crash bars are very visible now. Doesn't bother me, but it may bother you. I got plugs for them, so it looks fine IMO.
Overall, I'm happy with it. For a budget option, it's definitely a budget option. At least it's constructed well, so the really important stuff is all there.
Edit with more pictures:
Given the cost of my deductible, it just made more sense to go with something aftermarket. I didn't need anything crazy, and honestly I'm so incredibly disappointed in the stock unit. Honestly, I feel like the plastic bumper would have just ate this. So, I went with really the only decently beefy budget option I could find. A lot of aftermarket bumpers seemed to tuck very close to the bodywork, and I wanted to avoid that at all costs., Enter Havoc.
https://realtruck.com/p/havoc-offro...MIwoTu7I7h-wIVE8DICh1TXgNoEAAYASAAEgLKHPD_BwE
So, a couple of problems here. First is how it arrived:
Now I'm basically certain this isn't the fault of FedEx, as the bumper is supposed to have these plastic corners to prevent this from happening. They had no real attachment to the bumper and had come loose in the box. Even still, I'm not sure they were doing much.
This had led to some chips in the powder coat on the corners from where the bumper had tried its best to rip free of the box. It touched up fine with some grill paint.
Also of note:
" Plus the Steel Bender Front Bumper is compatible with all the Bronco’s factory equipment like proximity sensors and front camera, not to mention OE and aftermarket flares, so your Bronco can tackle the rough stuff in style."
So, yeah. Kind of important, honestly. I don't have the parking sensors or adaptive cruise, but I was hoping for compatibility with the front fogs and skid plate for simplicity sake. A call to customer service wasn't helpful either, as they had no idea about the front skid.
So I can confirm there are mountings for the parking sensors and cruise. Factory front skid does fit. But there are no mountings whatsoever for the factory fog lights. You could fit them, but it would involve drilling holes, which seems kinda silly just to mount these driving lights. I was more hoping to tide me over until I could afford some real fogs, but for now I just have everything disconnected. Oh, and they do include plastic plugs for the sensors if you don't have them.
So the bumper itself. To my eyes, it's actually very well made. The welds are great considering this was one of the cheapest bumpers of this kind available.
It's thick steel, and the powder coat has a nice cast to it. The only thing I really don't like is that the bull bar... well....
Yeah, you aren't pushing anything with that.
Installation is pretty straightforward, although the instructions have some glaring errors. I will say this: do NOT assemble the bumper first. Maybe the sensors and such, but not the main components. It's way easier to do after. Also, don't forget to disconnect the wiring harness on the old bumper. I couldn't find the plugs immediately and got lazy. It was a mistake.
Here they are, drivers side.
EDIT: you do not have to remove the grill shutters for the intercooler. However, you do need to remove the external ducting/shroud (basic pull tabs) and possibly the plastic aesthetic piece on the outside to fit under the bumper.
As you can see, the bumper attaches straight to the frame. There aren't any kind of shock absorbers or nothing. Something something federal 10mph laws. At least you can feel confident you aren't ruining crash safety with this thing. So, on to the good stuff!
No light bar
Light bar.
Note: the crash bars are very visible now. Doesn't bother me, but it may bother you. I got plugs for them, so it looks fine IMO.
Overall, I'm happy with it. For a budget option, it's definitely a budget option. At least it's constructed well, so the really important stuff is all there.
Edit with more pictures:
Sponsored
Last edited:
