Feature Friday: 13 Low Profile Front Bumper Setups For 5th Gen 4Runner

This Week’s Topic: Low Profile Front Bumpers

Welcome back to another Feature Friday! Last week, we got to look at TRD Off-Road Premium builds. This week, we’re back talking to owners about their low-profile front bumpers (sometimes referred to as lo-pro), why they chose them, and what protection and functionality they offer.

Low-profile bumpers are a great addition to armor setups. Not only do they serve the purpose of protecting the front end of your truck and aid in approaching and descending obstacles, but they can also be used to recover vehicles when those situations arise. The recovery part comes in handy, especially for 4Runners, because the safe recovery point options from the factory are limited.

If you have been looking at adding a low-profile front bumper to your ride but are unsure about which to choose from, take a look below to see what these 13 4Runner owners are saying about their setups. And take a look at our post – low profile vs. hybrid vs. plate bumpers – to see what can fit your needs the best.

Do you want to be featured in a future Feature Friday?

We want readers to get inspired by a variety of rigs/products.

Submit your build for Feature Friday here to get featured.

We have specific topics each week and we would love to feature your rig!

Note: The builds listed below are in no particular order

Popular Brands Featured

• Cali Raised Stealth Bumper
• Trail Standard Offroad INCOG Bumper
• C4 Fabrication Lo Pro Bumper
• CBI Offroad Fab Covert Bumper

1. Marie Dubray (@pnw.sr5p) – Cali Raised

Bumper 

• Cali Raised Stealth Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

The Cali Raised LED Stealth Bumper has been a great addition to my 4Runner build!

When I started to look at the Stealth Bumper, I was a bit worried about the weight because I had seen lighter options on the market. However, once I got the bumper installed and drove with it for a few weeks, I haven’t seen any change in handling.

I also loved that I was able to mount the accessories that I wanted. I went with a 30-inch Diode Dynamics light bar and the Ironman 4×4 winch. Both of these products fit in the bumper without any issues, with the exception of some small modifications to mount the winch.

Overall, I love this bumper and it looks awesome on my white 4Runner.

2. Mark S. (@bao.rnr) – Trail Standard Offroad

Bumper

• Trail Standard Offroad INCOG Lo Pro Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

I chose this setup because this product was new, but it looked solid. At the time of purchase, there was no lead time and I received it extremely fast. From the time I ordered to when I got it (from West Coast to East Coast) was about 8 or 9 days total.

The workmanship and the welds are great. The recovery points are flush with the bumper (no hitting my shins when walking in front of my car). I am currently running a 30” Extreme LED light bar in yellow and plan to eventually add a winch.

This bumper allows you to chop away at the stock bumper and covers up any imperfections that might have been made during installation. It was shipped extremely well and padded so that when I brought it to my powder coat shop, there wasn’t much prep work that they needed to do on it.

Trail Standard Offroad makes good stuff, and they are highly responsive via email, DM, and Facebook. Great company!

3. Dyson Douglas (@drtslyrs.t4r) – Southern Style OffRoad

Bumper 

• Southern Style OffRoad Armageddon Armor Kit

Tell Us About Your Setup

I chose this setup because it’s affordable if you know how to weld. In fact, it is one of the only weld kits I could find on the market. The bumper looks great and is customizable. I paired the bumper with a 20” Baja Designs light bar and a 12k Smittybilt winch with the Factor55 fairlead and hook. It has been a very strong and durable setup. I’ve also used the tow points to pull big trucks stuck in snow and mud.

4. Sean Migone (@mig_rnr) – C4 Fabrication

Bumper

• C4 Fabrication Lo Pro Winch Bumper (with bull bar)

Tell Us About Your Setup

C4 Fab has been the go-to Toyota 4Runner bumper company for years. Their bumpers are top-notch and some of the toughest on the market.

The fit of this Lo Pro bumper looks OEM. With my lightbar and winch added, it looks and functions perfectly. It has two shackle/tow attachment points that are basically indestructible. I’m super stoked with this bumper and have zero regrets about my choice.

5. Aly Graff (@ladyredrunner_) – CBI Offroad Fab

Bumper

• CBI Offroad Fab Covert Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

I didn’t really like the look of the bull bar; I wanted something sleek looking and the CBI bumper took the cake. I love the design and the fact that powder coating was an option. The price point is GREAT. It has a good winch mount and a 30″ light bar cutout.

6. Nikki Mortensen (@trdlunar.eclipse_) – Vijay

Bumper

• Vijay Front Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

I do a lot of off-roading in the mountains here, so this setup gives me protection on the front end and some additional clearance with the viper cut.

I chose this setup for the increased protection and the ability to add a winch for those rough areas or to help pull fellow companions out. What I love most is the Zeak 13,000 lb winch that is unstoppable. The bumper also has built-in light pods and is complimented by a viper cut.

7. Ryan Lau (@4runnersaurus) – Southern Style OffRoad

Bumper

• Southern Style OffRoad Slimline Versa

Tell Us About Your Setup

I already had SSO rock sliders, so their Slimline Versa bumper was the obvious choice to have the powder coat match. I also wanted a bull bar but needed it to clear the TSS sensor on my 2021 4Runner. Installation was straightforward, and it doesn’t add a lot of weight to the front end.

It has a universal 20″ lightbar cutout that can accommodate pretty much any lightbar of that size. Currently, I have a 20″ Heretic amber lightbar and Morimoto HXB pods mounted on top.

The Versa also has a winch mount and cutouts for easy access should you decide to add one.

8. John Santos (@johnzurs) – CBI Offroad Fab

Bumper

• CBI Offroad Fab Covert Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

CBI Offroad Fab has one of the best fitments with its covert bumper. The installation was super easy, especially with their step-by-step detailed video. It is by far one of the simplest and cleanest low-profile bumpers.

I chose this bumper because of its clean, refined appearance. What I like about it is that the fitment throughout the bumper is on point. The ability to mount a Baja Designs S8 30″ LED light bar and the Warn VR12 winch with a Factor55 Ultrahook is also excellent.

9. Nicole Chatelain (@beautynbeastrnr) – C4 Fabrication

Bumper

• C4 Fabrication Lo Pro Winch Bumper with Bull Bar

Tell Us About Your Setup

I decided to go with the C4 Lo Pro bumper because of its aesthetics and functionality. I love the OEM+ look.

A good benefit of the bumper is it’s light enough that I don’t have to change my current suspension setup and was easy to install. So far, I have installed a 30-inch Baja Designs S8 light bar with amber lenses.

10. Dillon W (@4runnerwanted) – CBI Offroad Fab

Bumper

• CBI Offroad Fab Covert Baja Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

I was fortunate enough to win the CBI 10th anniversary giveaway for the bumper! The look is one of the cleanest on the market. I run a Harbor Freight 12k winch with it, and everything was so easy to install even after the fact. The bull bar is high enough to allow a winch to be installed without taking off the bumper and doesn’t affect the TSS sensors in later model years.

11. Kathryn Mimmack (@weminuche_t4r) – C4 Fabrication

Bumper

• C4 Fabrication Lo Pro Winch Bumper (with bull bar)

Tell Us About Your Setup

I chose the Lo Pro bumper for the minimal change to appearance but improved functionality. Having the ability to add a winch and light bar while improving front-end protection is what I love most about it.

I chose the full-height bull bar for radiator protection while not interfering with the TSS sensor. I also decided to go with a color-matched powder coat so it blended better with the rest of the vehicle.

12. Mark Minosa (@tataro4runner) – CBI Offroad Fab

Bumper

• CBI Offroad Fab Covert Bumper

Tell Us About Your Setup

I chose the CBI covert bumper because it provides exactly the right amount of protection I needed for my vehicle. I wanted something low-profile and lightweight.

The Covert bumper also allowed me to mount my 12k winch and a 30″ light bar from Vivid Lumen up front. The bumper is a great value as well and even comes powder-coated from CBI. The bumper was also relatively easy to install, especially if you have help from experienced friends.

13. Ryan Gibbons (@gibburnz) – C4 Fabrication

Bumper

• C4 Fabrication 2010-2013 Lo Pro (discontinued)

Tell Us About Your Setup

Years ago, nobody was even making a lo pro for the early 5th Gen 4Runners. I was able to convince Caleb to mock up a prototype and start a group buy to get other owners interested. They ran it for a few years and discontinued a year or so back.

So, I chose it because it was the only option available. However, I think C4 did an awesome job blending it into the boxier front end of the pre-facelift 5th Gen. The facia matched the contours of the OEM bumper and there was plenty of space for a Smittybilt winch and a smaller single-row lightbar. Eventually, I switched the fairlead and shackle over to Agency 6.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up another Feature Friday! We hope you enjoyed this week’s post on low-profile front bumpers.

It can be hard to decide which is right for you because many of the brands are very similar at first glance. We hope that after reading through this list, you can differentiate them a little more.

We’ll see you back here next week for another Feature Friday, where we’ll be looking at adjustable suspension setups!