Here are some after pictures.....
One of the things I really liked about this bumper is there is an opening to add a light bar into the center of the bumper. I am not planning to do that because it is right in front of the lower radiator intake that allows more airflow for cooling. When Thor added the plastic cover to the Ford stock bumper, they covered that air intake and reduced the cooling airflow. You can see the long rectangular opening in the middle of the new bumper in one of the pictures below.
I also decided to add a set of chrome tow hooks since Thor cut off the Ford stock tow hooks. I originally was not going to use tow hooks but after thinking about it, they could come in very handy if I ever need a tow out of somewhere that the 4x4 can't handle. The chrome hooks are also a nice accent to the black bumper.
The quality of the SteelCraft Bumper is excellent. It is heavy duty all the way around from the frame mounts to the physical one-piece construction. The design provides protection for most of the front of the cab. The powder coating is also top notch for a very nice look. It was very well packaged and protected from the factory. Not a scratch on it even though the pallet it was shipped on had seen better days. The price was also great. I have seen bumpers like this one for $1500 - $2500. I got it for $1075 and free shipping.
The new bumper won't save me from everything but it should provide better protection and hopefully keep the radiator and transmission cooler in tact in a fender bender or animal strike…. and it might allow us to finish a trip.
It also just makes the Magnitude look a little bit meaner than it already did. Next time that BMW tries to cut me off, I'm not too worried if I would hit him. I'll just push him out of the way and keep on trucking....
Thor Forums
