Is There Viable (cost effective) Options to The ARB Bullbar?

[SoCal FZJ80]

1st: Does anybody know of other companies making a super heavy duty bull bar similar (or maybe even cooler) for less $$$ ? I'm even up for pre-runner looking styles. I love the ARB, looks extremely tough and has a reputation to back it up but spending a grand on it is a little steep right now.
2nd: Is there any import takeoffs for sale? I see all these half-cuts coming into the US, and some of them have bullbars on them (from the pics i see).
3rd: Used ~ Do you want to sell me your used ARB or other bullbar?

My factory bumper got tweaked. Currently I'm riding around with no bumper and want to get one mounted up right away. So I need to get a new solution asap.

You can email me directly at: shadetreeaudio@yahoo.com THANKS!!!

[NLXTACY]

You need to go into the classified sections to find something to purchase. As far as everything else available...as much as I hate to say it but search is your friend.

There is:
• ARB
• TJM
•*IPOR
•*4X LABS
• METAL TECH
• Slee Off Road
• etc etc etc

[Lka1988]

Look around in the classifieds or KSL for good deals. They'll come around, trust me. I bought a beefy custom bumper for $75 off of KSL.

[Nay]

Sure, go custom. Under $500 from SROR. Lighter than ARB. Stronger than ARB for rock crawling purposes, far better clearance.

I'll take it for deer, too. Stinger will push 'em down and under

[Beowulf]

Originally Posted by SoCal FZJ80

3rd: Used ~ Do you want to sell me your used ARB or other bullbar?

e9999999 has a beefy homemade front bumper for sale.
-B-

[Nay]

Originally Posted by Beowulf

e9999999 has a beefy homemade front bumper for sale.
-B-

I have some beefy homemade soup for sale. It's getting cold out in the High Country.

[sleeoffroad]

Look in the vendor section. We have some cheap TJM bumpers right now.

[wakesetter]

Im looking at having a tube bumper made locally. Much cheaper. I kinda don't like how wveryone and their brother has an arb. so big and heavy. Useful in the right application, but boring. I have been looking at lots of tube options trying to put together the best of all options.

[phxtlc]

Originally Posted by sleeoffroad

Look in the vendor section. We have some cheap TJM bumpers right now.

Cristo,

Which TJM do you have? I check website but couldn't find. Please PM me.

[sleeoffroad]

http://forum.ih8mud.com/%2A%2A-ih8mu...-products.html

[bhaines]

Obviously being in Australia pretty much everyone has an ARB bar or something almost identical from other manufacturers. However there is a huge push in the last couple of years towards tube winch bars which look much better, lighter and depending on style can be as strong as an ARB. I myself am giving away my TJM bar that is identical to an ARB for free. Maybe you should look at making your own bar, mine cost me virtually nothing to build myself.

[MaddBaggins]

Originally Posted by Nay

Sure, go custom. Under $500 from SROR. Lighter than ARB. Stronger than ARB for rock crawling purposes, far better clearance.

I'll take it for deer, too. Stinger will push 'em down and under

Unless you live in Colorado, I wouldn't count on SROR for anything.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/az-copper-st...group-buy.html

It's a looong thread, but I'll summarize. My club did a group buy on sliders, almost a year later some have still not received theirs and everyone paid in full in 07. His timeliness and communication leave a bit to be desired. I hear he's done lots of projects for CO people while not fulfilling his obligation to Copper State Cruiser folk.

[Nay]

Originally Posted by MaddBaggins

Unless you live in Colorado, I wouldn't count on SROR for anything.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/az-copper-st...group-buy.html

It's a looong thread, but I'll summarize. My club did a group buy on sliders, almost a year later some have still not received theirs and everyone paid in full in 07. His timeliness and communication leave a bit to be desired. I hear he's done lots of projects for CO people while not fulfilling his obligation to Copper State Cruiser folk.

Yes, I know Jim personally and as a one man shop he got in over his head on a big order. I wouldn't do any custom fab work from anybody that wasn't local. Obviously a lot of places don't have custom fab 4x4 shops, we have a ton. If you do, this is a great alternative to ARB. You can design what you want and save a lot of $$$.

My point on tube is that the strength to weight ratio cannot be beat and it is difficult to achieve better clearance as well. Tube is also cheap and bending is simple - not a lot of expensive fabrication to deal with.

Now whether you like the look is another thing, I think all of these ARB rigs look more like ARB than anything else because the ARB dominates the vehicle visually. I love the 80's lines in flareless form and from a design perspective have only sought to enhance the 80's muscular look, not "armor" it. Purely personal preference.

[80t0ylc]

Sure, there is always cheaper, easier, lighter (etc. forever) ways of doing things and I totally agree with NAY about looks being Purely personal preference, however, the ARB Bullbar is solid and reliable and can pay for itself in a single accident. With the costs that body shops are charging for repairs, why would you even consider taking a short cut for front end protection? That is the key: for protection, the ARB is king. You want something else (economy, clearance, looks), the world is wide. As for me, I love my ARB. When a full size Dodge pickup pulled in front of me on glare ice and I had no option except to Ram (pun intended) him, I drove away with no damage (except a scratch in the paint on my bullbar). Said Dodge had several thousand dollars in damage to sheetmetal, running board, & fender flares including labor. And I know, without a doubt, that if I would have had the stock bumper, or something less than the ARB, I would had to make a claim. I have read personally of at least 3 other similar examples and suspect there are hundreds, if not thousands more. So I guess my point is: If protection is not the main concern, yes, There are Viable (cost effective) Options to The ARB Bullbar.

[Tools R Us]

I agree, if your looking for a street battering ram the ARB is the bees knees, but for wheeling they bring the suckage. They are huge and the bottom (the most important part) is shaped completely wrong, so when they contact rock they tend to get hungup. Whoever decided that an "off-road" bumper needs an air dam should be fired and did I mention they are huge!

Originally Posted by 80t0ylc

Sure, there is always cheaper, easier, lighter (etc. forever) ways of doing things and I totally agree with NAY about looks being Purely personal preference, however, the ARB Bullbar is solid and reliable and can pay for itself in a single accident. With the costs that body shops are charging for repairs, why would you even consider taking a short cut for front end protection? That is the key: for protection, the ARB is king. You want something else (economy, clearance, looks), the world is wide. As for me, I love my ARB. When a full size Dodge pickup pulled in front of me on glare ice and I had no option except to Ram (pun intended) him, I drove away with no damage (except a scratch in the paint on my bullbar). Said Dodge had several thousand dollars in damage to sheetmetal, running board, & fender flares including labor. And I know, without a doubt, that if I would have had the stock bumper, or something less than the ARB, I would had to make a claim. I have read personally of at least 3 other similar examples and suspect there are hundreds, if not thousands more. So I guess my point is: If protection is not the main concern, yes, There are Viable (cost effective) Options to The ARB Bullbar.

[Tapage]

IMOP one of those front bumper alternaives it's the Slee Short Bus style .. beefy, good clearance and good looking bumper ..

[EricG]

Justin @ Redline Motorsports (Red Line Motorsports) is mocking something up on my truck as we speak. I'm not the first customer - just an available truck to work from in exchange for a good deal down the line. Hopefully he'll have some pics available soon.

[Tennessee80]

Slee shortbus, IMHO... Around $1k including shipping to Tenn.

[80t0ylc]

Originally Posted by Tools R Us

I agree, if your looking for a street battering ram the ARB is the bees knees, but for wheeling they bring the suckage. They are huge and the bottom (the most important part) is shaped completely wrong, so when they contact rock they tend to get hungup. Whoever decided that an "off-road" bumper needs an air dam should be fired and did I mention they are huge!

I don't know if I'd say "huge", it's not any more huge than the 80 is huge. You know, when you come off the Desert and into the Woods or Jungle you might just appreciate the "street battering ram" ability as you call it. The air dam IMHO, does not intrude that much into the approach angle considering the kind of vehicle the 80 is. When you modify your rig to the extreme for a particular type of terrain or type of off roading (Rock Crawling or Pre-Runner for example), you are probably going to sacrifice the versatility of the truck. To me, that's the beauty of the 80, it's versitility bone stock! Also enhanced by it's quality and ruggedness. I will modify my 80 only to the point where it improves it's overall performance. I want to be equally at home in a Mid-west blizzard and Death Valley heat spell, or at least as much as possible. And I think that's the way Toyota designed it to perform. It doesn't mean that I can't make imprvements. That's one of the things I like about IH8MUD. You can pick and choose from other peoples victories and mistakes and share your good or bad fortunes with others willing to listen and contribute. Anyway, I think the ARB is one of positve all around improvements that can be made to the 80. Thank you ARB!!! -Tom

[Nay]

Originally Posted by 80t0ylc

If protection is the main concern, yes, There are Viable (cost and performance effective) Options to The ARB Bullbar.

Fixed it for you.

You don't increase protection by increasing contact in rock crawling.

[Tools R Us]

Originally Posted by 80t0ylc

I don't know if I'd say "huge", it's not any more huge than the 80 is huge. You know, when you come off the Desert and into the Woods or Jungle you might just appreciate the "street battering ram" ability as you call it. ...

I have never wheeled in the jungle, but have plenty of woods time, that’s where we wheel in the summer. Agree that the ARB is well designed for mowing down livestock, even has the air dam to deflect guts, entrails, etc down so there isn’t as much to hose out from under the rig.

From a wheeling point of view it’s huge, sticks out way too far. Here is a poser shot to show the point, Spike can climb that without issue. On mine even with the larger tires, the front tires are 6-8” away from the rock, can throttle all I want, it just digs 4 holes in the ground. I can get up it, have to approach at ~45 degrees, get one tire on it, turn uphill, lock and climb, not the best method and on the trail there often isn’t room for those shenanigans.

[Tools R Us]

Originally Posted by 80t0ylc

… The air dam IMHO, does not intrude that much into the approach angle considering the kind of vehicle the 80 is. When you modify your rig to the extreme for a particular type of terrain or type of off roading (Rock Crawling or Pre-Runner for example), you are probably going to sacrifice the versatility of the truck. To me, that's the beauty of the 80, it's versatility bone stock! Also enhanced by it's quality and ruggedness. I will modify my 80 only to the point where it improves it's overall performance. I want to be equally at home in a Mid-west blizzard and Death Valley heat spell, or at least as much as possible. And I think that's the way Toyota designed it to perform. It doesn't mean that I can't make imprvements. That's one of the things I like about IH8MUD. You can pick and choose from other peoples victories and mistakes and share your good or bad fortunes with others willing to listen and contribute. Anyway, I think the ARB is one of positve all around improvements that can be made to the 80. Thank you ARB!!! -Tom

Mine rig isn't stock, OME lift, bigger tires, bumpers, so have probably lost it’s “versatility” but have wheeled it in the desert, rock, sand, woods, snow and mud all in one day, it works for me.

I agree that Mud is great for learning from others. I my case the ARB was my first purchase for the rig and for my uses the worst $$ spent, it’s my #1 cause of being denied on obstacles. If the plans for the rig is forest roads, any bumper will work, if deer, etc are a problem the ARB is probably the best for running down critters. If the plan is to wheel, challenge the rig, in my experience the ARB is the worst of all that I have observed on the trail.

The first picture is a properly designed bumper, it has correct angles and smooth surfaces that will slide onto, off of obstacles. The second is a very poorly designed bumper, the angles are all wrong and has too much stuff sticking out to get stuck on. When it comes in contact with an obstacle (rock, wood, dirt, it doesn’t matter) the chances of it sticking/hanging are very high. When it sticks, the relatively vertical angles make it weak, causing it to bend where a smoother, better designed bumper would just slide, transferring much less force to the bumper, truck.

[medtro]

Originally Posted by Nay

Yes, I know Jim personally and as a one man shop he got in over his head on a big order.

Over his head? I used to believe that! So far he hasn't been able to produce 13 sets of sliders in 13 months. It is at a point he won't even commit on delivery date, won't reply emails and phone calls. What a shame to the cruiser community.

[nicholas]

Originally Posted by Tools R Us

Mine rig isn't stock, OME lift, bigger tires, bumpers, so have probably lost it’s “versatility” but have wheeled it in the desert, rock, sand, woods, snow and mud all in one day, it works for me.

I agree that Mud is great for learning from others. I my case the ARB was my first purchase for the rig and for my uses the worst $$ spent, it’s my #1 cause of being denied on obstacles. If the plans for the rig is forest roads, any bumper will work, if deer, etc are a problem the ARB is probably the best for running down critters. If the plan is to wheel, challenge the rig, in my experience the ARB is the worst of all that I have observed on the trail.

The first picture is a properly designed bumper, it has correct angles and smooth surfaces that will slide onto, off of obstacles. The second is a very poorly designed bumper, the angles are all wrong and has too much stuff sticking out to get stuck on. When it comes in contact with an obstacle (rock, wood, dirt, it doesn’t matter) the chances of it sticking/hanging are very high. When it sticks, the relatively vertical angles make it weak, causing it to bend where a smoother, better designed bumper would just slide, transferring much less force to the bumper, truck.

Kevin, is that a custom rear bumper? It has the same design I'd like to have someday.

Also, it sounds like you need to let me take that junky ARB off your hands so you can get something with a better approach angle