Rock Bullbar?

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Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Threads
31
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Is there anyone that makes a front bumper that has good ground clearnance and angle of approach like a Slee bumper, but protects the front end from animals as well as an ARB?

I ran into an elk last fall, I had a TJM BB, which was enough to keep the radiator from getting damaged so I could drive home, but overall did not hold up well. After I bought the TJM several years ago, I found out that the ARBs are better built. So that is what I replaced it with when I got my Cruiser fixed.

I did not realize that the ARB hangs out further and lower than the TJM. I spent the weekend in Moab, and it got really annoying when I was trying to climb ledges (at an angle) and I was still hitting the ARB.

Front end protection is important since I live in the mountains and there are critters all over the place, other wise I would just get a Slee bumper.

:meh:

Jule
 
i believe the metal tech guys had a story of a guy destroying a deer with one of their setups and came out with little to no damage
 
Any pics of the Metal Tech bumper, I don't see it on their site.
 
beta mockup version, hit up creeper sleeper, I think he has one, I'm getting one tomorrow:grinpimp:

there's a thread for metaltech tube bumper here I think with more pics, this I had saved on my lappy

hth
FZJTube01.webp
 
LOL! Just a note, my bumper is not an off the shelf MetalTech bumper... I have trimmed down my frame rails for the best approach angle possible and the bumper was welded onto my truck. The production bumper is a lot nicer... 4WDToyotaOwner should be running an artical about the production bumper soon.

My version of the MT bumper: (FYI: All damage was pre-bumper...)
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i believe the metal tech guys had a story of a guy destroying a deer with one of their setups and came out with little to no damage

Yes it's true :hillbilly:

We had a customer that has an extra large stinger on his FJ40. On his way to Cruisin' the Woods back in '02 I believe, a deer ran out on the road and had no choice but to hit it. Since his stinger was so tall it knocked the deer over and he drove over it. Zero damage to his rig except for some fur hanging onto some axle parts :flamingo:

We are using the same stinger design on our tube bumper for the 80 series along with a smaller more mainstream look. I just received the production run parts with the little design revisions needed to be done from the beta round. They will be $650 raw plus shipping. I can do powder coating for $120 a bumper.

This thread shows basically what the production bumper will look like
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/263017-new-metal-tech-tube-bumper.html
 
You guys are talking about two totally different critters. I'd venture to say that most beefy aftermarket bumpers will take out a deer and come out realitively OK. Elk are a WHOLE OTHER BALLGAME. A huge deer is a couple hundred pounds. A huge elk is over a halft on!:eek:

Nothing is going to fair well against large game (elk, moose, bison, etc.) The fact that you got away from that accident with the damage you did sounds pretty remarkable.

Your best bet against elk (and other critters) is limited night travel, and when you do it, reduce speed and increase awareness and lighting.
 
You guys are talking about two totally different critters. I'd venture to say that most beefy aftermarket bumpers will take out a deer and come out realitively OK. Elk are a WHOLE OTHER BALLGAME. A huge deer is a couple hundred pounds. A huge elk is over a halft on!:eek:

Nothing is going to fair well against large game (elk, moose, bison, etc.) The fact that you got away from that accident with the damage you did sounds pretty remarkable.

Your best bet against elk (and other critters) is limited night travel, and when you do it, reduce speed and increase awareness and lighting.

Tis true, an arb is prolly the best protection against Elk. If you wanted to be tricky, go with a huge stinger like the guys at metaltech make. then, if your lucky as all get out, you might catch some air :D

i cant imagine a collision between a bison and a car going 50+ mph. thats like a brick wall
 
You guys are talking about two totally different critters. I'd venture to say that most beefy aftermarket bumpers will take out a deer and come out realitively OK. Elk are a WHOLE OTHER BALLGAME. A huge deer is a couple hundred pounds. A huge elk is over a halft on!:eek:

Nothing is going to fair well against large game (elk, moose, bison, etc.) The fact that you got away from that accident with the damage you did sounds pretty remarkable.

Your best bet against elk (and other critters) is limited night travel, and when you do it, reduce speed and increase awareness and lighting.

Well then... all you need is a grenade launcher installed on your hood! Problem solved! :hillbilly::flipoff2:

Everything has its breaking point. We use 2" x .120 DOM SRA tubing for the 80 tube bumpers. This tubing is designed for rigs that are over 4,000lbs to roll over on. With what happened with our customer he did come out quite lucky regarding his situation. Not to say that every deer whacking is going to have the same outcome. With the specific tubing that we use it is designed to flex and take hits with no problems at all. I would say that a 1,000lb animal would take out any bumper out there including ours.
 
Well then... all you need is a grenade launcher installed on your hood! Problem solved! :hillbilly::flipoff2:


...I would say that a 1,000lb animal would take out any bumper out there including ours.

I've got a swivel mount through my sunroof on my roof rack for my 7'6" propane powered HDSPS (High Density Starch Propultion System, aka potato cannon). Does that count?:hillbilly:

If the bumper doesn't give on the 1,000 meatsicle, soething/somebody else is gonna get hurt. Doesn't do anybody anygood if yer bumper is fine, but yer framerails are bent.:D
 
If the bumper doesn't give on the 1,000 meatsicle, soething/somebody else is gonna get hurt. Doesn't do anybody anygood if yer bumper is fine, but yer framerails are bent.:D


X2
It's crushability. If you compare the side view of rigs with ARBs and others with tubes or shortbus types you'll see. ARBs stick out for a reason - protection for rig. The very stout ARB sacrifices itself for the radiator and other vitals. You'll prolly have some sheet metal damage from a substantial hit, but the vehicle should be drivable. The tube bumpers are designed with clearance/approach angle as the first priority and protection second. There's always a price to be paid - so it's your choice - what's most important to you?

Elk, Safeway elk, moose, bear, buffalo, St. Bernard s and other such creatures are above even the ARB's design limits and should be avoided, if possible!
 
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just shot some primer on the bumper after picking it up today, nicer guy you will not find there at Metaltech; thanks LT:cheers:


I'll have to tack on a couple tabs for my HID's, (too big) I can use the existing tabs for fog or rock lights, so I am very pleased:D
~2" of stinger just shows above the hood from the drivers seat, (5'11")not a lot heavier than the stock piece of tin.. till a winch goes there:grinpimp:
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