Front Bumper Analysis Paralysis in 2021 (1 Viewer)

[wakesetter]

This full guard version is the only bumper I’m interested in. Knocked it outta the park.

Holy Jesus.....$2500 for a bolt together front bumper?????

Wow

 

[COYS]

Holy Jesus.....$2500 for a bolt together front bumper?????

Wow

A bargain straight outta Idaho!

 

[wakesetter]

A bargain straight outta Idaho!

You're definition of "bargain" is much different than mine. I'll gladly stick with my $700 MetalTech bumper. To each his own I guess.

 

[COYS]

You're definition of "bargain" is much different than mine. I'll gladly stick with my $700 MetalTech bumper. To each his own I guess.

It’s all good homey. Do you.

 

[dsmud4u]

If you want protection get a piece of channel.
It’s not pretty but does the job for 98% of its driving. I may trim the corners to give it a better approach angle. Nothing is going to be stronger then channel for the money. It’s structural steel!

edit: forgot to mention there was a dude selling an ARB that got bent in shipping a few months ago. You have to wonder how strong it was to begin with if it got bent in shipping.

 

[wakesetter]

If you want protection get a piece of channel.
It’s not pretty but does the job for 98% of its driving. I may trim the corners to give it a better approach angle. Nothing is going to be stronger then channel for the money. It’s structural steel!

View attachment 2618946

Almost Mad Max

 

[Roketdriver]

I just installed that winch in a ARB. I used a spacer kit that was about 3/4".
View attachment 2608091

Thanks again for the response - one more question: Where did the control pack get mounted? Does it still fit in the original location or will I need to get a relocation kit?

 

[Mark W]

The ARB was for years the most easily available bumper in the states for the '80 series. That plays a large role in how much more common they are.

That said, They DO THE JOB for front end protection, unlike any of the bumpers out there without the upper bars, and unlike many that do have them.

If you want something else for stylistic reasons, go for it. You might find that a couple of the other well made units offer equal front end protection, but I know from both personal experience and from first hand accounts (and personal after crash inspections) that the ARBs provide excellent protection of your rig in vehicle on vehicle street impacts, vehicle on tree trail bumps and vehicle vs animal highway impacts. Up to and including 70MPH hits on 800lbs baby moose.

Ignore the low coverage bumpers, check out the other full coverage offerings then buy the ARB and don't look back.

And on that note, I gotta call Kurt and order a couple more this morning.


Mark...

 

[Delta VS]

Holy Jesus.....$2500 for a bolt together front bumper?????

Wow

Where'd you get this "bolt together" bumper idea?

 

[Bludozer]

I like the look of the dobinson more than the iron man. The bull bar looks beefier. There has been some complaints about the quality of dobinson powder coat. Arb has decent powder coat.

I haven’t seen a front dobinson in person but I have seen the rear. It was the biggest POS imaginable. Janky as **** it was terrible.

 

[MrLucky]

Over the past few months I've spent countless hours researching and agonizing over which front bumper I want to upgrade to. I think I've gotten my selection narrowed down, but despite numerous searches I am still stuck and need some help.

My absolute must haves:
- Full coverage in the front to protect from animals
- Must accommodate a 12k winch

And that's it.

My top two choices right now are the offerings from ARB (DELUXE BUMPER - https://arbusa.com/toyota-land-cruiser-1990-1997/bumpers-protection-equipment/deluxe-bumper/) and Ironman (Classic Off Road Bumper Suited For Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser/Lexus LX450)

They pretty much cost the same, are airbag compatible, and offer the deer-strike protection I'm looking for. I like that the ARB is tried and true, but I am skeptical as to if it'll easily fit the Warn VR Evo 12k winch (VR EVO 12 Winch - 103254 - https://www.warn.com/vr-evo-12-103254) that I've been eyeballing. I can also pick up an ARB locally from Slee or 4WheelParts. I am leaning toward the Ironman due to the fact that it will fit a 12k winch, and from what I've been reading it should be easier to install. The integrated fogs are also a plus. On the downside, I hardly ever see people on IH8Mud running them, so I'm not sure if it's because there's something glaringly wrong with them that I'm unaware of, or if they're just newer and less common.

I also reached out to a local manufacturer - Bumpitoffroad - to see if they could modify one of their existing designs (80 Custom Tube Front Bumper for Toyota Land Cruiser) to include headlight protection, but the answer boiled down to "no", which is ok. They also do full custom work so I could reach back out if I wanted to. I also considered contacting Slee to see if they could make a custom variant of their Shortbus bumper (SLEE - "ShortBus" High Clearance front bumper - '91-'97 Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 450 - Slee Off Road) but decided not to due to the higher price relative to the ARB and Ironman. Then there's also the Dobinsons bumper (Dobinsons Classic Black Front Bullbar for Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series (BU59-3518)) which looks near identical to the ARB, is more expensive, but will accommodate the winch I want.

So here is my main question: Is there anything related to the the Ironman or Dobinsons bumpers that I should be aware of? Why am I not seeing them on the forums or out in the wild?

I'm open to hearing other suggestions as I love it when my decision making skills are paralyzed by options. Thank you in advance, any insights will be appreciated.

"They pretty much cost the same, are airbag compatible, and offer the deer-strike protection I'm looking for."

FYI, I contacted ARB USA and none of the 80 series bumpers are airbag compatible.