I recently ran across an unusually good deal on the ARB deluxe bumper, so my dad and I ordered two to put on our 80s. I have a Warn 16.5ti winch I plan to shoehorn in mine, and don't know what his winch plans are at this point.
Now I'm having second thoughts. There are a lot of threads about how stout the ARB is and how it's a great option etc, even if not the highest clearance, but most of those threads are several years old. More recent discussions about front bumpers seem to dismiss the ARB as too thin, too heavy, weak, bulky, etc. I suspect part of that is because folks are using their 80s on more challenging terrain than they were 10 years ago, but that may not be entirely true. More challenging terrain, including rock crawling, demands a higher clearance, more stout bumper, and I get that. I DD my 80, and like the idea of taking more off-road trips on BDRs, trips out into the hillsides to go shooting, fishing, etc. I could see myself taking the family on a trip to Glacier, Moab, etc, but probably wouldn't take my 80 on the Rubicon (though I'm sure it'd be a blast).
The ARB bumpers haven't shipped, so we could cancel the order if we wanted to and go with something else, but I'm still inclined to believe that the ARBs would meet our needs. I'd appreciate any input people have based on their experiences. Thanks, guys.
Now I'm having second thoughts. There are a lot of threads about how stout the ARB is and how it's a great option etc, even if not the highest clearance, but most of those threads are several years old. More recent discussions about front bumpers seem to dismiss the ARB as too thin, too heavy, weak, bulky, etc. I suspect part of that is because folks are using their 80s on more challenging terrain than they were 10 years ago, but that may not be entirely true. More challenging terrain, including rock crawling, demands a higher clearance, more stout bumper, and I get that. I DD my 80, and like the idea of taking more off-road trips on BDRs, trips out into the hillsides to go shooting, fishing, etc. I could see myself taking the family on a trip to Glacier, Moab, etc, but probably wouldn't take my 80 on the Rubicon (though I'm sure it'd be a blast).
The ARB bumpers haven't shipped, so we could cancel the order if we wanted to and go with something else, but I'm still inclined to believe that the ARBs would meet our needs. I'd appreciate any input people have based on their experiences. Thanks, guys.
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