airbags and aftermarket bumpers (1 Viewer)

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Webster

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #1

What are the ramifications to the functioning of the airbags if I change out my bumper to something other than stock?

Will I need to disable them or do they still function as intended?

Thanks!

 

Beowulf

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #2

Your airbags should function as intended if you select one of the usual aftermarket bumpers. Slee, ARB, TJM. Hopefully you never have to validate this. Check ScottM's accident report with pics of his truck from last year.
-B-

 

lx450landcruiser

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #3

I thought the general concensis was that if you go aftermarket it was harder to set the air bags off. least thats what i think the case is.

mike

 

Beowulf

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #4

lx450landcruiser said:

I thought the general concensis was that if you go aftermarket it was harder to set the air bags off. least thats what i think the case is.

Click to expand...

The air bags are deployed by computer. It calculates the rate of deceleration and uses other variables like the vehicle speed. In my opinion, any difference a more durable front bumper would make would be marginal. If we are going to argue that it WOULD make a difference then I would argue that it would make the airbags deploy at a slightly slower vehicle speed than a stock bumper. The rationale would be that a solid front bumper hitting a solid concrete wall (or a bulldozer) would cause the vehicle to decelerate more rapidly than a stock bumper that is designed to collapse easier. I have absolutely no idea how tyre size might fit into the equation but I'm guessing it is as much a factor as the rigidity of the front bumper.

However, I am not an engineer and have no technical knowledge of air bags or vehicle construction. This is just my opinion from reading what others have opined.

-B-

 

Last edited: Feb 2, 2006

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Brett06

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #5

i have also heard that the airbag sensors are located far form the bumper closer to the firewall. i would speculate that in a frontal accident the vehicle would compress less and because of where the sensors are located it would be pretty hard to set them off

 

Beowulf

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #6

The sensor is about 8" to the right of your right thigh when you are driving.

Brett06 said:

... because of where the sensors are located it would be pretty hard to set them off

Click to expand...

I'll assume you would add "inappropriately" or "unintentionally" or something like that to qualify that statement.

-B-

 

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Rich

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #7

It is fair to presume that the sensors and the airbag activation systems are tuned to factory front end, bumper, sheetmetal, the works.

With a bumper stiffer than stock, my expectation is that the airbags would deploy sooner after collision than with a factory bumper. Whether or not it matters, I can't say. It seems ARB may think it matters, as some bumpers they say are compatible with airbags, and for others they do not make that claim.

 

lx450landcruiser

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #8

I was always under the impression that they would set off with more of an impact simply becasue i hit a metal stop sign concreted into the side walk at about 20 and the air bags did NOT go off. The sign was totaly bent to the horizonal position and there was a dent in winch tab (since i dont have a winch) Im pretty sure if i had stock bumper the air bags would have gone off. This is my reasoning.

mike

 

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Rich

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• Feb 2, 2006

• #9

I presume that the airbag sensors detect the rate of deceleration and that the rate of deceleration is one factor of determining if and when the airbags deploy. A stiffer bumper, because it will deform less, will result in the vehicle, in a front end collision, decelerating quicker. Based on this reasoning, if the collision is sufficient to deploy the airbags, with a stiffer bumper, I figure the airbag will deploy sooner.