2021 LC ARB bumper install

[residualboulders]

I’ve got ARB front and rear (with swing out) on my 80. I was impressed with just how difficult they are to install for what they are. Good product, but I don’t think the engineer spent much time on the shop floor putting the designs to life.

I didn't think the installation of the actual bumper was all that difficult. It was all the prep work cutting the plastic bumper, rewiring the camera, wiring for fogs and marker lights, installing all of the parking sensors, lights and such on the bumper, prepping the winch. All of the details to get it installed took a long time. The actual mounting of the brackets and the bumper on the brackets was pretty quick. IMO. But yes, some parts of the install left me wondering, like the odd shape of the brackets and the long threaded bolts that go back into the frame. I suspect there were some modifications made to the mounting system to accommodate crash testing performance or something. Maybe?

 

[scottm]

I’ve got ARB front and rear (with swing out) on my 80. I was impressed with just how difficult they are to install for what they are. Good product, but I don’t think the engineer spent much time on the shop floor putting the designs to life.

I've designed and built a lot of machinery over the decades. Built a lot of my own designs, built other engineers designs, fixed a lot of other engineers designs. Overall I'd say the ARB bars I've installed have been quite well designed, but instructions are getting worse as their installs get more complex.

I suspect they are pinning from the outboard side because that is how they did it on the 100-series bar. But that only had one upper pin bolt on each side, the lower one doesn't work well using their old methods. It should be pinned by drilling from the inside, that is what I ended up doing.

I'll solve the camera mount design error later.
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[spazzyfry123]

I didn't think the installation of the actual bumper was all that difficult. It was all the prep work cutting the plastic bumper, rewiring the camera, wiring for fogs and marker lights, installing all of the parking sensors, lights and such on the bumper, prepping the winch. All of the details to get it installed took a long time. The actual mounting of the brackets and the bumper on the brackets was pretty quick. IMO. But yes, some parts of the install left me wondering, like the odd shape of the brackets and the long threaded bolts that go back into the frame. I suspect there were some modifications made to the mounting system to accommodate crash testing performance or something. Maybe?

I've designed and built a lot of machinery over the decades. Built a lot of my own designs, built other engineers designs, fixed a lot of other engineers designs. Overall I'd say the ARB bars I've installed have been quite well designed, but instructions are getting worse as their installs get more complex.

I suspect they are pinning from the outboard side because that is how they did it on the 100-series bar. But that only had one upper pin bolt on each side, the lower one doesn't work well using their old methods. It should be pinned by drilling from the inside, that is what I ended up doing.

I'll solve the camera mount design error later.
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View attachment 2780415

Perhaps I was a bit too critical in my post. My comment was aimed towards the tough instructions and unnecessarily difficult tool access in certain spots which made the install more difficult than it should be. When I had installed the swing-out on my 80, I found a few steps skipped over that had me chasing my tail. I agree, I think parts of the design have multi-purpose such as safety - my 80's rear bumper is actually tow rated unlike most bumpers for example.

I have also engineered/built/fixed a lot of equipment. Early in my career one of the most valuable lessons I learned was the day the production manager pulled me out on the floor and told me to put together one of my designs. "You're right, how could a torque wrench fit in there?"

 

[scottm]

Perhaps I was a bit too critical in my post. My comment was aimed towards the tough instructions and unnecessarily difficult tool access in certain spots which made the install more difficult than it should be. When I had installed the swing-out on my 80, I found a few steps skipped over that had me chasing my tail. I agree, I think parts of the design have multi-purpose such as safety - my 80's rear bumper is actually tow rated unlike most bumpers for example.

I have also engineered/built/fixed a lot of equipment. Early in my career one of the most valuable lessons I learned was the day the production manager pulled me out on the floor and told me to put together one of my designs. "You're right, how could a torque wrench fit in there?"

I'll agree most of the bolts on this bumper are not reachable by torque wrench. I am pretty good at hand torquing, most experienced mechanics actually are pretty accurate according to my old Machinist's Handbook. I did reach in and check torque where I could and verified I was darn close or a bit over on the fasteners I could reach. That is my learned technique from years of putting together machines. I'm so used to having to do that I didn't even think of it as a negative.

Other places had very limited swing for a ratchet, again I just felt like that was normal, at least I could get in there with a wrench.

I mentioned the lower pinning hole because it is especially difficult, and because it would be easily accessed if they put it on the other side. That was the only real complaint I had after doing this install. That and the center camera mount, which still bugs me and I still have to fabricate something to fix it, big engineering whiff.

 

[Fisher23]

I didn't think the installation of the actual bumper was all that difficult. It was all the prep work cutting the plastic bumper, rewiring the camera, wiring for fogs and marker lights, installing all of the parking sensors, lights and such on the bumper, prepping the winch. All of the details to get it installed took a long time. The actual mounting of the brackets and the bumper on the brackets was pretty quick. IMO. But yes, some parts of the install left me wondering, like the odd shape of the brackets and the long threaded bolts that go back into the frame. I suspect there were some modifications made to the mounting system to accommodate crash testing performance or something. Maybe?

With mine the rear was more confusing than the front. Mostly figuring out the wiring. I did mount my winch when I did my front bumper.

If you do the rear, it is easier to do it before installing any cargo boxes, due to the wiring.

 

[residualboulders]

@Fisher23 Which rear bumper did you end up with?

@scottm if you end up figuring out a good solution to the front camera being centered, let us know. I have a warn winch installed on mine and it looked to me like I would have to maybe mount the camera all the way at the bottom, and even then may have to put spacers on the winch control box to lift it enough to allow room for the plug on the camera. In the end I figured ARB has more experience and knows better than I do - so I used their recommended slightly off center mount. Bugged me during install, but in use I really don't notice it being off center.

 

[scottm]

Done other than the camera, which isn't a priority as it still works. Edge trim installed.

First drive, gas then bank. A guy followed me from the gas station to the bank to ask me about the bumper, wants one for his wife's 2013. I very rarely see another Land Cruiser around here, so that was funny. Third stop pick up my boat from the canvas guy. He wants to look at the cruiser, his doctor son is trying to buy a new one but can't find one. Lots of attention now, nobody noticed it without the bumper.
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[scottm]

Some pics I forgot to post. You will need some kind of offset phillips screwdriver to put the rubber bits on the bumper. I've left them off previous bumpers, but these welds are pretty snaggly and they cover the welds.
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And a tool for pulling plastic fasteners. And an organizer tray is always helpful.
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[scottm]

Loctite on every dang thing. This is low-strength. I could smell Loctite when I was done.
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[scottm]

Front trim pieces under headlights just pop off. Maybe a good place to hide a spare key?
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[scottm]

Grill does not lift out after removing the top screws. The bottom of the grill has flat tabs sticking into the bumper. Bottom of grill must be pulled straight forward. I pushed on each tab while pushing forward on the bottom of the grill to carefully tease them apart, probably could have just yanked.

The red handle tool is for the three plastic fasteners holding the bumper cover in place. At first I thought those held the bottom of the grill in place, pulled them out, had to put them back in to pull the grill free. You can also see the headlight washer hose connector, and the bumper loom connector, those are shown pretty well in the instructions.
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[scottm]

I made a few copies of the templates on a big copier. Followed the directions and it worked out, thankfully.
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[scottm]

Touchup. Sometimes it is hard to get powdercoat into crevices I guess. Supposed to be zinc primer according to the website, but looks like bare steel to me.
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[scottm]

The hose and wire loom need to go under the remains of the original bumper, and over the bumper brackets. I put the loom on the back of the ARB bumper when I put the parking sensors and driving light in. That was a mistake, you need to leave the driving lights out so you can pin the bumper. But good to have the wire loom in there.
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[scottm]

Sorry this is all out of order. The final result is awesome, I'm stoked. This is like taking a great grilled cheese sandwich, and adding bacon. This truck was great but kind of boring before, I love it now, love driving it, love looking at it in a parking lot, I have a cool truck. I considered getting a cheaper truck and a convertible muscle car to fix up, but this is now cooler than a muscle car to me, and I get to drive it every day.

 

[Fisher23]

@Fisher23 Which rear bumper did you end up with?

@scottm if you end up figuring out a good solution to the front camera being centered, let us know. I have a warn winch installed on mine and it looked to me like I would have to maybe mount the camera all the way at the bottom, and even then may have to put spacers on the winch control box to lift it enough to allow room for the plug on the camera. In the end I figured ARB has more experience and knows better than I do - so I used their recommended slightly off center mount. Bugged me during install, but in use I really don't notice it being off center.

I went with the ARB bumper "but" if I was to do it again I would have gone with the Slee or TJM. This is because of the over complicated way the ARB opens and closes. The ARB makes it difficult to mount the trailer plug for towing and you can not install it into the bumper. The wiring for the parking sensors and backup lights is constantly flexing when opening and closing the rear hatch. There are better modular options with the other bumpers.

On the front I have my camera centered above my winch, I'll see if I can post a pic later today. You can also use that back-door menu to adjust the lines to your preference after you move it.

 

[scottm]

On the front I have my camera centered above my winch, I'll see if I can post a pic later today. You can also use that back-door menu to adjust the lines to your preference after you move it.

I would love to see the pics. If you have a 2016, it should be the same bumper. Do you remember having clearance issues behind the camera to plug it in?

 

[04UZJ100]

Does it shake/vibrate on the highway? My ARB on my 4Runner moved even on smooth pavement at highway speeds.

 

[scottm]

Does it shake/vibrate on the highway? My ARB on my 4Runner moved even on smooth pavement at highway speeds.

Have only been to highway speeds on some side roads, no shake at all, it is effectively part of the frame as much as ARB could design it. ARB bumpers on my 80 and 100 were rock solid as well. Strange if it shakes. My hood shook on my 100 (a shaker hood!), that might look like the bar is shaking?

 

[Fisher23]

Does it shake/vibrate on the highway? My ARB on my 4Runner moved even on smooth pavement at highway speeds.

When you install the bumpers you leave a 1/2" gap to allow for movement. Do they shake no, but there is normal movement.