ARB Sahara Bar Moves Too Easy
- Thread starter Nottajeep
- Start date
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Did you see my video that i posted? Bumper movement - YouTube i thought it was my bumper moving, but i realized it was my body. Loud also noted that upon watching my video.
My bumper is pretty secure overall. Do you have a video showing how it moves?
My bumper is pretty secure overall. Do you have a video showing how it moves?
I have not noticed mine moving. You sure everything is tight? My ARB that I had on my FJ moved like a mutha, I could really see the guards moving and I can barely see the bling hoop over my hood with the Sahara.
- Thread starter
- #4
I slightly bumped the bottom of my bumper and I think it pushed in too easily making the front quarter panels too vulnerable. (maybe this is part of the design from ARB?)
It doesn't move with daily driving methods... it moves after being on the trail and barely bumping something (which happens with this low sitting beast). No matter how I tighten the mounting bolts... it just seems to be able to swivel too easy.
Maybe it is just the tolerances in the mount design, but I think they are too sloppy for a bumper that may see occasional bumps and nudges.
Not sure if ARB mounts the bull bars differently than the Sahara bars. Probably Slee, BIOR and others did not allow this vulnerability in their bumper design.
It doesn't move with daily driving methods... it moves after being on the trail and barely bumping something (which happens with this low sitting beast). No matter how I tighten the mounting bolts... it just seems to be able to swivel too easy.
Maybe it is just the tolerances in the mount design, but I think they are too sloppy for a bumper that may see occasional bumps and nudges.
Not sure if ARB mounts the bull bars differently than the Sahara bars. Probably Slee, BIOR and others did not allow this vulnerability in their bumper design.
Are you referring to the bolt-on wing or the mounting bracket that bolts to the chassis? I haven't had issues with either, but if I had to guess, the wing would be more likely to loosen, as it's difficult to torque the hard-to-reach bolts without an impact wrench. I can sit and bounce on my bar (I weigh 185) and it doesn't budge.
Is it pinned in place? Dunno if the Sahara has that provision.
- Thread starter
- #8
http://store.arbusa.com/Assets/file/3913140I.PDF
Here are the install instructions. Let me 2nd guess my work and see if that is the problem. I don't have an outside bracket pc like image 6 on pg 5. Don't know if that is contributing to my problem??
On pg 8 image 15, you can kind of see how this thing is setup to swivel until the bolts are tightened. Then you have to depend on a bolt tightness to keep the bumper from rotating forward or backward vs a locking pin or something more robost. Just seems like they (ARB) should have designed something to keep this "wing" locked down into position better.
Here are the install instructions. Let me 2nd guess my work and see if that is the problem. I don't have an outside bracket pc like image 6 on pg 5. Don't know if that is contributing to my problem??
On pg 8 image 15, you can kind of see how this thing is setup to swivel until the bolts are tightened. Then you have to depend on a bolt tightness to keep the bumper from rotating forward or backward vs a locking pin or something more robost. Just seems like they (ARB) should have designed something to keep this "wing" locked down into position better.
The bumper doesn't move. The frame and body are two separate metal bodies that were BOTH designed to flex and move independently. A rigid steel bumper attached to a flexing frame will appear to move in relation to a body that is only attached via rubber grommets and bolts (body has lots of movement in relation to the frame).
- Thread starter
- #12
Readjusted my sahara bar again last night so it sits level again and was not tilted up into the fenders. I slightly bumped it at K2 roundup a few weeks ago...
I see the Ironman bumper install has you drill the frame for pinning.
I wonder if I should take this same approach with the Sahara bar?
I see the Ironman bumper install has you drill the frame for pinning.
I wonder if I should take this same approach with the Sahara bar?
WHen I installed mine (no winch installed), I left the top winch cover plate off, got the wing mounted and the bolts threaded on by hand. Then I set a 2x4 on the bottom of the bar and used a floor jack to get it at just the right position, then used a 1/2" drive impact wrench (IIRC, it was something like a 18mm socket) and hammered away at the thing until it was tight. It's been offroad numerous times, mostly on bad washboard roads, over stuff like fist-sized stones/tree roots (haven't hit the bottom of it on any rocks or logs, though). 6 yrs later, it's still motion-free (I can sit on the bumper, bounce up & down, etc., and it won't budge). I have no idea how many ft-lbs of torque the bolts are tightened to, but let's just say there's no way I could have tightened it that tight with any hand tool...there's just not enough space to get a big wrench in there.
Jason - did you decide to drill and pin your sahara? I've got one sitting in the shop, ready to install perhaps this weekend.
Pin it, fixed. Most ARB instructions have you pin, if I was dealing with additional movement, I'd pin it.
Thanks cruiser. !
Got it scuffed and sprayed with bed liner for extra protection and to match the PC on my rear bumper. Planning to install tomorrow
Will definitely pin it. Not installing a winch now, but will be for the springtime and I assumed doing so now will make aligning it after I install the winch much easier.
Got it scuffed and sprayed with bed liner for extra protection and to match the PC on my rear bumper. Planning to install tomorrow
Will definitely pin it. Not installing a winch now, but will be for the springtime and I assumed doing so now will make aligning it after I install the winch much easier.
Sitting on a stand. How's that for motivation 
Sammy the shop dog approves!
Sammy the shop dog approves!
Got into a fight with the Sahara bar today. Couldn't get the pass side of the bumper to line up well with the fender. If pushed back in place, the edge of the wing would be too far from the bottom of the fender. If pulled forward a bit I could get the wing to come up. Had to grind a bit off the mounting bracket piece that attaches to the frame, and elongate some of the already large square holes in the bumper itself that the mounting bolts pass through.
Driver side fits perfectly and looks great. Passenger is passable but not perfect.
I'm going to take it back off to install a winch in a few weeks/months/whenever I decide to buy one, and will play with it again then. Two questions:
Any ideas what I might be doing wrong? I can't figure out what is keeping that one side from going up into place perfectly.
Where do you pin it? Doesn't look to be any existing holes, so I guess just pick any spot that goes right through the brakcet and bumper?
Thanks!
Driver side fits perfectly and looks great. Passenger is passable but not perfect.
I'm going to take it back off to install a winch in a few weeks/months/whenever I decide to buy one, and will play with it again then. Two questions:
Any ideas what I might be doing wrong? I can't figure out what is keeping that one side from going up into place perfectly.
Where do you pin it? Doesn't look to be any existing holes, so I guess just pick any spot that goes right through the brakcet and bumper?
Thanks!
Any signs of frame damage to your front end?