ARB vs TJM??

[Atoyot1031]

I agree. the Slee bumper is indeed impressive, but not having a tube frame around those expensive beam assemblies isn't practical anywhere there's large wildlife.

No bumper is gonna save your vehicle from an elk, moose, or other "large wildlife". The guy posing the question lives out East where all they have are whitetail deer, which aren't that big. If he's running 35s with adequate lift, a Slee bumper will easily thump a whitetail (IMHO).

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have installed or helped install both the ARB and the TJM. THe ARB is much stouter and better made, so between those two, it's the one to get. The thing I liked least about the TJM, is the weak bolt on side wings.

If I was starting over, I'd install the Slee Short Bus bumper. I's cleaner and looks less clunky, and provides adequate protection for what I do. The only down side is the limited number of winches that fit.

 

[alkaline747trio]

Slee doesn't protect the front end enough. Would love that bumper, but it just doesn't suit my smash and bang approach to wheeling and driving. White-tail jump, the Slee wont do me any good when the deer is in mid leap.

Sounds like ARB, but...nobody has answered the question about where the weak points are in the TJM nor told me what I could do to make it worthy.

Remember guys, college student budget.

 

[TX80Fan]

ARB...it's quality, protection & longevity pretty much speaks for itself.

 

[turbocruiser]

Slee doesn't protect the front end enough. Would love that bumper, but it just doesn't suit my smash and bang approach to wheeling and driving. White-tail jump, the Slee wont do me any good when the deer is in mid leap.

Sounds like ARB, but...nobody has answered the question about where the weak points are in the TJM nor told me what I could do to make it worthy.

Remember guys, college student budget.

Okay, some points to point to ... the bolt on sides on the TJM as cruiserdrew mentioned are weaker than the ARB's solid "stamped" sides, thinner wall tubes (although I did not make a mention of that as I cannot really recall the wall thicknesses) for the hood hoops and headlight hoops, the way the TJM brackets bolt to the frame and then the way the bumper bolts to the bracket is not as strong as the ARB's mounting method, and finally the folds of the TJM are somewhat strange especially after getting adjusted to the ARB after having the TJM.

Discounting all that above, the other thing with this is the fact that you don't want to buy a TJM to save the $100 or whatever and then spend time to try to "add" strength to it; yer just gonna get your powdercoat all screwed up, waist time and trouble, and then prolly spend some more $$$ to repowdercoat. Not worth it, if yer gonna do that seriously, get the Slee, add some hoops and repowdercoat THAT bad boy, it will be the best of the best of the best. Until then, seriously, after having had both, get the frickin ARB!

 

[89s rule]

what about the one that greatlakeswaterjet was working on?

Not going to happen, he was selling his truck and that was the only way to get one. He was scared he would get sued, sucks that the world has come to that when it could help out others. (Also that bumper doesnt really provide deer protection IMHO as it sits too close to the body.)

Why can the Slee not take a deer hit? It holds up better in the rocks than ARB. I'd rather have my bumper for large wildlife because the stinger will ensure the animal doesn't get flipped over the hood and through the windshield. That will kill you.

Slee wont protect from a deer they do jump as stated below, but they can also hit high. Im not worried as much about the deer flipping up, more so my front end in general from the hood, headlights, radiator, etc. Been there done that in the wifes 4runner. Bought a TJM and hasnt been an issue since.

No bumper is gonna save your vehicle from an elk, moose, or other "large wildlife". The guy posing the question lives out East where all they have are whitetail deer, which aren't that big. If he's running 35s with adequate lift, a Slee bumper will easily thump a whitetail (IMHO).

See above, Also as stated below the jump, I have seen a whitetail deer jump over the roof of a camry b/f. Slee doesnt protect from anythign but rocks.

Slee doesn't protect the front end enough. Would love that bumper, but it just doesn't suit my smash and bang approach to wheeling and driving. White-tail jump, the Slee wont do me any good when the deer is in mid leap.

Sounds like ARB, but...nobody has answered the question about where the weak points are in the TJM nor told me what I could do to make it worthy.

Remember guys, college student budget.

As crusierdrew stated its mostly the bolt on wings. I have a TJM on the wifes truck and its saved us 3x with deer.

Why not take the time and work with UC and the bender? Take a weekend with a few guys or a club event and get it done. Thats what I was thinking on my 62 until I picked up me 80.

 

[wildsmith]

Just been looking at both side by side on the drive.

The ARB central section where the winch goes is a much more open design in close to an L form in approx 4mm steel and gives much better winch access but it needs the thicker metal IMHO to keep some strength. The TJM central section is much closer to a C channel form in approx 3mm steel and looks stronger to me even though it has slightly thinner metal.

The outer parts of the ARB & TJM both have a similar form and use 3mm steel. The ARB does have a strap from the top to bottom edge near the outer end which will help a lot with twisting forces from the wings.

The ARB mounting is solid but IMHO it's also only any good for an undistorted bumper. Judging by how hard fitting it to a street 80 was if it gets bent its going to take a lot of work to get it on and off. The TJM mounting is also solid but uses thick plates instead of box section and is easy to take on and off to work on it.

The killer on the ARB for me is it comes a long way forwards of the TJM and ruins the approach angle in the central section even compared to an OEM bumper. If the ARB is stronger (and I'm a long way from convinced it is) it's going to need it to cope with the more likely contacts it'll be getting.

When the shiney new ARB for my wife's 80 first turned up I did wonder if I should update my 80 with an ARB but having thought about the places I've been with the TJM I don't think the ARB would still be servicable if I had one.

 

[McDowra]

I chose the ARB after I found out TJM no longer offered the style bumper i wanted. I love the way it looks, and its rugged build. I'd get the one you like, ARB, TJM, Slee, etc all are good solid bumpers. You are the one looking across the hood at it, get what you like. IMHO

 

[mainemike]

I had a TJM on my Nissan. Advantage was less weight and lower price. But it was overall a smaller bumper, was limited in what winches fit, and didn't have any recovery points. The bolt-on side panels were a little weak - they make it easier to ship and manufacture; they are not as stout as a welded design.

Don't buy a manufactured bumper with the expectation of 'beefing it up' with some home welding. Either build your own or accept what's out there.

When I stepped up to the 80, I wanted the full protection because I do have close encounters with deer, bear and moose. I prefer recovery points on the bumper over the Toyota loops. I like the extra options to mount driving lights.

I don't mind the overhang - plenty of people take ARB equipped 80s on nasty terrain. But honestly - there are so many good options for an 80, just pick the one you like. As far as $$, even on a college budget, buy the bumper you want to own now and get it over with the first time.

This picture may not be a fair comparison, but this is my previous 97 Nissan Pathfinder TJM and the 80 ARB.

And if things had worked out just a little bit differently, I'd be able to give you a full report on the ARB-meet-Moose scenario... luckily it was just another near-miss last month. (near the Canada-US border north of Jackman, Maine)

 

[Atoyot1031]

White-tail jump, the Slee wont do me any good when the deer is in mid leap.

Bad news for ya. My ARB won't protect from a leaping whitetail either. It may take out it's leaping legs and save those precious light assemblies, but I'll be dead in the cockpit.

Sounds like you need a full exocage with reinforced expanded steel over your windshield, ala Mad Max, for the protection you are hoping to get from one of these bumpers!

 

[mainemike]

Bad news for ya. My ARB won't protect from a leaping whitetail either. It may take out it's leaping legs and save those precious light assemblies, but I'll be dead in the cockpit.

I see a lot of deer/moose accidents here. The advantage to the upper bumper guard is not so much about headlights, but the radiator. That is what sidelines a vehicle. IMO, the ARB will protect the radiator. Most animal hits occur when the hoofs are on the ground. The height the 80 will make a difference in keeping the mass of the animal in front of the truck, although a mature moose may easily end up through your windshield. Keep in mind most animal collisions do not occur neatly squared up - more likely you catch the front or rear quarter of the animal and it spins away, preferably down and away, underneath the hood line.

Most collisions are simply due to speed, although the luck (or lack of) factor is always in play. Dawn and dusk puts a lot of big animals on the road up here.

Some fun (yet morbid) deer and moose accident maps from Maine DOT:

Welcome to the MaineDOT


Aftermarket bumper manufacturers could use these as advertisements.

 

[concretejungle]

alky, i think slee already helped make your choice between the tjm and arb. The tjm are not available any more. So i guess that makes that decision a moot point.

 

[romey]

i think ARB's got the LC (80s at least) market by the balls...all i see are ARB's on most 80s...someone should start/create something new. or is this even possible? besides home built ones? or should slee just add an extra beefier bar (not a stinger) to match the arb's when it comes to hitting animals... and call it the "Short Bull"

i mean, if and when the funds come, i'll most likely get an ARB cuz there's not much else out there that is as good/functional/strong....

 

[Nay]

Did everybody here just buy an extra set of pink panties?

He has a 3FE on 38's, it won't go fast enough to do damage hitting a wall.

Just get an ARB. Baaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Cj80cruiser]

No bumper is gonna save your vehicle from an elk, moose, or other "large wildlife". .

Tell that to Red Beard..........

 

[Atoyot1031]

Tell that to Red Beard.......... View attachment 242207

I wish I had a picture of the front bumper on a Suburban in my neck of the woods. It has a huge friggin' plasma cutout of a whale on it!!! Still, none of those are gonna save you from a 1,000 bull elk, when you're doing 70 cruising down the highway. I've got an ARB & I'm not kidding myself. Just my .02...

 

[Cj80cruiser]

I was kidding.........I agree with you though.

 

[IdahoDoug]

There's a company called Road Armor that makes a bumper that will hold up to Elk, though you're certainly going to sustain damage with a 1000lb-er or a bull Moose. A guy in my neighborhood puts nearly 100,000 miles a year on his F350s towing a 10,000lb trailer to his chain restaraunts in Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. He gets a new one every other year or so and always has a new Road Armor bumper put on. I was asking him about the bumper and IIRC he told me he hits a dozen deer and one elk pretty consistently each year and the bumper has only a few minor marks in it. He showed me an Elk's hoof mark and told me that particular animal got flipped up and over both the truck and trailer - it was the most direct center of mass Elk hit he'd experienced. Yes, sometimes the frame horns get tweaked and need straightening but he's never had to stop whatever trip he was on. That's a pretty amazing track record. That's gotta be a body damage savings in the $50,000 range each year. Apparently he is nearly always driving at night all year round.

Unfortunately, they don't make a LandCruiser model. They're also a bit Mad-Max looking. His seems to have some extra tubing even above the ones on the website.

DougM

 

[AllenTenT]

The TJM on my truck is less than straight
Al

 

[Atoyot1031]

There's a company called Road Armor that makes a bumper that will hold up to Elk, though you're certainly going to sustain damage with a 1000lb-er or a bull Moose. A guy in my neighborhood puts nearly 100,000 miles a year on his F350s towing a 10,000lb trailer to his chain restaraunts in Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. He gets a new one every other year or so and always has a new Road Armor bumper put on. I was asking him about the bumper and IIRC he told me he hits a dozen deer and one elk pretty consistently each year and the bumper has only a few minor marks in it. He showed me an Elk's hoof mark and told me that particular animal got flipped up and over both the truck and trailer - it was the most direct center of mass Elk hit he'd experienced. Yes, sometimes the frame horns get tweaked and need straightening but he's never had to stop whatever trip he was on. That's a pretty amazing track record. That's gotta be a body damage savings in the $50,000 range each year. Apparently he is nearly always driving at night all year round.

Unfortunately, they don't make a LandCruiser model. They're also a bit Mad-Max looking. His seems to have some extra tubing even above the ones on the website.

DougM

Sounds like something I'd expect to see up there, especially on a F350! I believe the ARB provides reasonable protection. However, I'm better protected by driving slower at night, and keeping my eyes peeled with all my lights on. As it is, the ARB annoys me with its size. I run into stuff way too often while trying to get my tires onto obstacles. So for me personally, I think one of Christo's Short Bus bumpers is in my future. As mentioned previously in this thread, if I want more protection out of it, I can always add some hoops to it, for whatever that's worth.