Brush guard vs. off-road bumper: Have I been duped?

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docbluedevil

docbluedevil

10 Year 15 Year
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Sep 19, 2006
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Location
Colorado
Great forum! You all are a wealth of info!

My '97 LX450 came with a brushguard as well as some tail lamp guards.

Some members have commented/warned against using these bull bars as they can cause more damage to the vehicle in the event of a collision (e.g. deer, etc). Appreciate the comments.

So, why exactly does a bumper such as an ARB/Slee/etc. offer better protection in the event of a collision with a deer? More mounting points? Thicker guage steel? Better design shape?

I'll be doing mild off-road stuff (more mild-moderate trails on the way to the backcountry) rather than rock-crawling. This will also be a daily driver. So, I'm more in danger of hitting a deer in the Colorado mountains/backcountry/roads than a boulder.

Now, I'd love to get an ARB bar and likely may; consensus seems to say it'll protect my vehicle better, and I like the look better as well. But I wonder, has the brush guard industry duped me as well as majority of the farmers/ranchers/hunters in my area who have mounted these "brush/deer" guards on nearly all of their pick-ups/SUVS (old and new)?

Is the off-road community the few who have not been fooled? Or do you believe the ARB/Slee/TJMs are better for boulder-strewn trails only? As opposed to a deer collision?
 
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The "brush guard" is worthless junk--you could bend it yourself if you wanted to. On this forum I have seen a cruiser take a 55mph hit headon from an f-150, and drive home with not even a cracked radiator. You do the math....

And yes, all of the above mentioned people have been duped...

Dan
 
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KliersLC said:
The "brush guard" is worthless junk--you could bend it yourself if you wanted to. On this forum I have seen a cruiser take a 55mph hit headon from an f-150, and drive home with not even a cracked radiator.

Dan
Click to expand...

So, this example begs the question...did the cruiser have an off-road bar, brush-guard, stock bumper?

EDIT: I see you've posted pics now...

EDIT#2: ...although they don't seem to load...
 
Brush guards are worthless except for bling, they are relatively flimsy, and since they are not tied in at the ends or braced very well, it takes very little force to put leverage on the sides or top of the brushguard and bend it right into your body. So, say you nudge into a post in a parking lot, what would have dented your bumper, now instead bends the brushguard into your hood, and possibly into both fenders. The ARB is very stout, and the side protection goes into the bumper, take a look at both and you will begin to see what we are all talking about.
 
the ARB bumper is indeed designed to withstand collision with roos. Thicker steel, serious mounting directly on the frame.
The light weight brush guard are mostly cosmetic and yes just intended to look tough. I would not say that they are there to dupe the unsuspecting buyer, more to please a constituency that wants to show off or is not knowledgeable. A cursory examination will clearly show theay are not very strong, though.
Heavy duty serious brushguard / bars are less common but exist. I have a custom-made (in Montana by a fabber) heavy one that was made for protection against deer etc. They may not look very different on the road but the steel would be much heavier and they are mounted to the frame. Mine weighs 100 lbs. It's intended to fit over the existing OEM bumper rather than to replace it. Maybe some of those on rancher trucks etc that you see are like that.
 
Brush guards are generally so flimsy, and their mounting so meager, that a trivial fender bender will likely bend the brush guard and mash it into your headlights, grill, and hood. Without the guard you'd just impact your bumper.

Proper bull-bars like the ARB are one big BURLY bumper. The impact required to bend an ARB/Slee, etc. enough to damage your vehicle would be big enough that you'd have a whole lot of other things to worry about.

Same deal with the tail light guards. Bushes and small branches won't damage your lights. If you hit something big enough to mash your lights, it would push the guard into the light anyway.

Hayes
 
docbluedevil said:
So, this example begs the question...did the cruiser have an off-road bar, brush-guard, stock bumper?

EDIT: I see you've posted pics now...

EDIT#2: ...although they don't seem to load...
Click to expand...

More pics and an edit.../\
 
I had the same issue with the brush guard. I had several friends with cruisers who had hit something to bend the corner of the brush guard into the body. Very minor stuff but had to replace the head light, fix the fender and of course-- replace the brush guard.

I thought on this and my first choice was an ARB and then I ran into a guy who custom made one for me.

This is way over kill, but very effective. It is made of 1/4" plate and 2" roll bar. So I gotta hit something pretty damn hard to reach the body. Check out the pic. I had the back bumper done as well.
 
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docbluedevil said:
So, why exactly does a bumper such as an ARB/Slee/etc. offer better protection in the event of a collision with a deer? More mounting points? Thicker guage steel? Better design shape?
Click to expand...

All of the above plus some.

The brush guards are not bad for what they do. They keep brush from getting in your headlights. Small twigs and stuff like that. Kangaroos, deer, and elk are another matter.

You should look at the close-up pics of the Slee front & rear bumpers on Christo's web site. Take some time to inspect an ARB up close.

In addition to the points you and others have mentioned, most of us buy a good, steel front bumper so we can mount a winch and have good recovery points. You won't get anywhere trying to bolt or weld a 12,000# winch to your brush guard.

-B-
 
I'm beginning to see a trend here...:rolleyes:

As expected, you, guys, delivered a persuasive opinion. An offroad bumper will likely replace the brush guard on my vehicle. Good thing I didn't pay for it!

I've had a couple deer collisions over the years but never head on; they usually hit me along the side of my vehicle. I suppose the ARB plus the height of the LX/LC should do a pretty decent job of protection.
 
BOZ said:
I had the same issue with the brush guard. I had several friends with cruisers who had hit something to bend the corner of the brush guard into the body. Very minor stuff but had to replace the head light, fix the fender and of course-- replace the brush guard.

I thought on this and my first choice was an ARB and then I ran into a guy who custom made one for me.

This is way over kill, but very effective. It is made of 1/4" plate and 2" roll bar. So I gotta hit something pretty damn hard to reach the body. Check out the pic. I had the back bumper done as well.
Click to expand...

Nice setup, Boz. I'm liking the kayak on the way for a nice winter paddle too.
 
Hayes said:
Yes...
Now you will be persuaded into buying several other $$$$ items.
Click to expand...

The ARB bar can likely be "validated" to my wife due to "safety" concerns. Many other things may be a harder sell for her.

:grinpimp:
 
What this topic just about Brush guard VS Off-Road bumper..aww c'mon :flipoff2:

Psstt.. where's my intercooler
LXTREME_front bumper 003.webp
 
And then there was LX.... :)

In NC, there is also serious possibilities of hitting deer. Even though the slee super-ultra-streamline-unobtanium bumper is very stout with good recovery points, it just doesn't cover enough upper grill IMHO for deer collisions. So i went with the ARB.
 
Hayes said:
Same deal with the tail light guards. Bushes and small branches won't damage your lights. If you hit something big enough to mash your lights, it would push the guard into the light anyway. Hayes
Click to expand...

X2 on the Tail light guards. These things will transfer all of the impact to the BODY, where they mount. Specifically I've witnessed a Land Rover that had these, and while the (replacable) lens remained intact, the (not so replacable) body around the tail light was FUBAR.

Remove them, before this happens to you.:crybaby:
 
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