Bump it offroad tube bumper with extra hoops. Feedback please.

[nicholas]

I was wondering what you guys think of my ghetto paintshop work on Mike's bumper. I would like to add a couple of hoops to give the front a little more protection and extend the stinger a little higher than the other ones seen recently. I'm having a hard time visualizing that it would look like in person

 

[OGBeno]

I've never been a fan of the bumpers that expose all of the "stuff" that's behind it. There's a lot of expensive components back there and one of the reasons I really like the full bumpers up front is that they do what they are supposed to do--protect what is behind it.

I have lots of wiring, rubber tube, lights, winch, etc. behind the bumper and I like that it is all very well protected from the elements--both on and off-road.

Just my $.02.

-o-

 

[UCBerzerkeley]

I really like the look of mike's bumper as it is, though i do not know how much of a real "bumper" it happens to be. if the the corner smacked into another car in a collision, how much damage would it really prevent?

i think ur drawing is a good representation. however, what I really think they should do is make a combo of the plate + tube bumber, because that's where its at. they already have the design for each, so why not let people go totally custom and pick a little of both?

their plate bumper looks great, tucks up more than the ARB and overall just looks good. add some bars in there for more protection from whatever else and man, that's a product to compete with arb around these parts.

 

[akarilo]

Looks too busy; opinions vary though.

 

[millatruse]

I like it the way it is.... Although I agree with beno about protecting what is behind there.

 

[Tapage]

I love the Mike bumper as is .. if you make the Mike bumper with your extra tubes, it would be as close as Short buss bumper..

IMOP .. for more protection ARB have a great product ..

 

[chitown40]

Ditch the extra tube, but you may want to consider getting some 1/8" plate and welding that BEHIND the tube to close off the exposed areas but it would still retain that tubed look. It might take some plasma cuts to make the plates, but it would look really cool.

The grayed areas would be thin plate that would go inside the tube towards the grill.

 

[jaytee]

I'm with chitown40 on the 1/8" plate idea. imo it could use some plate on it for protection and aesthetics , and the top hoop could be a little lower.

 

[Doc]

Chitown's graphic is basically a shortbus bumper.

 

[chitown40]

You know, I guess you're right Doc. I suppose that's why I like it. I forgot about the shortbus...

 

[Nay]

I've been running a front tube bumper on a couple of different rigs for over 6 years and have never had any issue of anything getting damaged. I don't have a problem with people seeing my junk

I've run a plate bumper and it gets damaged in the rocks because it is hard to make them not weigh a ton and still have good protection out on the corners where you lose all of that clearance to a good tube style.

As for adding hoops, I wouldn't muck with it, but I think that entire assembly is way too low for a tube bumper in the first place because of the winch mount at the bottom of the frame rails.

As for protection out on the corners, ARB's are damage multipliers if you hit them out on a corner in an offset impact, it's only 1/8" plate that is not supported by anything - it just slams the entire assembly back into the body. I'd much rather be bending a tube back into the body than a full plate bumper.

The strength all all 80 series bumpers comes in the head on hit where you have tied the frame ears together with a beefy winch plate, not from massive strength in an offset crash.

 

[nicholas]

I've been running a front tube bumper on a couple of different rigs for over 6 years and have never had any issue of anything getting damaged. I don't have a problem with people seeing my junk

I've run a plate bumper and it gets damaged in the rocks because it is hard to make them not weigh a ton and still have good protection out on the corners where you lose all of that clearance to a good tube style.

As for adding hoops, I wouldn't muck with it, but I think that entire assembly is way too low for a tube bumper in the first place because of the winch mount at the bottom of the frame rails.

As for protection out on the corners, ARB's are damage multipliers if you hit them out on a corner in an offset impact, it's only 1/8" plate that is not supported by anything - it just slams the entire assembly back into the body. I'd much rather be bending a tube back into the body than a full plate bumper.

The strength all all 80 series bumpers comes in the head on hit where you have tied the frame ears together with a beefy winch plate, not from massive strength in an offset crash.

That sounds right considering all of the pictures I have seen of bashed up ARB's. Mike actually tested his bumper against an ARB against a tree. The ARB flexed and the tube bumper didn't move at all.

I figured adding the extra hoops might just ruin a good thing. I was mainly trying to see if I could get a little more protection higher up for rocks, trees, or maybe for a little critter control. I know ARB's are called "roo bars" down under to deflect kangaroos, but I haven't seen any pics of post-deer collision ARB's. Obviously a moose or an elk would inhilate an ARB and possibly throw the animal through the windshield, but I wonder if it could hold it's own against deer.

This bumper does have an AC dryer skid plate in case you couldn't see it in the pic.

 

[Land Speeder]

but I haven't seen any pics of post-deer collision ARB's. Obviously a moose or an elk would inhilate an ARB and possibly throw the animal through the windshield, but I wonder if it could hold it's own against deer.

There's a pic of a deer in a ARB attached to a disco... It worked. lemme see if i can find it.

 

[Brian Macgyver]

I used to use light tube bumpers like these on light buggies. Those cars ran fast and never weighed over 2500 lbs. Even on those light cars, I used to destroy these tube bumper types often. I was always building new ones. It was a constant construction. They look cool, but they get damage on the first hit. If you lack the tools to constantly be replacing the tubes, build something stronger.
I have to run with beno on a truck. There should be more "beef" on a truck. This is a Land Cruiser, not a VW sand-rail! Build with steel, not tin.

 

[uabericm]

Chitown40's pic is great and I would lower the center hoop.

 

[Dusty]

just makes it even heavier

 

[2badfjs]

Q:Chitown's graphic is basically a shortbus bumper.

only in tube form

Q:just makes it even heavier

lighter than a full plate bumper

i like it!

 

[concretejungle]

just makes it even heavier

I agree. To each his own though i guess.

I normally don't like tube bumpers because of the looks and because of what Beno describes. However, i do like this one. It does look like the tube version of the shortbus from slee.

I say keep it light.

 

[UCBerzerkeley]

no love for the combined plate + tube bumper?

+

 

[enterconnect]

no love for the combined plate + tube bumper?

+

Who makes this bumper?