Front Bumper addition and driving dynamics: anecdotal feedback wanted (1 Viewer)

[JZGarage]

Thinking of adding an ARB Summit front bumper/bullbar and winch to my 460, for a total added weight of ~310lb (more if I add driving spotties). As an Aussie expat I'd style it in "bush Prado" fashion (keep the existing 265/70/17's, bump the lift height a little and add the bullbar).

Would love input from others who have installed one - how much did this affect driving dynamics, braking/handling etc? I previously owned a fully armored (front bar/spotties/rear dual swingouts etc) 100 series LC, but bought it that way and didn't have a chance to compare stock vs bullbar.

Would love some insight from those who've added the 300lb of metal to the nose of their GX - did you have any regrets? I wheel moderately but really love the way my rig currently accelerates/stops/handles during roadtrips. It's currently on 31's and have no plans to change that given how well it drives.

Thanks in advance and photo for reference.

Jon

 

[r2m]

Do you plan on putting any weight on the rear? e.g. rear bumper and swing-outs?
Also, if you use a 9,000 lb winch, which is plenty along with synthetic rope, that will help lighten the front end.
There are also a few vendors that do aluminum front bumpers, but being an Aussie expat and having done several surf trips down under, I can understand the draw to ARB.

 

[JZGarage]

Do you plan on putting any weight on the rear? e.g. rear bumper and swing-outs?
Also, if you use a 9,000 lb winch, which is plenty along with synthetic rope, that will help lighten the front end.
There are also a few vendors that do aluminum front bumpers, but being an Aussie expat and having done several surf trips down under, I can understand the draw to ARB.

I've learned that rear swingouts aren't for me. The GX is my "daily" and the swingouts on my 100 were cumbersome and ultimately a deterrent to accessing my cargo space.

TBH the front bumper idea is simply to improve front clearance, add some strike protection for longer remote roadtrips, give me some legitimate big boy spotlight (Lightforce HTX!) mounting points and the winch capability. It's not exactly mission critical for the type of trips we do, and I'm always in a group on hairy trails. I'm just trying to ascertain if the driving dynamics trade off is worth it.

The ARB Summit aesthetic really speaks to me in a classic way, as you've called out. I respect the heritage and, most importantly, crash engineering that has gone into their designs. I have friends running Dissent and all sorts of boutique gear. It's great stuff but not really for me.

 

[Rednexus]

IMO, a lift would be a better investment, adding virtually no weight while improving handling (on and off-road), and giving you better approach, departure angles, and ground clearance. A GX with a moderate lift and good shocks will usually ride and handle very good (often better than stock), despite the higher center of gravity. 300# is a lot of weight to put up front on a 5,000# rig. If you are only doing tamer trails, you'll float over most everything with a lift and not really need a bumper at all.

 

[re_guderian]

I added a Victory front bumper and 9k winch after the lift (bought it with lift) and noticed very little, if any handling/ride difference. It also wasn't 300 pounds net added weight either. The ride with Ironman springs and shocks w was great before, and remained so after. I too, had 2 built 100 series, and they were both more easily negatively affected by lift and shock changes, ride-wise. A Pedal Commander will fix any acceleration issues you might perceive, and is a worthy addition regardless of tires, bumper, lift, etc. The GX has anemic skinny-pedal programming to start with.

 

[Roody]

With the Ironman bumper and Warn winch on mine, the dynamics are still pretty solid. Can absolutely tell it's different from stock, but it still drives great. Definitely nose-heavy and needs to be driven in snow differently as such, but overall it's not like some other heavily modified vehicles I've owned/driven. Think you'll feel slightly down on power, but bigger, heavier wheels/tires are as much if not more of a culprit in losing acceleration/economy as is a bumper and winch. Something to note is that you may need to add heavier springs to accommodate the weight, which is a slippery slope in how the vehicle performs and needs to otherwise be upgraded to match front/rear.

 

[Banandalorian]

If you don't get uprated springs/shocks to match, you'll have a bad time. If you have the proper suspension and you're pretty keyed into chassis dynamics you may notice the extra weight or change in distribution but it won't be a deal breaker.

 

[r2m]

IMO, a lift would be a better investment, adding virtually no weight while improving handling (on and off-road), and giving you better approach, departure angles, and ground clearance. A GX with a moderate lift and good shocks will usually ride and handle very good (often better than stock), despite the higher center of gravity. 300# is a lot of weight to put up front on a 5,000# rig. If you are only doing tamer trails, you'll float over most everything with a lift and not really need a bumper at all.

Agree with all of Rednexus's comment but to add that an upgraded suspension will also increase suspension travel, which will help on washboard roads and uneven terrain where you need the articulation to keep ALL 4 tires planted and rolling on terra firma.

 

[JZGarage]

IMO, a lift would be a better investment, adding virtually no weight while improving handling (on and off-road), and giving you better approach, departure angles, and ground clearance. A GX with a moderate lift and good shocks will usually ride and handle very good (often better than stock), despite the higher center of gravity. 300# is a lot of weight to put up front on a 5,000# rig. If you are only doing tamer trails, you'll float over most everything with a lift and not really need a bumper at all.

Agree with all of Rednexus's comment but to add that an upgraded suspension will also increase suspension travel, which will help on washboard roads and uneven terrain where you need the articulation to keep ALL 4 tires planted and rolling on terra firma.

Yup - agreed. I should have mentioned I'm already running a Dob IMS system with a 2" lift and really loving it. I installed a $$$ decked out adjustable bypass long travel Radflo system on the 100 and the mid budget IMS has held it's own through Baja, Moab, Death Valley etc over the past 1.5 years.

I really enjoy the way the rig currently drives and am trying to figure out if my desire for the bullbar is going to throw it all out of wack (answer is probably yes, a little lol).

 

[JZGarage]

I added a Victory front bumper and 9k winch after the lift (bought it with lift) and noticed very little, if any handling/ride difference. It also wasn't 300 pounds net added weight either. The ride with Ironman springs and shocks w was great before, and remained so after. I too, had 2 built 100 series, and they were both more easily negatively affected by lift and shock changes, ride-wise. A Pedal Commander will fix any acceleration issues you might perceive, and is a worthy addition regardless of tires, bumper, lift, etc. The GX has anemic skinny-pedal programming to start with.

This is helpful insight, thank you.

The 300lb figure is due to the 240lb weight of the ARB Summit I have in mind, and the ~70lb weight of a Warn 9k. I have had my eye on some VF tuning options and would probably have my GX tuned if I went with the bullbar install.

 

[JZGarage]

With the Ironman bumper and Warn winch on mine, the dynamics are still pretty solid. Can absolutely tell it's different from stock, but it still drives great. Definitely nose-heavy and needs to be driven in snow differently as such, but overall it's not like some other heavily modified vehicles I've owned/driven. Think you'll feel slightly down on power, but bigger, heavier wheels/tires are as much if not more of a culprit in losing acceleration/economy as is a bumper and winch. Something to note is that you may need to add heavier springs to accommodate the weight, which is a slippery slope in how the vehicle performs and needs to otherwise be upgraded to match front/rear.

Thanks so much @Roody - this is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for and validates some of my thinking. Big reason why I've stuck to 265/70's is how well it currently drives (and the 460's annoying OEM spare tire limitations). I've been super impressed with what a 460 with 2" lift and 265's has been able to do and where it's taken me. My usual group are a bunch of 100s on 33-35"s and she keeps up offroad just fine.

Totally understand I will need to upgrade springs as @Banandalorian and you have mentioned - and that in itself will change the driving experience somewhat

 

[r2m]

Thanks so much @Roody - this is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for and validates some of my thinking. Big reason why I've stuck to 265/70's is how well it currently drives (and the 460's annoying OEM spare tire limitations). I've been super impressed with what a 460 with 2" lift and 265's has been able to do and where it's taken me. My usual group are a bunch of 100s on 33-35"s and she keeps up offroad just fine.

Totally understand I will need to upgrade springs as @Banandalorian and you have mentioned - and that in itself will change the driving experience somewhat

If you go with dual batteries, maybe stuff the second battery in the rear to balance a wee bit.

 

[Hivetyrant]

Very curious to see how things go here, as another aussie looking for that familiar style I'm considering an ARB or Ironman bullbar for looks, protection and mounting points.

I'm gonna do suspension and wheels first but I epxect this will be very noticeable when braking, the 460's are already pretty "floaty" when braking, but at least it'll be protected!

 

[JZGarage]

Very curious to see how things go here, as another aussie looking for that familiar style I'm considering an ARB or Ironman bullbar for looks, protection and mounting points.

I'm gonna do suspension and wheels first but I epxect this will be very noticeable when braking, the 460's are already pretty "floaty" when braking, but at least it'll be protected!

Yup - you can't beat the look mate! The ARB Summit is reportedly 240lb - pretty damn heavy for a bullbar. I'm trying confirm what the net weight increase is.

I have a 2" Dobinsons IMS lift and stainless brake lines and it really changed the braking feel. Stock 460 suspension is like floating on a living room couch.

 

[Roody]

Very curious to see how things go here, as another aussie looking for that familiar style I'm considering an ARB or Ironman bullbar for looks, protection and mounting points.

I'm gonna do suspension and wheels first but I epxect this will be very noticeable when braking, the 460's are already pretty "floaty" when braking, but at least it'll be protected!

The upgraded suspension helped my GX460 in the braking confidence department by a sizable amount. Stock it had what felt like fairly severe nose dive, and with the Ironman lift it stays fairly flat under most braking situations. Definitely lost the floaty, cloud-like ride, but the tradeoff is worth it in my opinion.

 

[Banandalorian]

Yup - you can't beat the look mate! The ARB Summit is reportedly 240lb - pretty damn heavy for a bullbar. I'm trying confirm what the net weight increase is.

I have a 2" Dobinsons IMS lift and stainless brake lines and it really changed the braking feel. Stock 460 suspension is like floating on a living room couch.

IIRC when I installed my Victory bumper, the OEM front crash bar/crossmember that gets replaced is like 30-ish pounds so adding the ARB is definitely 200+ lbs increase by itself. The bumper plus new skid plates was too much for the stock suspension. I've since upgraded to Dobinsons MRR which are fantastic. My front springs are the heavy weight for a winch I don't have yet but I was able to dial the shocks in to adjust for the stiffer spring. I would imagine you'd want the stiff front springs with a steel bull bar.

 

[suitcase]

I added a CBI bumper to my '17 GX460 and drove it on the stock suspension for a good several months. It wasn't too bad and I actually didn't notice too much of a difference. But I think the net added weight was only around 70 lbs. 300 lbs sounds like a lot. I've since put in a 2" Dobinsons IMS, medium springs.