Over the past few months I've spent countless hours researching and agonizing over which front bumper I want to upgrade to. I think I've gotten my selection narrowed down, but despite numerous searches I am still stuck and need some help.
My absolute must haves:
- Full coverage in the front to protect from animals
- Must accommodate a 12k winch
And that's it.
My top two choices right now are the offerings from ARB (DELUXE BUMPER - https://arbusa.com/toyota-land-cruiser-1990-1997/bumpers-protection-equipment/deluxe-bumper/) and Ironman (Classic Off Road Bumper Suited For Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser/Lexus LX450)
They pretty much cost the same, are airbag compatible, and offer the deer-strike protection I'm looking for. I like that the ARB is tried and true, but I am skeptical as to if it'll easily fit the Warn VR Evo 12k winch (https://www.warn.com/vr-evo-12-103254) that I've been eyeballing. I can also pick up an ARB locally from Slee or 4WheelParts. I am leaning toward the Ironman due to the fact that it will fit a 12k winch, and from what I've been reading it should be easier to install. The integrated fogs are also a plus. On the downside, I hardly ever see people on IH8Mud running them, so I'm not sure if it's because there's something glaringly wrong with them that I'm unaware of, or if they're just newer and less common.
I also reached out to a local manufacturer - Bumpitoffroad - to see if they could modify one of their existing designs (80 Custom Tube Front Bumper for Toyota Land Cruiser) to include headlight protection, but the answer boiled down to "no", which is ok. They also do full custom work so I could reach back out if I wanted to. I also considered contacting Slee to see if they could make a custom variant of their Shortbus bumper (SLEE - "ShortBus" High Clearance front bumper - '91-'97 Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 450 - Slee Off Road) but decided not to due to the higher price relative to the ARB and Ironman. Then there's also the Dobinsons bumper (Dobinsons Classic Black Front Bullbar for Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series (BU59-3518)) which looks near identical to the ARB, is more expensive, but will accommodate the winch I want.
So here is my main question: Is there anything related to the the Ironman or Dobinsons bumpers that I should be aware of? Why am I not seeing them on the forums or out in the wild?
I'm open to hearing other suggestions as I love it when my decision making skills are paralyzed by options. Thank you in advance, any insights will be appreciated.
My absolute must haves:
- Full coverage in the front to protect from animals
- Must accommodate a 12k winch
And that's it.
My top two choices right now are the offerings from ARB (DELUXE BUMPER - https://arbusa.com/toyota-land-cruiser-1990-1997/bumpers-protection-equipment/deluxe-bumper/) and Ironman (Classic Off Road Bumper Suited For Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser/Lexus LX450)
They pretty much cost the same, are airbag compatible, and offer the deer-strike protection I'm looking for. I like that the ARB is tried and true, but I am skeptical as to if it'll easily fit the Warn VR Evo 12k winch (https://www.warn.com/vr-evo-12-103254) that I've been eyeballing. I can also pick up an ARB locally from Slee or 4WheelParts. I am leaning toward the Ironman due to the fact that it will fit a 12k winch, and from what I've been reading it should be easier to install. The integrated fogs are also a plus. On the downside, I hardly ever see people on IH8Mud running them, so I'm not sure if it's because there's something glaringly wrong with them that I'm unaware of, or if they're just newer and less common.
I also reached out to a local manufacturer - Bumpitoffroad - to see if they could modify one of their existing designs (80 Custom Tube Front Bumper for Toyota Land Cruiser) to include headlight protection, but the answer boiled down to "no", which is ok. They also do full custom work so I could reach back out if I wanted to. I also considered contacting Slee to see if they could make a custom variant of their Shortbus bumper (SLEE - "ShortBus" High Clearance front bumper - '91-'97 Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 450 - Slee Off Road) but decided not to due to the higher price relative to the ARB and Ironman. Then there's also the Dobinsons bumper (Dobinsons Classic Black Front Bullbar for Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series (BU59-3518)) which looks near identical to the ARB, is more expensive, but will accommodate the winch I want.
So here is my main question: Is there anything related to the the Ironman or Dobinsons bumpers that I should be aware of? Why am I not seeing them on the forums or out in the wild?
I'm open to hearing other suggestions as I love it when my decision making skills are paralyzed by options. Thank you in advance, any insights will be appreciated.