Front Bumpers (1 Viewer)

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Rea1994

Rea1994

Joined
Feb 17, 2015
Threads
10
Messages
111
Location
Northridge, CA
Hello All,

After reading on the forums about the damage the brush guard can cause, I am in the market for a new bumper. Now I've been looking at a lot of them and am really liking the ARB and the Slee shortbus. I was wondering what some of your guys' favorite bumpers are? What are some things to take into account? Maintenance or care for the bumpers, and what are your favorite things? Also I was curious if someone could answer the question: Can the stock suspension support the load of the heavier bumpers, or does it need to be changed out? Thank you all for the input.
 
I love my Ironman Deluxe. Only gripe would not having built in recovery points.

attachment.jpg
 
Stock Suspension can but the weight of any given bumper will drop it accordingly. I ran stock springs with a heavy ARB w/winch for some time.

First thing you should determine is if your trying to protect your front end from animals(full grill/light guard), rocks(strong corners), or just want to make your truck look cool(your criteria). Then pick a bumper accordingly.

I'm running the ARB as I wanted max deer protection but have bent both front corners up into my flares in the rocks.

Some others to look at:

TMJ
Metal Tech
4x4 Labs
many others
 
Corbet said:
Stock Suspension can but the weight of any given bumper will drop it accordingly. I ran stock springs with a heavy ARB w/winch for some time.

First thing you should determine is if your trying to protect your front end from animals(full grill/light guard), rocks(strong corners), or just want to make your truck look cool(your criteria). Then pick a bumper accordingly.

I'm running the ARB as I wanted max deer protection but have bent both front corners up into my flares in the rocks.

Some others to look at:

TMJ
Metal Tech
4x4 Labs
many others
Click to expand...

I mean the criteria isn't to look cool, but I have seen some pretty ugly bumpers floating around. Realistically, I feel like if I am spending the money on the new bumper I want it to be protect the front end as much as possible. I just got my 80 back after not having it for 2 years, and now I'm slowly starting to modify it to do more wheeling.
 
My comment to look cool was not meant to be negative by the way.

Protect the front end from what? is the question then.

I'll say this in hindsight. I wish I would have got the short bus. I'm yet to ever hit a deer but I've nailed plenty of rocks wheeling. The Shortbus would have been better there.
 
Rea1994 said:
Hello All,

After reading on the forums about the damage the brush guard can cause AND BECAUSE JOEY RIDICULED ME, I am in the market for a new bumper. Now I've been looking at a lot of them and am really liking the ARB and the Slee shortbus. I was wondering what some of your guys' favorite bumpers are? What are some things to take into account? Maintenance or care for the bumpers, and what are your favorite things? Also I was curious if someone could answer the question: Can the stock suspension support the load of the heavier bumpers, or does it need to be changed out? Thank you all for the input.
Click to expand...

Fixed it for you :flipoff2:
 
NLXTACY said:
Fixed it for you :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

YES YOU DID!

Most likely rocks eventually. I know, I just wanted to make sure. Right now the car is going to be majority driven around the busy busy city of Los Angeles, so most of the time it will be protecting the car from other cars. My biggest problem with modifying the 80 right now, is that I can't really lift it too much because the parking structure where I work is pretty short. Only have a few inches of clearance right now. So for right now it will be mostly street driven. As time moves forwards, that will change, and I'll probably keep the 80 as a weekend car
 
Last edited:
I also looked at the Shortbus, but ended up with the Ironman because of the better protection it offers from wildlife if that day comes...
 
The Ironman is really nice. Definitely just jumped in the running.
 
There is a front bumper dedicated thread in FAQ that you can look through for examples of many different brands and styles of home made.

DC Fabricaction is in Cali and aoe as well

Both offer a thicker steel than arb and also provide an upper hoop for wildlife protection. After bending up a few diff arb's I went with aoe this time.

You could also get stock height springs from OME if the bumper causes your 20 yr old springs to sag. I bet you'll be fine with a bumper but once you add the winch you may feel and see its effects.

image.jpg
 
I'll have to check out DC Fabrication and aoe. Thank you. I've looked through the FAQ a bit. Just wondering if anything had changed over time. Any new favorites really.
 
I have an ARB and am happy with it, but mostly b/c I live on East Coast with a lot of deer, in NYC where an aggressive bumper opens lanes, and I don't hit the rocks as much so don't need extreme clearence. Based on your posts if I were you I'd get a shortbus and some OME stock height springs. They will keep your height down and should carry a bumper/winch ok. I think the shortbus is a slick looking bumper too and most of the rock guys seem to like how it works.

my $0.02
 
I definitely like the aggressive look of the ARB and some of the others.
 
After installing my ARB and EP9.0 Superwinch, my front end dropped 3/8" with my OME heavies.
 
I liked my ARB until I hit it on some rocks and dented it a bit. Then I went with the 4x4 labs or the clearance and have confidence that it will perform well. if you don't want a bumper like the 4x4 labs, I would either get the shortbus or ARB.
 
I don't have experience with ARB, but for light weight I mounted the Metal Tech tubular. Protects all the main giblets from the front and mounted an Engo 1000S winch no problem. With winch mounted, I can easily put it on and off, not heavy. Encounters with other non-moving objects have shown only scuffs. Solid recovery points (2), and 4 mount points for future lights.

image-jpg.1045830


image-jpg.1056027
 
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