New ARB bumper... anyone else feel the....

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Well I don't know that I have much to offer to the OP other than "yes I feel the...." and I have been thinking along the same lines.

The PO installed the ARB on my 80 and I have been looking at beefier tow points, like some from Ballistic Fab or the like to weld on, as well as trimming the skirt off the wings and reworking the center section.

I am also curious if anyone has cut slots into the wings for a hi-lift jack point, kinda like the 4x4labs rear has in it?

Thanks and good luck,

Tucker
 
SUUEEET said:
FWIW I've been told the ARB bumper is the only one that is compatible with Toyota's airbag system. Could be important if you are so equipped.
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They have some "airbag compatible" bumpers, but the 80 series bumper is not one of them. The acceleration sensor used in the 80 series is located near the center console. No matter what bumper you have on it, when the required deceleration takes place the airbags should activate.
 
Yeah, that whole air bag thing is a marketing scheme. They say the same thing about the Tacoma (95.5-00) bumpers but it too has the deceleration sensors well behind the bumper on the frame and the bumper has nothing to do with deployment in any way shape or form...

None of the die hard arbers have an answer pertaining to the lack of recovery points? If you do post it up cause Im curious why a super expensive bumper lacks them while most of the cheaper options do not..

D

PS the cut down arb does look a lot cleaner, looks like theres less of a snow plow thing going on on the front of the van.
 
Trailbus said:
After beating up the skirt on mine, I got the cutoff wheel hot. Trimmed the whole skirt off, the "lift" holes. traced around the whole inner side to match the bodyline and cut it off. This (and a bunch of trimming/test fitting) let me slide the whole bumper in about 2 1/5" moved the front underside hole of the bumper back to the rear underside hole on the frame and punched new holes in the bumper for the rest of the bolts. Then shortened the wings to match the wheel well and plated the whole inside leaving a few air holes for drainage and amber light maintenance. last thing I did was trim off the upper light tabs. They kinda got in the way of opening the hood.:)

Next thing to go is going to be the roller fairlead top plate/guard (already installed a hawse fairlead). I was told I would need to brace the inside of that area so as not to leave a weak spot.
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Nevermind...
 
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I have an ARB and do not do crazy wheeling.... yet, for overlanding I think the bumper is fine! It could use better recovery points, but I use the regular ones underneath since I know this. I have a dent in left side from snow wheeling, slid a little bit and made a little scuff mark on tree but good knock in bumper. I was a little disappointed at how little it took to do that. I would not go with an ARB again for that simple reason but for wide open wheeling I think its fine, it will protect you from an animal but I wouldn't expect the bumper to make it through it, I would say its not that much use else where! I am thinking of going from scratch and building my own but I could keep it but the only way that would happen would be with a lot of trimming and reinforcing!
DSC00542.webp
 
Guys,
Ours over here generally all have recovery points. If you look at the lower section below the middle uprights there is a reinforced triangular section for attaching shackles. One on each side so you can put a bridging strap to even up the load between the chassis rails. They are quite strong, I have snapped a winch cable and been pulled by a backhoe and 2 x 4wd's at the same time as I was bogged in clay to about 3" up the doors in my 5" lifted 105 and it didn't bent the points. Don't yours come with this?
Also our mounts have a 7" deep box section that slides over the chassis and has 12 bolts thru it to the chassis. How do yours mount up? Ours are made for cattle not just roos. Maybe they see your market as being more of a non rural one (rightly or wrongly)
Commercial Bull Bars | Products | ARB 4x4 Accessories

3411050.jpg
 
If you're referring to the piece of sheet metal that the winch hook is secured to in that photo, yes we have those. On ours, they're pretty thin.
 
tourboy said:
Guys,
Ours over here generally all have recovery points. If you look at the lower section below the middle uprights there is a reinforced triangular section for attaching shackles. One on each side so you can put a bridging strap to even up the load between the chassis rails. They are quite strong, I have snapped a winch cable and been pulled by a backhoe and 2 x 4wd's at the same time as I was bogged in clay to about 3" up the doors in my 5" lifted 105 and it didn't bent the points. Don't yours come with this?
Also our mounts have a 7" deep box section that slides over the chassis and has 12 bolts thru it to the chassis. How do yours mount up? Ours are made for cattle not just roos. Maybe they see your market as being more of a non rural one (rightly or wrongly)
Commercial Bull Bars | Products | ARB 4x4 Accessories

3411050.jpg
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That is also a link to the Commercial bar that we do not get here. We get the deluxe bar it maybe not quite a beefy as the Other one.

I had a Deluxe bar on my 4runner and ended up tearing out one of the recover points in the front bar on a double snatched pull. I ended up welding in a 1/4 plate to replace it. Never had a chance to test it really.
 
KliersLC said:
Those look like the same recovery points that we have....
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Looks that way, wonder if someone can measure the thickness (which would include the powder coat though) to compare. I have had experience with recovery points similar to that (in design). As long as you pull straight, they are quite stronger than expected. When pulling at an angle you tend to bend the 'ears' which can weaken the material (like bending light gauge aluminum) and create a tear mark.
 
As long as you pull straight with only static pulls. I wouldn't hook a snatch strap to one of those sheet metal ears. Hell, I'd be afraid to put a winch hook in one.
 
Pics of my not so straight "recovery points" I won't use these for anything.

Anybody have ideas for better points?
Work Cell pics Feb 2011 201.webp
Work Cell pics Feb 2011 200.webp
 
KliersLC said:
Pics of my not so straight "recovery points" I won't use these for anything.

Anybody have ideas for better points?
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Bend them straight and weld on some 1/4 plate to the flat side. Worked great on my 4runner. Yours are already screwed why not try.
 
Wheelingnoob said:
That is also a link to the Commercial bar that we do not get here. We get the deluxe bar it maybe not quite a beefy as the Other one.

I had a Deluxe bar on my 4runner and ended up tearing out one of the recover points in the front bar on a double snatched pull. I ended up welding in a 1/4 plate to replace it. Never had a chance to test it really.
Click to expand...

That is a deluxe bar. The commercial is easy to spot as it only hold the 8274 winch. The only difference is the winch mount area. Commercial is built to hold the 8274 winch, the other holds all of the low-mounts.

Tow points? The bumper uses stock tow points, so why bother building them into the bumper, when there are two already there. Plus the stock tow points help to rip the ears off the kangaroos when you hit them. :doh:

Tourboy is right, use a bridging strap, if you're not using the original tow points.
 
i'm still looking for a compromise. either slee shortbus or some custom built bumper as far as im concerned. i am pretty anti-commercial for most aftermarket weldy things, there are just too many skilled welders out there willing to take less markup than ARB
 
Eh, I like my arb. 95% of the "other" bumpers make the lc look cheap.

But I do agree about the recovery points.
 
antor said:
Like Layonnn said it's just a stingerless one the price was lower when I bought it though.It's lighter than the ARB that I could feel the difference when I drive.Here's a couple more pics...
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Wow, how do you keep the underside of your rig so clean!
 
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