Newbie advice on front and rear bumpers please!!…

[serpico1]

Hello from Tampa hope everyone is having a nice labor day weekend.

can someone please take a minute or two and give me a couple of Reader’s Digest answers. I am a total newbie when it comes to modifications.

I found a good shop in the gulf coast of Florida to work with an Am exciting about adding a few things to my rig. I have a bunch of questions but for this post I will make it only about one which is front and rear bumpers.

I have worked a lot of overtime shifts and have saved my pennies and I’m ready to spend it on my rig!!

I am highly considering getting an ARB front bumper.
I am also highly considering getting a slee off-road bumper with the wheel carrier.

Our rig is very heavy already at nearly 6000 pounds. Will it drive differently if I install both of these.?

I am a very slow and non-aggressive old man driver as it is so I’m not worried about speed. I am worried about the car being more difficult to handle?

Second part of the question is visibility. Can you please tell me for those of you that have a rear bumper with wheel carriers if your rear view is compromised? Is it harder to see out the rear window during your day-to-day driving on the street?

Third question is about the front bumper protection. I do not off-road often but do cross country trips from florida to california often and I would use this to save my car God- forbid during an accident or a head on collision with another vehicle.

Am I thinking about this the right way?

By the way I am all about function over form. I do not care about looks I only care about function and that it works.

To summarize please, answers sought:

1 is the 200 series harder to drive and much more difficult to handle with a front and rear bumper?

2. With the rear bumper and wheel carrier is visibility really poor?

3. The main reason I would buy the arb front bumper is to protect my car and myself during an accident or a head on collision. Am I thinking about this the right way?

Thank you to all for your answers in advance. I really appreciate you taking a couple minutes. Enjoy the rest of the Labor Day weekend.

 

[tbisaacs]

1. You are adding significant weight cantilevered over your axles, it will change how the truck stops starts and moves. If you are planning this mod you’ll need to compensate for the weight by changing spring rates at the least.

2. I don’t have a rear bumper but the spare is visible via the rear window. You’ll have to relocate your camera as it will be blocked by swing arm.

3. Not exactly - but adding a bumper may increase your ability to drive away from an accident. Most modern bullbars-ARB included do have crumple zones that are sacrificial in the event of a hard collision. AKA your truck doesn’t get totaled but your bumper will.

BTW you mentioned Slee - to my knowledge they are prioritizing in-shop installs right now. If you want their rear bumper you have to ship the truck to their shop.

 

[Romer]

I have the ARN front bumper and have had them on 3 trucks. Make sure you get the winch bumper even if you currently dont plan on getting a winch right now

I started with the ARB Rear and replaced it with the Slee based on build quality and departure angle

That combination is what I would recommend. I personally prefer the Bull bar based on and accident that happened in my 80 years ago where I didnt get a scratch. The bull Bar saved me from any damage. I also know someone who hit a horse (sad) and just had to rinse off his bumper

My second choice for a front bumper would be the TJM Bull bar

 

[catastrofe]

I'm in Tampa as well. I went with the Dissent Full Replacement Bumper for animal strike protection at a lighter weight than ARB (which would have been my second choice). Being in Tampa, you absolutely must use Chris Chapas at C2Design for your installation. He works on high-end cars, but his passion is Land Cruisers and he has a fleet of his own. He's handled my bumper, snorkel, step sliders, suspension, and lighting. Impeccable work.

 

[Tex68w]

It will change the handling dynamics of your Cruiser but it's totally worth it. ARB, TJM, Slee, Dissent, and even Ironman are all great options to consider.

 

[Markuson]

You won’t find a stronger rear than the Slee.

In front, ARB is solid, but I personally prefer the TJM T13 for strength. I feel the ARB crumple zone is a little more crumply than I prefer, though some prefer it because of the same reason. One aspect some consider a knock on my TJM is its lack of crumple zone.

 

[bloc]

A bull bar is going to make a marginal difference at best in a head on collision. Frankly I’d actually trust toyota to do a better job developing this safety system than anyone aftermarket.. however the more likely animal strike will be greatly improved by most of your front bumper options.

Why bother with a rear if you aren’t off-roading? Even good swing out systems present an inconvenience for daily SUV use. The spare under the rear of the truck is actually a great location for the frequency of use. Now relocating it does open up options like additional fuel tanks.. but as stated it is a trade-off. Any time you want to get into the rear of the vehicle you have to open the swing-outs.

And yes any of them will add weight and impact dynamic handling. I’d seriously consider whether you *need* the rear and sacrifices to get it given your use case.