looks great do you have any more pics of that rear bumper also?? hey christo what is the time frame on comng to market??
Slee Front Bumper
- Thread starter bwbski26
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After seeing the extra pics.....I'll keep what I have! Yuk! Looks functional though.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
Are those 747 controls in the middle of the bumper? Any closer pics of what he's using to latch the swing outs?
Yes, that is what we stole them from
Those are new latches we are designing. Yes, they are big but they have several advantages.
1. Easier to operate for the weaker sex.
2. Locking pin to prevent accidental opening.
3. The pull direction has been designed to be optimum for the tire carrier design.
4. Modular design to easy in servicing when damaged.
The nickel plating is a little obnoxious and we are looking at what we can do to get them black.
Oh, and they don't look like they were bought at the hardware store.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
It allows access to the winch line if it gets tangled up. Also adds additional space for the M12k winch. The winch pictured on the truck is a 9.5XP.
There are several other reasons why it is open. Some has to do with bumper install, others with visual impact. If you make the front taller, then it looks like a bulldozer blade. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but we have had good response to it.
This bumper is made for wheeling people. If you use your winch a lot, it will eventually tangle the rope or wire on the drum. Fixing that in an enclosed bumper is a pain. But then John would not know about that since he never needs a winch
We might look into making a cover for non-winch users.
Again from the picture the first thing to come in contact on approach angle is the fairleed, cable or rope?
Not sure what you are trying to say here. Yes, if you run straight into a brick wall it will. The wings are significantly smaller than any other bumper out there. The most clearance is in front of the tires where you need it the most.
The front edge is the minimum you can have and still fit a M12k winch. As it is, you have to trim the hood/grill support bracket. It is also the highers it can go to clear the bottom lip of the front valence.
The bottom is sloped as much as we can and still meet with the crossmember on the truck. I can assure you this is as tight as you can get it and still run a M12k.
The side wings apear to be huge and hand down too much.
The wings need to be that big to protect the truck. There is very little excess on them.
This shows the botoom of the bumper more. We have some cosmetic issues to fix with how it interfaces with the skid plate.
The place where the skidplate and the bumper meet is the bottom of the crossmember.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
What is also not shown in the pictures is that the wing is fully boxed to the outer edge with a 3/16 plate.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
2000UZJ said:
Small production runs of 20 or so at a time.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
Again from the pictures I see no advantage in the approach angle. Speaking of approach angle what are you getting with your ARB (be honest). I get 40* approach with 285's on my TJM and much better on the ends/corners.
When I get a 100 with ARB in here again I will shoot some pics to show the comparison.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
We will even throw in a free Jac-Koff toolNow that you point it out, the design does look like it was inspired by a wide open mouth. For marketing purposes, Slee might consider calling it the "Deep Throat" bumper. That should spike sales fer sure.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
That is not going to happen. If we do that, we are back to square one.
They are as high as I am confortable putting them thinking of the guy that will snatchblock back to the truck with a M12k winch. Any higher will putt a lot of stress on the mounting system.
We tried to make them as strong as we can considering we do not have upper tubing to help in the strength of the wings.
But then John would not know about that since he never needs a winch
You mean I don't know how to untangle the cable. I already broke a cable during winching.
Look forward to more pics.
I will consider it when it comes to getting a front bumper, as long as it is in the general pricing arena of the ARBs.
hey slee thanks for the info any info on the new back bumper? what i am looking for is if the rear camera still works with the new bumper? those controls seem to be right in the middle so you might have a clear view with the tire to the side. thanks
If you don't use a winch with it, then I'm thinking the optional beer can dispenser will be the way to go. Looks great, can't wait to see it in person... maybe tomorrow... after banging around on the White Rim this weekend, it might be time for some shocks and springs 
I understand Christo is selling this to the rock crawling crowd. I think that might be the problem with why the bumper looks the way it does. It is designed for a purpose I personally think the 100 sucks at. The 100 is an excellent all around truck and is a great vehicle for expedition type wheeling. However, it is so bulky and heavy that really it isn't very much fun to play with it in the rocks. I don't doubt after seeing it that it would take a thorough beating. It is built stout. I'd like to know the actual weight of it. I didn't get a chance to chat with Christo about it at Cruise Moab. I'd also like to see an option for upper protection. I like the 80 version. But I think on the 100 it looks too bulky and it might be too heavy too. Note, I said might. I'll leave that opinion open for change if it is in fact lighter than it appears.
I did not like the rear bumper at all. But I didn't like my Slee single carrier rear bumper either. These new latches have too many steps to them. If you have something big in your arms and you have to pull a pin, then flip a latch, and do another pin you're screwed. I know Christo does a lot of this stuff for safety but some of the redunancy gets excessive. I welded my hole shut on my Slee bumper so the pin only latched in the open position as my wife was frustrated with always having to pull the pin after releasing the latch.
I will say that the quality looked top notch. And both units are stout. I also admire his ability to read the market and push the envelope by offering products designed for wagons. He's definitely offering a product that is different than what is currently available.
I did not like the rear bumper at all. But I didn't like my Slee single carrier rear bumper either. These new latches have too many steps to them. If you have something big in your arms and you have to pull a pin, then flip a latch, and do another pin you're screwed. I know Christo does a lot of this stuff for safety but some of the redunancy gets excessive. I welded my hole shut on my Slee bumper so the pin only latched in the open position as my wife was frustrated with always having to pull the pin after releasing the latch.
I will say that the quality looked top notch. And both units are stout. I also admire his ability to read the market and push the envelope by offering products designed for wagons. He's definitely offering a product that is different than what is currently available.
Weight wise:
100 with sliders and bumpers = 80 with sliders and bumpers and drawers and roof rack. I've seen plenty of 80's with all that wheel. The weight difference is minimal as they're both tanks.
Yes, the 100 is larger and that is a factor like I've said since 2001. Once I see more pictures and IF it looks as this front bumper is a "rock crawl" type then I might get on board. The 100 needs the help up front.
The metal latches on the rear bumper would be a deal breaker for me. Superbly ugly. Needs to be black and/or paintable.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
The bumper is probably not lighter than an ARB. I have to say that we are not just aiming at the rock crawling people, but at the more aggressive wheelers like Shotts
. In order to accommodate them we tried to make the bumper as small as possible yet still hold the biggest winch we can. Also the wings need to be strong without tubing to support it. So that adds weight in gussets etc etc. We also added good recovery points, something that is lacking on most 100 bumpers. Again we know this is not everyone's cup of tea, but we did not want to build just another ARB or TJM bumper. We will look into different tube configurations when we run the first production batch.
I do realize this. We might eliminate the 2nd hole that drops the pin in the hole when closed. Then the locking pin for the latch is optional to use. Again, probably not the bumper for people that use the truck daily and have to get kids and groceries etc etc into the truck all the time.
I know, but I wish you could tell than to the insurance companies.
Gas struts are a solution to this, however I have seen them break before. Not common, but something that does happen. We will look into that again as well.
That is the main idea to provide solutions for some. Does not make sense to copy what is already out there.
sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
They are clear zinc plated for corrosion protection. They can easily be painted. Other than powder coat I have not found a black corrosion resistant coating. Powder coat won't work in this application. I till just chip and the leave rust prone spots.
Believe me, I would really like to do a billet machined latch that does not look transformer like, but it is cost prohibitive. This latch is a way better design than what we currently use. It was designed for the tire carrier, and not just selected out of a catalog. The old latch served us well but time for an upgrade. Also this is not the final design. It is a test set to determine functionality and strength. However don't expect it to change much. You have to use them compared to the old one to really feel the difference.
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sleeoffroad
Supporting Vendor
I would have to check. The split is not in the middle, it is offset. If need be the camera can be relocated. We have brackets to do that.
Excellent. Excellent.
And glad to hear the front bumper will be as heavy as an ARB. The 100 is a real wheel-lifter if the truck is not balanced. With an ARB front and Slee back the bias is close to ideal with a tad too much in the back. Your front plus a big-ass winch should make for a good match.
