Quite a story and glad your ARB did it's intended job! I've been a huge fan for years. I have one on my Tacoma, 60 and 200 Series. I think they look great on a Taco and 60, not so good on the 80/ 200. The main reason I don't have one on my 80 is weight. She is slow enough and I can't get myself to weigh/slow her down further but here in Wyoming, I'm taking a risk with all the wild game running around. I do not like the looks of any aftermarket bumpers for the 80, including Slee.
Smacked a moose a couple of days ago... I love my ARB. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mark W
- Start date
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Stock bumper
Truth.
I don't think I've ever seen less than multiple moose, even on short day trips through anchorage. Agreed, more during winter.
For those unfamiliar, we aren't just talking about suburbs or being off the beaten path. Going to the big 5-story mall in the middle of downtown? Keep an eye out.
I would not want to hit one.
ARB and 6" lift had me drive over a heifer 
@ 40mph one time.
Loosened the front panhard bar nut and killed the cow. Otherwise just fine.
@ 40mph one time.Loosened the front panhard bar nut and killed the cow. Otherwise just fine.
I was wondering what happened to my ex...ARB and 6" lift had me drive over a heifer
Loosened the front panhard bar nut and killed the cow. Otherwise just fine.
CrabCake
SILVER Star
I agree...much lower forward profile and cleaner looking than the ARB winch version, and also a lot less expensive that replacing the bumper that the PO installed just to get a winch on board. A slight downside is it mounts lower than most winch specific bumpers, but not lower than the frame horns, so really not a big issue for overall clearance. The only bumper mods to do this were to cut out the window at the bottom (3 cuts less than 2" each) and some holes in the top to mount the winch control box (or you could remote mount under the hood for a cleaner look).
More pics and info in GGM's thread here:
Bolt on 80 Series Winch Plate
New to posting to the site but have been reading from here for many years. I present to you our first product to hit production: 80 Series Winch Plate My neighbor came to me with his LX450 and a winch describing how few winch plates are available for the 80 series. He was right, either buy an...
forum.ih8mud.com
CrabCake
SILVER Star
I picked up 4x4 Labs mount points that you get with their self-build bumpers...super stout and I should be able to slot the bumper on the outside of the ARB recover points, slide it in, and weld to existing bumper points plus line up with one of the mount bolts to the frame rail. I haven't decided yet if I'll cut off the ARB tabs, or weld the new recovery points to it...more to come in a month or so on this!
I have the 9 1/2" version...
Recovery Points/Shackle Mounts
RECOVERY POINTS/SHACKLE MOUNTS 3/4" thick weld in CNC milled recovery points with 7/8" shackle pin hole for use with standard 3/4" recovery shackles. Available in different lengths and shapes. Sold as a Pair SHIPPING Parts are shipped via USPS Priority Mail to residential and commercial addresses.
4x4labs.myshopify.com
Thanks for posting.I agree...much lower forward profile and cleaner looking than the ARB winch version, and also a lot less expensive that replacing the bumper that the PO installed just to get a winch on board. A slight downside is it mounts lower than most winch specific bumpers, but not lower than the frame horns, so really not a big issue for overall clearance. The only bumper mods to do this were to cut out the window at the bottom (3 cuts less than 2" each) and some holes in the top to mount the winch control box (or you could remote mount under the hood for a cleaner look).
More pics and info in GGM's thread here:
Bolt on 80 Series Winch Plate
New to posting to the site but have been reading from here for many years. I present to you our first product to hit production: 80 Series Winch Plate My neighbor came to me with his LX450 and a winch describing how few winch plates are available for the 80 series. He was right, either buy an...
I always preferred the ARB over other bumpers on the market, however hated the winch version with the double stack bracket in the top center so I couldn't decide what bumper to go with. I can now buy the GGM install the winch plate and retrofit my stock bumper and install the winch then upgrade to an ARB non winch bumper
I guess the high vrs low winch point could be a subject of debate, but honestly I doubt ill be winching much.
Maybe true if your 80 sits in a show room and never/rarely driven in the real world. The 80 series stock looks are great. But, true beauty is quite often challenged by function. If you could eliminate idiot drivers and keep wildlife off of roads, then the ARB wouldn't have the function it does so well. That, IMHO, is the opposite of ugly. as you put it. I, too. love my ARB!
Since we are weighing on the bumper’s looks, it is my opinion that a lifted 80 strikes its best pose with the stock bumper and a stock suspension 80 (like mine) has an enhanced appearance with an ARB. In any case, functionality should be of paramount consideration.
I wasn’t aware that moose were a greater road hazard during winter but it certainly makes sense.
While traveling the Alcan during winter one year, a friend of mine came very close to hitting a bison in Canada. Although he wasn’t familiar with interior wildlife habits from living in Juneau, he concluded that the animals were coming on to the highway in order to warm up a bit, getting their legs out of the deep snow.
I wasn’t aware that moose were a greater road hazard during winter but it certainly makes sense.
While traveling the Alcan during winter one year, a friend of mine came very close to hitting a bison in Canada. Although he wasn’t familiar with interior wildlife habits from living in Juneau, he concluded that the animals were coming on to the highway in order to warm up a bit, getting their legs out of the deep snow.
Mark W
Yep, it's true. I just don't care that much.
- Thread starter
- #32
It's primarily due to the ease of movement. Especially for cows with calves. This is why a heavy snow years causes so many more moose-vehicle conflicts. They don't stay on the roads, but they wander back and forth side to side to feed and move down the road to get to fresh feed. When they have three feet (or 6 feet!) of snow to push through just to exist, every little bit of reduced effort increases their chances of making it to spring. Additionally the willows which make up most of their winter forage thrive in the sunshine of the road cuts. In some areas this is irrelevant, but in some areas this is very significant.
Mark...
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I'm just joking around. But that is a somewhat common view. The arb looks ok. I did like the look of my stock bumper better, but I needed the protection the arb gives. I focus on the look of my 80 to a degree, but it's also a tool to a degree. If I hit a deer or elk i thought about how it will obliterate the entire front clip, destroy the radiator, condenser, battery, and retrofit headlights. The radiator getting pushed into the motor would also damage the accessory drive. If the battery terminals make contact with the hood during a collision that also would be bad news. Thus the arb was installed on my 80. I've noticed some companies like delta and decent make bull bar bumpers, but the bar sits either too close to the sheetmetal, or it's too small of diameter both of which make it so it's very possibly just basically a damage multiplier I would think.
As far as recovery points on the ARB, I had 2 of these mounted to the front of mine on my 91 FJ80.
I had 1/4" plate behind the face of the bumper that they were bolted to on either side of the frame rails.
Worked well. Here's a very old picture when she was in the shop getting the ARB side bars replaced.
Dixon-Bate Tow Jaw Recovery Point, Front, With 3.5 Ton Capacity
The Dixon-Bate tow jaw recovery joint, front. This strong recovery point has a 3.5 ton capacity.
www.roverparts.com
Worked well. Here's a very old picture when she was in the shop getting the ARB side bars replaced.
You took the time to create a well written story but post zero photos? I’d be interested in a few photos because this thread speaks very differently of the ARB bumper than I’ve previously read several times; that it’s actually not nearly as strong as it looks.This is kinda long. If you know me, that will not surprise you.
This makes the second Moose that has tried to occupy the same space as one of my Cruisers on a dark and icy road. The first time, just over 13 years ago it was just outside of Whitehorse Yukon. My FJ62 with just enough front bumper to mount a winch on. It was an ugly event. Moose turned tail at the last instant and my driver side headlights hit him in the ass at about 50 mph (as a guess). The impact took out grill, hood, headlights, core support, battery, radiator and even bracketry on the engine. Also crumpled my fender into the tire and eliminated any steering ability. With no steering I followed him down the embankment. I managed to not roll, but when the front tires hit a berm at the bottom, both front springs bent. When the wrecker arrived, we used his hook to pull the sheet metal off the tire and I drove back up to the pavement. But that was the last time that rig moved under it's own power except on and off of the trailer when I made the trip back to bring it home.
I'm recounting that tale to contrast with what happened this time around.
Heading for the Trailhead early Saturday Morning in my '80. About 0830 and black as Hillary's heart on a narrow, winding, wooded two lane. I was following another rig so only had the low beams on and no aux lighting. A young moose (probably 2 years old) stepped off of the 4-5 foot tall snow berm with just enough time before we contacted to stumble/run a couple of steps. I was doing about 50 mph and had just an instant to feel the antilocks start to kick and to just barely begin to contemplate any evasive action I could take (there was none to be had). I smacked him square and broadside with my ARB. He flew and slid on across the road up against the berm on the other side. as I managed to get stopped just a little bit past the point where we met.
Now for the contrast...
I have always been a big proponent of ARB bumpers. I am a walking ad and salesman for them. Here in Alaska for a road/trail rig, or even just a road rig, I consider them a requirement without any real peer. What sets them apart from 99% of the other bumpers you will see is that they provide complete coverage, side to side and top to bottom. In my world, with moose and more F350s sharing my roads than Subaru outbacks that coverage is important. Really really important.
The top of the ARB met the moose just about at his hip joint and below his shoulder. But it was high enough up that instead of winding up on my hood and windshield, he stayed in front of me and was thrown away by the impact. Based on other moose collisions I have seen/repaired/ been involved with, if I had not had the ARB on the rig, even if I did have one of the lower bumpers that are far too common now, I would have damaged everything on the front end from the radiator forward. At least. And the moose on the hood and into the windshield would have been very very possible too. Likely even
Instead, I suffered ZERO body damage beyond a scratch in the paint on the leading edge of the hood where one of my horns (mounted externally on the back side of the ABB) came back far enough to contact JUST the paint before rebounding back some.
The upper cross bar of the ARB has a pair of small deformations where my "ARB Intensity" clones where driven into the bar by the moose's belly/ribcage. They are surprisingly stout too btw. Neither light suffered any damage, even as the aluminum shell deformed the steel tube!
There was not absolutely no effect to the truck. The mounting bolts on the top side of the frame rails sheered. The lower ones did not. The bumper is tilted back, seemingly cocked hard where it slips over the front of the frame rails. I have not begun to remove the bumper yet to get it all realigned and remounted, but from what I can see so far, I am pretty confident that the front of the frame rails is/are not bent. Pretty sure that the lower mounting bolts are bent and the area around the captured nuts may be "puckered'. Nothing I can't fix. The part of the bumper that slides over the frame rails may be deformed a bit. Likely is. Again, I expect I can correct it easy enough.
The rest of the bumper is straight and undamaged!
Now, it was a small moose. Gonna guess at only about 600 lbs. And I was not at full highway speed. But I know from experience the sort of damages the rig would have suffered with any other type of bumper. I am not amazed... but I am very very... very very pleased with the performance of the ARB. If it WAS damaged to the point that I had to replace it... I would not care.The cost of a replacement ARB bumper, compared to the cost of all the other components that would have been destroyed if I did not have it on the rig... no comparison. (not to mention that after waiting for Fish and Game to respond and getting everything dealt with, I continued on with my day!
Anyway, the point to this ramble.. I love my ARB bumpers. They WORK! And in my admittedly biased opinion... if you don't have one or something similar on your road or road/trail Cruiser, eventually you will wish you did.
Mark...
It's pretty flimsy, but better than the stock bumper. I would say the ARB is very well engineered. It's light, it looks OK, it fits lots of winches and it's strong enough to save the sheetmetal of your 80 in a mild/moderate head on crash.
COYS
SILVER Star
In aftermarket land, the only bumper I like is the Delta with the full guard. It actually enhances the look of the 80, though OEM naked looks best in my eyes.
I wonder how this bumper fares in a collision given I highly doubt it went through crash tests like the ARB unit.
Bottom line, choose your fav bumper all day, but a car accident SUCKS every single time. Keep the shiny side up, friends.
I wonder how this bumper fares in a collision given I highly doubt it went through crash tests like the ARB unit.
Bottom line, choose your fav bumper all day, but a car accident SUCKS every single time. Keep the shiny side up, friends.
As far as recovery points on the ARB, I had 2 of these mounted to the front of mine on my 91 FJ80.
I had 1/4" plate behind the face of the bumper that they were bolted to on either side of the frame rails.Dixon-Bate Tow Jaw Recovery Point, Front, With 3.5 Ton Capacity
The Dixon-Bate tow jaw recovery joint, front. This strong recovery point has a 3.5 ton capacity.www.roverparts.com
Worked well. Here's a very old picture when she was in the shop getting the ARB side bars replaced.
View attachment 3526200
Iron castings!! No thanks!
Cast iron can snap like a carrot!
Primarily designed to provide protection from kangaroos, and cattle.
A large kanga can **** up your day, but not like a moose would!
Roos are known to come through the windshield because they are often hit mid-bounce. A wounded roo in the cab can do some damage to occupants trying to kick its way free
Roos can range from maybe 40lb for a small one, up to maybe 200lb for big male red kangaroos in Western Australia
