Strongest Front Bumper

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

FishTown

FishTown

TLCA Member #29560
10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Threads
137
Messages
1,385
Location
New Braunfels, TX
I'm considering replacing my stock front bumper with something stronger. I'd really appreciate opinions on which bumper you believe to be the strongest - in particular which you think would hold up best in a front end collision. Our first baby will be here any day now and safety is quickly becoming the top priority for the cruiser.

Go.
 
The absolute strongest? I don't think that's ever been tested accross the board. A good standard replacement would be an ARB. There are dozens of write ups on that bumper doing its job against head on collisions, deer, etc.
 
I get that there hasn't been a test. Just looking for opinions. Especially from those who have experience with different brands.

I remember reading somewhere that the new ARB bumpers aren't what they used to be. Does that ring true to anyone? Or am I making that up?
 
I purchased a used old style arb, and its easily over 80lbs. Seems like it would hold up well in a crash.

I bought a front a rear bumper not for my own protection, but that in the hopes that it prevents a simple fender bender that could very easily total my cruiser in the eyes of an insurance adjuster.
 
Strongest is not necessarily safest. A bumper with a little "give" would cushion an impact rather than transfer the energy to the occupants. Unfortunately all the bumpers I have ever seen for the 60 series are basically just big plates of steel bolted to the frame. Not much way around that. For safety, focus on seat belts and get your brakes adjusted spot on and just get the bumper that you like best. The ARB is fine.
 
Strongest means too many different things, to too many different people, and likely depends on how it's used.

As a winch anchor? Protection from hitting a deer? Wheeling protection? Collision? Etc..

I have a later model ARB with a winch. I have winched with it, pushed many a limb and brush with it, and hit a deer with it...No damage to the bumper, the 60, or me! But, I use frame mounted anchor points, not the ARB bumper to anchor and pull with.

I also have a 2m antenna mounted to it, made a custom non slip high lift jacking adapter for it, and use it as a tow bar mount when we tow our 60 behind a motor home. It works for my needs.

In a head on collision, IMVHO, a little give is probably a good thing. You could make a bumper so strong, it would likely lift the rear wheel when braking or going downhill, so strength vs weight is a line only the user can decide.

There are lots of great bumpers available right now, from big companies, one man shops, kits and homemade. Find the one that fits your needs best, or make one, or have one custom made.
 
roadstr6 said:
Strongest is not necessarily safest. A bumper with a little "give" would cushion an impact rather than transfer the energy to the occupants. Unfortunately all the bumpers I have ever seen for the 60 series are basically just big plates of steel bolted to the frame. Not much way around that. For safety, focus on seat belts and get your brakes adjusted spot on and just get the bumper that you like best. The ARB is fine.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Bumpers are definitely not the only thing I'm looking at for safety. Just wanted to hear opinions specifically about bumpers. Everything else I've been able to find by searching.
 
doug720 said:
Strongest means too many different things, to too many different people, and likely depends on how it's used.

As a winch anchor? Protection from hitting a deer? Wheeling protection? Collision? Etc..

There are lots of great bumpers available right now, from big companies, one man shops, kits and homemade. Find the one that fits your needs best, or make one, or have one custom made.
Click to expand...

Yep, totally agree with that. As stated above, collision is my main focus for now whether it be with a deer, another car, or an annoying neighbor.

And yes, I'm aware of just about everyone that makes a front bumper for the FJ60 (commercially at least). I was really hoping to get positive and negative feedback from those who have first hand experience with each bumper.

Thanks!
 
Let me pose another question pertaining to the ARB. I've noticed a couple different styles of the ARB on 60s.

Example 1:
ebay141325186458469.jpg


Example 2:
IMG_0378.jpg


Is the top the new and the bottom one the old? Or are they both still available today? Advantages and disadvantages of both?
 
Top is new and bottom is the old. New is what is sold by ARB & Vendors today AFAIK
 
I like the new one. I think the approach angle may be slightly improved over the old version as well. Less cluttered too. The new version is a tight fit up against the headlight sprayers though. Mine actually make constant contact.

As Doug said, the D-ring attachment point on the ARB is not a strong pull point. ARB has made no bones about this. Pull from a frame mounted hook instead.
 
I added an FJ80 Tow Hook to my frame, the bolt spacing matches. Goes through the same hardware for the ARB bumper bracket.

I should have replaced the hardware with slightly longer bolts, but I didn't. Don't report me :oops:
 
You might consider Jason at Trail Taylor.

Trail Tailor

He builds very robust front and rear custom bumpers for 60 Series Land Cruisers. I've purchased a rear bumper and his work is top shelf. There are other fantastic Mudd vendor options too, but I haven't bought a bumper from them.

Vendors

Keep in mind that weight matters. The stronger built armor is, the heavier it is. As mentioned, a crush zone is a good thing in an accident. A super heavy bumper might be great if you're rock crawling but may actually reduce safety at highway speeds. I've purchased one of the new style ARB front bumpers and found it to be a good compromise between weight and protection.
 
60Works said:
You might consider Jason at Trail Taylor.

Trail Tailor

He builds very robust front and rear custom bumpers for 60 Series Land Cruisers. I've purchased a rear bumper and his work is top shelf. There are other fantastic Mudd vendor options too, but I haven't bought a bumper from them.

Vendors

Keep in mind that weight matters. The stronger built armor is, the heavier it is. As mentioned, a crush zone is a good thing in an accident. A super heavy bumper might be great if you're rock crawling but may actually reduce safety at highway speeds. I've purchased one of the new style ARB front bumpers and found it to be a good compromise between weight and protection.
Click to expand...

I'm absolutely considering TT. In fact, I'd prefer to buy from someone like @reevesci but the ARB testimonies are definitely pulling on me. I would definitely love to see and hear about his bumpers standing up to some hard hits.
 
If you're looking to protect vehicle occupants from collision, you don't want the "strongest" bumper, you want a bumper that will absorb the most energy in a collision. This is why there are crumple zones in frames of modern vehicles. If you have an absolutely ridgid frame and bumper, you will transfer more energy, faster, to the occupants of the vehicle. More or less what @Juggernaught was saying.

This is why ARB is good. ARB does not make a particularly strong bumper, but their bumper does crumple on a vehicle to vehicle impact. If you have a bumper made entirely out of 3/8" plate steel for example, it would be "the strongest", but it will not do much to protect the occupants from the sudden stop.
 
@GLTHFJ60 Yeah, that makes sense. There's gotta be a sweet spot somewhere. The stock bumper will also absorb energy, but won't do much in terms of protection. It'd be great if everyone had a way of testing these things in a controlled environment - much like the NHTSA crash tests, but specifically to test bumpers.

I guess I'm going to have to just pick one and do everything else I can to keep everyone safe in case of an accident. This also has me wondering if sliders would play a role in safety in a t-bone... You think my wife will go for that??
 
If safety really is a huge concern, I would be looking at newer vehicles. They really have greatly improved passenger safety in the past 30 years.
 
Cruzerman said:
If safety really is a huge concern, I would be looking at newer vehicles. They really have greatly improved passenger safety in the past 30 years.
Click to expand...

Wow, really?? I had no idea!

Sorry for the sarcasm... I could absolutely go and sell my beloved FJ60 and buy something newer, but that's not on the radar for me. My wife's 4Runner will be the primary transportation for our kids, but I will do whatever I can to make the 60 as safe as it can be. And a heftier front bumper will help me out with that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom