Strongest Front Bumper

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We built three versions. The most popular is the one on the web. We also can , if talked nice to build the "Kingdom" version, named after the movie "Kingdom" with Jamie Fox and Jennifer Garner where we built six fronts and rear for the 60s in the movie. The other is obscure, we only have built a half dozen.
shots from the movie.....
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So do I and had I know just a couple of days sooner I would have gotten it instead of the ARB.
I may end up selling the ARB as i do find the metal thin compaired to say Trail Tailor's rear bumper I have.

In a head on collision, I think the ARB will survive just fine, do not get me wrong, but for stoutness i down vote it.
 
ARB's are tough. I bought mine off a wrecked 60 that was in a front end collision and just straightened it out. I wish I had the new style, it looks better
 
I like that kingdom version.

What's funny is that was the first style I'd ever built for a 60 in 1994. Apparently we were the only company that could supply six fronts and rears in the time frame they needed...eleven days to the shoot. Kaymar had a couple rears in the US and ARB only had one front at the time stateside.
It bears a strong resemblance to ARB but in 1994 I'd not seen an ARB for a 60. Instead I patterned in after a bumper I'd built for a GMC Jimmy two years earlier. We loosely referred to it as our football helmet design....I guess catcher's mask would have rolled off the tongue better. I haven't pushed it because the ARB is already out there and focusing on other options seemed better from a customer need standpoint. I didn't start driving a 60 until 1990 so the current style we market didn't appear until 91. I drove a 55 before that so I had 55 bumpers before the 60 offerings. 90% of what I build was first tested on something I drove daily. I like like working out the bugs at my expense. This is why we're slow coming out with 80 stuff. I have designs I'm happy with but I still worry when a customer drives away with something I haven't personally spent time with. Shackle reversals and U-bolt flipkits were on both 40's in ARCA. Tracy Jordan's 40 ran a shortened version of the 40 bullbar. He found it handy when he broke birfields. The "v" notch in the 1/2" upright worked like a slide hammer so he could quickly separate them from the axle shaft. We offered the same roll cage options through Man-a-Fre. The designs were heavily field tested tested. They never failed or even gave way significantly although Tracy was sent to the hospital for observation after his truck launched off a drop and fell about ten to fifteen feet
clear, landing squarely upside down. He hit so hard the lap belts bruised him and they were afraid of internal injury. The cage fared perfectly.
Next day he was running obstacles. Tracy was a pure competitor in the class of Shannon Campbell , Don Robbins, Joel Randle and Jason Paule
at Twisted Customs. He wasn't going to let pain keep him from competing
 
Great post! I haven't even taken delivery of my FJ62 and I've begun to look at accessories already. A front bumper and winch is at the top of the list. I was going to go with the ARB, until I saw the "Kingdom". I'm really digging it. What's the cost of the "Kingdom"?
 
Great post! I haven't even taken delivery of my FJ62 and I've begun to look at accessories already. A front bumper and winch is at the top of the list. I was going to go with the ARB, until I saw the "Kingdom". I'm really digging it. What's the cost of the "Kingdom"?
It's 50.00 more than the standard, 950.00, powdered. It covers the extra material.
 
It's 50.00 more than the standard, 950.00, powdered. It covers the extra material.

The more I look at the standard front bumper, the more I love it. I think that's all I need. It now just seems less cluttered than the ARB and "Kingdom", which I think is overkill for me. Plus it doesn't take away from the aesthetics of the 60 series front end. What lights do you usually have customers add to the standard? I definitely want tabs for two round LED lights somewhere. Can custom tabs be added for lighting?
 
The more I look at the standard front bumper, the more I love it. I think that's all I need. It now just seems less cluttered than the ARB and "Kingdom", which I think is overkill for me. Plus it doesn't take away from the aesthetics of the 60 series front end. What lights do you usually have customers add to the standard? I definitely want tabs for two round LED lights somewhere. Can custom tabs be added for lighting?

I mounted two 9" Hella Rallye 4000s up top and I found a 17" low profile light bar that isn't too gaudy below the hoop. Generally I like old school looks on an old school truck so most of the light bars look out of place except maybe on the roof rack. This one is two row but uses reflectors so it's as low profile as a single row and shallower. It's more inconspicuous than the others and doesn't interfere with the winch down low

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W9OQJW8/?tag=ihco-20

I've tried a number of light bars. Hands down the American made stuff like Rigid Industries and JW Speaker way outperform the cheap stuff.
I think it's the reflector designs as much as anything. I know I tested a 20 Rigid that outperformed all the 42" options I had on hand.
I'm on the fence as to whether i prefer my 9" Hella Halogens over the light bars. Tne light bars are crazy bright, so much so they envelop the
shadows in the road so dips and ruts seem to disappear. Not always what you want. I can read the road better if I'm going fast on dirt at night with the Hellas. The light bars are better going medium to slow. They light up the peripherals much better. Wildlife off to the side no longer goes unnoticed. I like having both options
 
I believe this is one of your bumpers, correct? I'm really liking the placement of the round lights here as opposed to on top. They just look out of the way in this position. Of course I'd like to find a more modern light that fits here than these HIDs. Looking at Baja Designs lights. I also don't think a LED bar has any business on a classic truck like this.

 
I believe this is one of your bumpers, correct? I'm really liking the placement of the round lights here as opposed to on top. They just look out of the way in this position. Of course I'd like to find a more modern light that fits here than these HIDs. Looking at Baja Designs lights. I also don't think a LED bar has any business on a classic truck like this.


If it's not mine then they did a really good job matching it.
Man-a-Fre used to mount Hella 4000 compacts inside the hoop on a regular basis. The one above has the Powerplant Winch.
It's much bulkier than the normal winch. There's probably no room for lights in the middle with that winch. Some of the new winches
with the Darth Vader, swoopy aluminum bodies like the Come Up , Warn Zeon , and that Powerplant encroach on potential light positions.
We had to redesign our winche bumpers, both 40 and 60 for more clearance for the Zeon and Comeup


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Zeon Darth Vader winch.....

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If it's not mine then they did a really good job matching it.
Man-a-Fre used to mount Hella 4000 compacts inside the hoop on a regular basis. The one above has the Powerplant Winch.
It's much bulkier than the normal winch. There's probably no room for lights in the middle with that winch. Some of the new winches
with the Darth Vader, swoopy aluminum bodies like the Come Up , Warn Zeon , and that Powerplant encroach on potential light positions.
We had to redesign our winche bumpers, both 40 and 60 for more clearance for the Zeon and Comeup


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Zeon Darth Vader winch.....

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I swear the guy on the video called it a "4plus plus" bumper. The pictures above are perfect. I was planning a Warn Zeon winch anyways. What's the circumference of light that fits in that center location so I know what to look for.
 
I like this bumper a guy I am following on instagram made. If I ever get around to making one I would definitely do something similar to it I have a xd9000i warn winch.
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Here is a copy of the 4+. Really well made, I am extremely happy with it after 5 years. I modified the diagonal pipes by
removal, and made the deck on the wings a bit deeper by 3-4" I then mounted the 8" Pro Comps 130's cause old school
halogen lights seem to fit the truck best. I've 'bumped' into a few things, this bumper has stood the test of time. I have no
concerns about my front end safety. BTW, Dave its up for another bit of modification. Pics one day to follow.

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I like this bumper a guy I am following on instagram made. If I ever get around to making one I would definitely do something similar to it I have a xd9000i warn winch.View attachment 1336902

My early fronts were kind of a mirror to that. The drop out was at the bottom. I made a couple 60's and 55's
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it matched the rears
 
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Jonathan does a similar front at TLC

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The style goes back to military power wagons and deuce and a half's . The center is minimized while the wings are heavy weighted

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Yeah, it's a stretch but we all get our inspirations somewhere. Land cruisers are probably the closest thing to owning a military vehicle without actually buying surplus
 
The Main reason for me anyways for the Kingdom or ARB style is simply Deer.
Where I live in Northern Virginia they are over populated.

I see at least 2-3 every morning just in my neighborhood and more on the out skirts of town.

On my Yukon or F150 fenders and front end parts can be had anywhere. No so for the FJ60.

For that reason something that covers more of the hood and grill protecting as much as possible the fender from head on with a brown and furry, is key.
 
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