suspension bumper dilemma

[sean2202]

OK my 2000 LC has 155k on original shocks and springs. The shocks are in need of replacing. Previous owner played bumper cars and now front bumper is compromised on passenger side. Its not awful but safety is number 1 with the kids. At this time I don't want a lift because it is just easier getting the kids in and out. I have seen quite a few bumpers on here and was wondering what people have for a stock suspension and what they like about them. Do they make the front end heavy? What shocks do you all
recommend for an aftermarket bumper? I
was considering oem shocks can they
handle the weight of a aftermarket
bumper? Are there heavier rear springs
available as seems when fully loaded that
they don't have enough "spring" left in them. How will cranking the torsion bars for the bumper effect the ride quality.

 

[paflytyer]

Stock shocks and torsion bars are very comfortable. New ones are relatively inexpensive and will handle the weight of a steel front bumper without issue. Once you start adding a big winch with steel cable and dual batteries and new accessories up front, then you can look into beefing up the suspension. No need to do anything in the rear except replace the rear shocks and springs. Old Man Emu 865 springs are very similar to stock springs in terms of feel, but they'll give you a little bit of a lift in the back too. I ran stock shocks and tbars with 33's, sliders, ARB bumper and 865 springs for a while. Perfect setup for around town and mild trails.

 

[sean2202]

Stock shocks and torsion bars are very comfortable. New ones are relatively inexpensive and will handle the weight of a steel front bumper without issue. Once you start adding a big winch with steel cable and dual batteries and new accessories up front, then you can look into beefing up the suspension. No need to do anything in the rear except replace the rear shocks and springs. Old Man Emu 865 springs are very similar to stock springs in terms of feel, but they'll give you a little bit of a lift in the back too. I ran stock shocks and tbars with 33's, sliders, ARB bumper and 865 springs for a while. Perfect setup for around town and mild trails.

Thanks for input. I was considering an Arb
bull bar. This truck is a daily driver. Won't be adding a winch.

 

[bamabrock]

Thanks for input. I was considering an Arb
bull bar. This truck is a daily driver. Won't be adding a winch.

My last 100. completely stock suspension, ARB bumper, 285 tires. No rubbing and rode great.

 

[Manhattan]

That ARB is on the heavy end of the spectrum. Dissent Off-Road makes a lighter bumper. The weights have been discussed/compared a few times - do a bit of searching and you'll find a ton of info.

 

[paflytyer]

The ARB is fine up front if that's the one you want. No worries on the weight. This is from 2012. Stock suspension except for 865's in the rear. ARB bumper, dual batteries, ARB fridge, sliders, roof rack and camping gear.

 

[sean2202]

That ARB is on the heavy end of the spectrum. Dissent Off-Road makes a lighter bumper. The weights have been discussed/compared a few times - do a bit of searching and you'll find a ton of info.

I have looked at the dissent off road bumper as well.
As I find that would be a great wheeling bumper, how
good is it for everyday use. The sides by the fenders
seem smaller. My concern would be how strong is
that in a crash? Also I think a lot more of the truck
wheel well is exposed to road debris ice salt spray in winter. Please correct me if I am wrong. @Manhattan are you running a dissent front bumper? Anybody find any of these bumpers rust over time?

 

[Manhattan]

I do have a Dissent Off-Road bumper. I think any of the bumpers will be A) Much stronger than the OE bumper in a crash and B) Be trashed after the crash. That assumes a "crash" and not bumping a car at 5 mph. All of the bumpers are supported in the middle and have "wings". Whether they're bolt-on/modular or one-piece, that's a lot of leverage at the end of that bumper to take hard hit - attached to a 5,600 lb truck. Now, for brush, small trees, limbs, they're all going to do great.

As far as rust, that's a prep issue. I can't speak to the prep and powder quality of an ARB. I'd have to assume it's pretty damn good. With the Dissent Off-Road, you "get" to find a local powder coater and pick your color. You can body-match, match the OE bumper and trim or go black. As long as you work with a reputable powder coater, rust won't be an issue.

 

[benc]

Here's a pic of the internal wing gusset.

The full bar will add a bit of strength to the wings as well.



Thanks Manhattan!

The coating on arb bumpers holds up very well but the outer wings are quite flimsy. The arb bumpers that I have seen are made from 10ga steel with out any internal gusseting on the wings,

I put a lot of time into the design of my bumper to save weight yet not compromise in strength. Anywhere I could cut out metal I did and added gussets where needed. The dissent bumper weight is about 85lbs without bull bar and 115lbs with full bar, after the removal of the factory bumper and bumper cover you are only adding 55-85 lbs to the front and will have little to no effect on the front suspension.
Looks like many have run the arb on stock suspension without issue but it is a good bit heavier.
As for the salt, I don't see this being any issue as most all mud, water and debris will be at the rear of the wheel well.

Good luck with your decision,
You really can't go wrong with any of the curent options,
Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[tabraha]

There's plenty of mud caught from the front wheels on the back side of the bumper. Always wash out the back side of the front bumper after heavy mud, especially with gussets as it will create a lip to hold mud and water. Still shouldn't be a huge problem but I would certainly rinse it out periodically so the soil can't hold moisture up against the metal.

Look at the floor from my last front end washout, a lot of that came from the back of the bumper:

 

[TexasCrane]

This truck is a daily driver. Won't be adding a winch.

Famous last words...

 

[socalmtbiker]

Here's a pic of the internal wing gusset.
View attachment 1260296 View attachment 1260299
The full bar will add a bit of strength to the wings as well.

Would a stock lx 470 ahc suspension handle your front and rear bumper and sliders?

Thanks Manhattan!

The coating on arb bumpers holds up very well but the outer wings are quite flimsy. The arb bumpers that I have seen are made from 10ga steel with out any internal gusseting on the wings,

I put a lot of time into the design of my bumper to save weight yet not compromise in strength. Anywhere I could cut out metal I did and added gussets where needed. The dissent bumper weight is about 85lbs without bull bar and 115lbs with full bar, after the removal of the factory bumper and bumper cover you are only adding 55-85 lbs to the front and will have little to no effect on the front suspension.
Looks like many have run the arb on stock suspension without issue but it is a good bit heavier.
As for the salt, I don't see this being any issue as most all mud, water and debris will be at the rear of the wheel well.

Good luck with your decision,
You really can't go wrong with any of the curent options,
Let me know if you have any questions.

Would a stock lx 470 ahc suspension handle your front and rear bumper and sliders?

 

[sean2202]

@benc thank you for the pictures and information. Is this a bumper that comes ready to install with little modifications? I will be contacting you for more info on this thank you. BTW those tundra wheels look very nice on that truck.

 

[Ramathorn15]

Would a stock lx 470 ahc suspension handle your front and rear bumper and sliders?

Any significant weight you add to the AHC system, you will have to compensate by adjusting torsion bars and adding rear spring spacers or new springs.

The AHC system can probably "handle" any bumper combo you go with, but that doesn't mean it will be in spec which will likely lead to premature failures.

 

[Madadder]

what are the best new springs to get when adding a front End ARB Deluxe Bar (no winch) to a 2006 100 series with AHC? +
Do i need new torsion bars as well? any suggestions?
Thank you!

 

[IndroCruise]

I wrote a long story on IH8MUD about my spring choices which can be found here -- it may be of interest. Nearly a year later I have no regrets about my choice of KING KTRS-79 springs with AHC -- but it is 'horses for courses' and it all depends on what you want your vehicle to do, where you want to take it and what loads it will be expected to carry ....

 

[suprarx7nut]

what are the best new springs to get when adding a front End ARB Deluxe Bar (no winch) to a 2006 100 series with AHC? +
Do i need new torsion bars as well? any suggestions?
Thank you!

I would stick to the torsion bars you already have and just adjust them to maintain pressures. I have an aluminum Dissent front bumper with steel bull bar and 12.5k winch. My OEM AHC torsion bars work well. They needed some adjustment to correct pressures for the added weight, but it wasn't much. They required more adjustment when I bought the car just to compensate for the lack of AHC maintenance from the previous owner.

 

[IndroCruise]

I wrote a long story on IH8MUD about my spring choices which can be found here -- it may be of interest. Nearly a year later I have no regrets about my choice of KING KTRS-79 springs with AHC -- but it is 'horses for courses' and it all depends on what you want your vehicle to do, where you want to take it and what loads it will be expected to carry ....

For some further information, quite a few posts in the following thread also may be of interest. Also agree with @suprarx7nut -- no need to replace torsion bars, just use torsion bar adjusters to re-set AHC pressure into the correct range per FSM after adding ARB Deluxe Bar.

Updating AHC system

I recently went through and updated my AHC system and thought I would share my findings. I purchased a 1999 Lexus LX 470 with 126k miles. Seemed like a good deal but I didn't research the AHC system well enough. After purchasing the car I noticed the ride was stiff over bumps and when I towed...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Madadder]

For some further information, quite a few posts in the following thread also may be of interest. Also agree with @suprarx7nut -- no need to replace torsion bars, just use torsion bar adjusters to re-set AHC pressure into the correct range per FSM after adding ARB Deluxe Bar.

Updating AHC system

I recently went through and updated my AHC system and thought I would share my findings. I purchased a 1999 Lexus LX 470 with 126k miles. Seemed like a good deal but I didn't research the AHC system well enough. After purchasing the car I noticed the ride was stiff over bumps and when I towed...

forum.ih8mud.com

Thanks @IndroCruise your post was excellent and much appreciated