T13 vs. deer

[kcjaz]

Last year I hit a deer with stock bumper and pretty much destroyed the front end but no side or hood damage. Still, it was $25k insurance claim (included new transmission due to loss of oil cooler). So I put a TJM T13 on it.

last week I hit another deer. The only thing broken was the two little plastic clips that hold the driver side blinker lite mounting screws. The light is fine. the impact did move the bumper back slightly on the drivers side but other than that, no damage. Not even a scratch.

I think the only reason the number moved was that the bottom two mounting bolts were not installed. The ones that you have to drill the hole after you position and align the bumper.
I just repositioned the bumper and installed the bottom two bolts.

That T13 just paid for itself several times over

 

[Markuson]

Last year I hit a deer with stock bumper and pretty much destroyed the front end but no side or hood damage. Still, it was $25k insurance claim (included new transmission due to loss of oil cooler). So I put a TJM T13 on it.

last week I hit another deer. The only thing broken was the two little plastic clips that hold the driver side blinker lite mounting screws. The light is fine. the impact did move the bumper back slightly on the drivers side but other than that, no damage. Not even a scratch.

I think the only reason the number moved was that the bottom two mounting bolts were not installed. The ones that you have to drill the hole after you position and align the bumper.
I just repositioned the bumper and installed the bottom two bolts.

That T13 just paid for itself several times over

Funny.

Your T13 story is almost identical to my own deer strike...only weeks after mine went on a few years ago.

Paid for itself several times over...and saved my three week trip.

 

[nor_cal_cyclist]

That's why I call my ARB bumper "the deer slayer" - I've hit several with my old FJ80 and 1 with a 2012 Tacoma - never more than marker light kinda repairs afterwards. Something about Hwy44 out near Lassen Park - LOADS of deer playing chicken with cars/trucks. First thing on my upgrade list was a big bumper to the front of my 200.

Glad to hear all is well.

 

[kcjaz]

Funny.

Your T13 story is almost identical to my own deer strike...only weeks after mine went on a few years ago.

Paid for itself several times over...and saved my three week trip.

That's why I call my ARB bumper "the deer slayer" - I've hit several with my old FJ80 and 1 with a 2012 Tacoma - never more than marker light kinda repairs afterwards. Something about Hwy44 out near Lassen Park - LOADS of deer playing chicken with cars/trucks. First thing on my upgrade list was a big bumper to the front of my 200.

Glad to hear all is well.

yeah, the name Deer Slayer came up after my wife posted “Big Ass Bumper 1, Deer 0” on Facebook.
Here are some pics:

Before impact

After

ok, it’s the same pic twice but that’s the point. No damage!

 

[Blasst]

how big was the deer? Could you guesstimate weight? Also approximately how fast were you going?
I would appreciate any of that info. I have been keeping records of force generated by animal strikes.
I am assuming you hit it directly, and not on the corner. Usually the corner folds in under 2 or 3 tons of force. Hence the braces we all see on the aussie trucks from the bumper corner back. 65 lbs at 45 mph = appoimately 2 tons of force....mas o menos. )
What were your particulars if you happen to know?
Thanks so much,
Jim

 

[kcjaz]

how big was the deer? Could you guesstimate weight? Also approximately how fast were you going?
I would appreciate any of that info. I have been keeping records of force generated by animal strikes.
I am assuming you hit it directly, and not on the corner. Usually the corner folds in under 2 or 3 tons of force. Hence the braces we all see on the aussie trucks from the bumper corner back. 65 lbs at 45 mph = appoimately 2 tons of force....mas o menos. )
What were your particulars if you happen to know?
Thanks so much,
Jim

It was a small buck. As a total guess I’d say 140 lbs. I was hitting the breaks on impact and had probably slowed to 40-45 mph. The deer hit the driver side corner in front of the headlight. It’s head was to the left of the center of the truck. I’d say I hit the front half of the deers body and sent it flying to the left. I’m surprised it’s rack didn’t hit the hood of the truck though I could just see it’s head above the hood. There was not a scratch anywhere.

 

[Reckless]

Stories like this always make me soo envious esp with the TJM bar (its sleekier than others). I would have put one on except it kills top speed and gas mileage. I dont go over 100mph lately but do regularly go 80-90mph on empty highways. I have 20 deer in my backyard and see them daily in my neighborhood. Next door street is called deer trail. They are smart not to come in front of me and usually prance off whenever they hear my 5.7L. But everytime I see one I feel soo naked.

 

[427Monster]

Do deer whistles help?

 

[Fisher23]

Do deer whistles help?

I have never seen any positive proof they work, or any write up indicating the testing was positive. .. So, I don't think so.

On 2 occasions I've hit them. Once without a guard, and it punched out the rad and a headlight, vehicle was not drive able. With the brush guard zero damage. .. doing about 60 or 70 around an icy bend a whole herd at 2:30 am ran across. (middle of no where). I managed to miss the herd and was still braking and drifting around the bend when a 2nd set of stragglers were bent on crossing going in front of my diesel pickup instead of safely behind.. they ran past me and cut across in front. Unfortunately the slowest straggler didn't make it. I didn't check, it was minus 26 and the wind was really howling.

I'm glad I had the guard, no cell signal in that area, and likely no traffic till morning.

 

[kcjaz]

I’ve debated that with my father in law for a long time. Basically, every semi scientific study I have found on the internet says they probably don’t do much if anything at all.
The thing is, is that they are cheap and easy to install and probably don’t attract deer either.

I figure, given there is something like a million deer strikes per year, if deer whistles worked, insurance companies would mandate them.

 

[HGB]

I have never seen any positive proof they work, or any write up indicating the testing was positive. .. So, I don't think so.

On 2 occasions I've hit them. Once without a guard, and it punched out the rad and a headlight, vehicle was not drive able. With the brush guard zero damage. .. doing about 60 or 70 around an icy bend a whole herd at 2:30 am ran across. (middle of no where). I managed to miss the herd and was still braking and drifting around the bend when a 2nd set of stragglers were bent on crossing going in front of my diesel pickup instead of safely behind.. they ran past me and cut across in front. Unfortunately the slowest straggler didn't make it. I didn't check, it was minus 26 and the wind was really howling.

I'm glad I had the guard, no cell signal in that area, and likely no traffic till morning.

Not judging, but why drive 60-70MPH on an icy bend? Especially in a remote area with no service? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen

 

[Fisher23]

That is the normal driving speed in that area in those conditions. By January everyone is driving on 12" of ice almost everywhere, and it's too cold to salt.

But that was not the point..

The point was it's possible to hit a deer off grid when it's sub-zero in a sparely populated area and it could result in a bad situation.
This depends on where one travels.

 

[dryrunner]

My first time driving in Alaska, Anchorage to Kenai, 2AM in the winter. Dark and no traffic. I'm doing 60 mph and my buddy tells me to slow down. I asked why, he said "moose". I said what moose? So I slowed down, and there they were on both sides of the road eating trees. A lot of moose, everywhere. When we got to Kenai, one was strolling through town.

 

[Markuson]

My first time driving in Alaska, Anchorage to Kenai, 2AM in the winter. Dark and no traffic. I'm doing 60 mph and my buddy tells me to slow down. I asked why, he said "moose". I said what moose? So I slowed down, and there they were on both sides of the road eating trees. A lot of moose, everywhere. When we got to Kenai, one was strolling through town.

Same day I was was heading North to Fairbanks before heading up the Haul Road to Prudho Bay...a couple was killed on our same stretch of highway when a huge male’s rack went through the windshield of their pickup...and that was that.

 

[liv2bike]

I had way too many close calls with moose up in Alaska. No bumper on the market will save a rig from a moose strike.

 

[kcjaz]

In the end, going slow is the only real thing you can do to really reduce or eliminate the risk of damage to your rig or worse.
Still, if I was going to hit a moose, I’d rather do it with my T13 than the stock bumper any day!