Latest recommendations for front bumpers?

Trending front bumpers

  • ARB

    Votes: 10 47.6%
  • Tactical Rovers

    Votes: 6 28.6%
  • Proud Rhino

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Torque Performance 4x4

    Votes: 1 4.8%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • Total voters
    21

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iSurfvilano

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@ryanjl though I don't think the T44 has been crash tested in an official controlled environment, Eric at T44 hit a stopped vehicle during a sand storm going 25mph. Here's a pic.
Screenshot_20200122-074000.png
 

mbw

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@ryanjl though I don't think the T44 has been crash tested in an official controlled environment, Eric at T44 hit a stopped vehicle during a sand storm going 25mph. Here's a pic. View attachment 10529

This incident was one reason I stayed away from the T44 bumper. I like Eric and I have lots of his stuff on my rig, but the ARB is just flat out better engineered. It not only has been crash tested, but it has proper crush cans to try and prevent the impact force from setting off airbags prematurely. If the mounts can't absorb impact you get a faster and more peaky impact to the inertia sensors that determine if it should pop the bags.

The diameter of the tubing and how it goes all the way into the sides and how it is all reinforced is much different. ARB bends the whole main structure of the bumper out of a single piece of metal and robot welds the thing. They have massive pipe mandrel bending for the top tubes and the way the center supports tie in is impressive. It's ONE tube, not three welded together. Its probably twice the diameter from the looks of it. From an engineering perspective, they are just built totally differently. If you have seen crashed bumpers welded from lots of panels or tube bumpers you know what I mean... go look at ARB crash photos.. amazing every time.

i-mCC94Xg-X3.jpg


I see people keep mentioning that the T44 has higher clearance and is cheaper... ya.. no debate there. If your build is more of a trail rig, then for sure get the T44. Big difference in requirements on trail rigs.

For me though. I'm on the roads mostly, touring. I've done enough crazy stuff off road on trails to know the ARB has enough clearance for me. Pure approach is less, but the front is very angled and for everything but coming up aginst a wall, its fine. I've stuck the nose in a mud bog before and had to winch against the bumper to get it out... mud goes into the undershields and frame rails.. its a mess.. but it is damn tough and the panels under are easy to flatten out and fix and put back on.

IMG_20190610_181439-X3.jpg


really can't go wrong either way, im glad we have options. Just make sure you are buying for the right reasons and be real with yourself about the various outcomes.
 
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d3lux06

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Thanks all for the input and info. I ended up purchasing the ARB bumper as my rig is mainly a DD. Also doesn't seem like a trivial install either.
 

mbw

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I didn't find it too crazy to install DIY. I just took my time and over the span of about 5 days worked on it for an hour or two an evening. I was very slow and careful about wiring and little things. It could probably be done in one day on a weekend or something. Let me know if you have questions.

pro tip, get a big piece of carpet and put it right in front of your LR4 and then work on the bumper just on the carpet so you can move it around a little and do some of the wiring and such.. get it all ready, then just get a couple strong friends to help you slide it on the supports. Make sure your fender trims are right and get the bumper lined up. Leave decent gap between the headlights and the bumper so if you hit something it wont cave in and hit that. Mark the pin bolt locations, pull the bumper back off and drill those, then put the bumper on, put in the bolts, pin hole bolts and go from there. That's the only part that requires help unless you want to try and use an engine lift or something, but probably easier to just get some hands. I have seen lots of people skip the pin bolts step, but then you have it mounted on slots and the bumper would move inward and do damage instead of the force going into the crush cans. Make sure and drill those pin bolt holes.

BTW, here is my parts list. (since its not just the bumper part number)

3432220 Summit Disco LR4 (170 lbs)
3500720 WINCH INSTALL KIT SUMMIT BAR
3500590 51W Fog Light Kit - the lights
3500600 Hawse Fairlead Spacer Kit
3500680 Clear Fog Light Cover Kit+
W94288 Enhanced Signal Kit
W92815 WARN Zeon Platium 10-S (75lbs)
W89970 Short RELOCATION KIT FOR ZEON PLATINUM 31"
AR32S/F ARB Intensity 9.5" SPOT driving lights (each) x2
 
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iSurfvilano

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I didn't find it too crazy to install DIY. I just took my time and over the span of about 5 days worked on it for an hour or two an evening. I was very slow and careful about wiring and little things. It could probably be done in one day on a weekend or something. Let me know if you have questions.

pro tip, get a big piece of carpet and put it right in front of your LR4 and then work on the bumper just on the carpet so you can move it around a little and do some of the wiring and such.. get it all ready, then just get a couple strong friends to help you slide it on the supports. Make sure your fender trims are right and get the bumper lined up. Leave decent gap between the headlights and the bumper so if you hit something it wont cave in and hit that. Mark the pin bolt locations, pull the bumper back off and drill those, then put the bumper on, put in the bolts, pin hole bolts and go from there. That's the only part that requires help unless you want to try and use an engine lift or something, but probably easier to just get some hands. I have seen lots of people skip the pin bolts step, but then you have it mounted on slots and the bumper would move inward and do damage instead of the force going into the crush cans. Make sure and drill those pin bolt holes.

BTW, here is my parts list. (since its not just the bumper part number)

3432220 Summit Disco LR4 (170 lbs)
3500720 WINCH INSTALL KIT SUMMIT BAR
3500590 51W Fog Light Kit - the lights
3500600 Hawse Fairlead Spacer Kit
3500680 Clear Fog Light Cover Kit+
W94288 Enhanced Signal Kit
W92815 WARN Zeon Platium 10-S (75lbs)
W89970 Short RELOCATION KIT FOR ZEON PLATINUM 31"
AR32S/F ARB Intensity 9.5" SPOT driving lights (each) x2

Did you wire the fogs through the firewall or did you utilize the warn zeon connection point along with the winch remote? Thinking about getting a set of fogs next...
 

avslash

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About to be right there with you.

I just picked up a Warn Zeon 12 to replace my TJM 9,000 pounder.

Now the joy of pulling the bumper off and drilling the mounting points out for some grade 8 hardware.

Trying a different tack with this one. I went with the steel cable instead of synthetic. It is 18 pounds heavier, but after close examination of the synthetic on the TJM, I wasn't happy with how it looked after several years in the elements. That is one issue with all of these bumpers. There is not a easy way to run a cover to keep the sun and wet off of the synthetic. I figured with the steel cable that I could at least hose it down with oil from time to time. Time will tell, I guess.

I was sorely tempted to go with the **** bang platinum, but I will admit to being a little scared of the automatic clutch. If it is going to die on anybody, it would undoubtedly be me.

Wish me luck.
 

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