I have an ARB Bullbar on my 80 and am conserned that the airbags might deploy if I hit something light. And if this happens off road I am screwed! So I was thinking should I disconnect my airbags? What have you other guy that wheel with late model 80's done?

Originally posted by liftedwithleather
What have you other guy that wheel with late model 80's done?

not running mall cruiser style bull bars!:flipoff2:

If you look where the airbag sensors are on the front, you will see that it will take WAY more than "something light" to trigger them.

I wheeled my FJ-80 with ARB HARD and never had a problem , nor have I ever heard of anyone else having a problem.

Also, according to ARB their bull bars are engineered to comply with air bag equipped vehicles. I have a home made bumper on my Tacoma, and have been in a few minor fender benders (one time I completely compressed the rear of a '99 escort). I have never had the air bag deploy once. Maybe I should go do some field testing to make sure it does work.:confused:

-Darius Weaver

Cool thanks guy for the replies.:D

:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Yo liftthisdude :D ,

The air bag sensor isn't so much tied to impact as it is to rate of deceleration.

I've got an ARB on mine, Simmons has one on his, as do JH and others that I've wheeled with. We've all banged them pretty hard and have never had a problem.

Mike
97 FZJ80
a few goodies and some scrap iron

hopefully a 77 FJ40 soon!

Thanks Mike!:D

Not really related to your airbag question..
But, I have a '96 ..and i am currently looking for Bull Bars. How are the ARB's treating you? I havent decided if i want the "Full Bar w/light protectors" ..or maybe a 'Safari push bar'.

So far..i have checked out Rhino, ARB and Smitty. Does anyone know of any other options?? (i.e. manufactures/websights/etc)

Thx,
-Joe-

Rhino, ARB and Smitty

WTF? :flipoff2:

Rhino and Smitty are equivalent to Reynolds Wrap or my 1 year old son's paper machet (otherwise known as poop express diaper). Don't put that crap on your truck. If it does anything, it will only magnify and create damage.

I have an ARB bar (one that fits HCC:flipoff2: ), and I've hit a deer (actually 2) one at 70 mph. Deer go bye bye faster than a teenage boy after gettin is first skutch. Seriously, the deer exploded like deer grenade. Funny thing was, all I had, damage wise was some deer fuzzies and that's it.

IMO, the ARB or something custom like the www.sleeoffroad.com bumper is the only way to go. ARB has the market, because for a long time it was the only real deal. Now there are some other options like the slee (Christo makes good shit man).

If you want tin foil, send me your address and I'll send you my empty diet coke cans... or go with some crap like TJM.

Remember, just my opinion, but it's worth at least a kick in the bung.
:flipoff2:

ARB bullbars are pretty good in terms of value, but they do have some shortcomings. The approach angle for ALL models is atrocious (obviously rockcrawling wasn't high priority to its Aussie designers), the two tabs for D-ring mounts are a JOKE, and in a related point, the cheesy hi-lift jack adapter makes lifting the truck in all but flat ground very cumbersome.

I too would suggest taking a look at Sleeoffroad, Christo Slee is one of those rare 80 series wheelers that comes from a wheeling background before that, and to me that is very important. He understands wheeling geometry and design better than most, and while you won't be able to get his stuff from the bargain-basement generic parts houses like 4WDPW, it's definitely quality.

I had a chance to see one of his rear bumpers up close and it was TOP NOTCH fabrication; as many of you know, custom rear bumpers are sort of an area of expertise for me due to personal circumstances and I was suitably impressed.

If you DO decide to get an ARB (stumble across a deal or something like that), have a good fabricator do some modifications to it *before* you install it. Personally, I would add jacking points to the corners, reinforce the d-ring mounts or just shave them off, and trim the bottom flange to try to improve the approach angle.

I love the craftmanship on the ARB front bumpers. I think the welding is really top notch.

Christo makes a better product, however I don't know how they compare cost wise.

I would own an ARB again seeing that RockCrawling would be 3rd or 4th in line of what I would do in a wagon....

nolen-
quality on ARB welds?
they hold together, but they are not pretty what so ever. Dave Gore, Christo Slee etc all have a prettier assembly than ARB products (compared to Safari Gard's TIG welds they are a joke). Hell, even Henry Cubillan could weld the top pipes to the blade (sorry HC). I would agree that if you find a deal on a ARB it's a good option for $500 (+/-). Not a perfect solution, but - good. I doubt they are worth the full retail price.

Christo Slee bumpers are crap! They have no front end protection. The lights and grill are totally exposed! It's just a piece of metal that holds a winch. Look at the pictures the AC dryer hangs down unprotected. The ARB covers this completely. I've seen the rear bumper up close and I was not impressed.

My 2 cents.

Everyone has there preferences. It depends on your intended use for the vehicle. For my purposes, an ARB works great. I go on some trails that are overgrown with trees and brush and many of the roads I drive on have deer on them at night. If I was going to try some rock crawling (I do a bit with the 80 but I have a SOA 40 for that stuff) I might want a different bumper. There is nothing wrong with the ARB bull bar as long as you take into consideration it's origin and intended purpose. Same goes for Christo's bumper and his stuff is not crap.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by liftedwithleather
[B]Christo Slee bumpers are crap! They have no front end protection. The lights and grill are totally exposed! It's just a piece of metal that holds a winch.

Right, which is the definition of "bumper", as opposed to "bullbar". I don't know about exposed stuff hanging since I drive a simple, Third World 60 series.

As for the rear bumper, to each his own....

Originally posted by 60seriesguy
[QUOTE]Originally posted by liftedwithleather
[B]Christo Slee bumpers are crap! They have no front end protection. The lights and grill are totally exposed! It's just a piece of metal that holds a winch.

Right, which is the definition of "bumper", as opposed to "bullbar". I don't know about exposed stuff hanging since I drive a simple, Third World 60 series.

As for the rear bumper, to each his own....

That's why I bought an ARB Bullbar I wanted full front end protection. Slee bumper offers no protection whatsoever. I mean Mike hit a deer with his Bullbar and the deer exploded! Do that with a Slee bumper and your front end would be trashed! I've seen cars hit deers before and it's not pretty!

You're still comparing apples to oranges! If you wanted a bullbar, glad you got the ARB, that's what I've had on mine since 1996 and have had a pretty good experience, even with the shortcomings.

The point I was trying to make is that some people may NOT be interested in the tubular protection above the bumper. Heck, there's a dude in CA who CUT his ARB bullbar because he didn't like the "superstructure". To each his own, but you can't flat out post that "Christo Slee bumpers are crap" simply because they don't fullfill YOUR need. I know a LOT of people who think the ARB is crap.

I can't see how anyone would not want the tubular protection above the bumper. I mean it is not brain surgery to figure out why the ARB is better than Slee's. That guy who cut his must be a moron. He just killed the whole thing. I hope he does not hit a deer. ARB is not crap. If they were crap then not every one and their grandmother would have them on their rig. They are proven. I can't say that for Slee's.

Originally posted by liftedwithleather
I can't see how anyone would not want the tubular protection above the bumper. I mean it is not brain surgery to figure out why the ARB is better than Slee's. That guy who cut his must be a moron. He just killed the whole thing. I hope he does not hit a deer. ARB is not crap. If they were crap then not every one and their grandmother would have them on their rig. They are proven. I can't say that for Slee's.
:rolleyes:
Whatever, dude. Maybe cause it is a better alternative for rock crawling, helps with the approach angle. WTF does hitting a deer have to do with wheeling your junk? If that is your main concern, then by all means get a bullbar. But if you are looking for a functional bumper, get the Slee unit. The reason everyone has the cookie cutter ARB bar is availability. For the longest time, not much else was out there. Doesn't make it "proven". I see a lot of chrome tube bumpers on mall cruiser jeeps as well. Are they "proven"? I personally am starting to hate ARB bars. Seems like they were issued to every 60 and 80 series out there. Very generic. And before you get on your horse, I happen to also have one. :D

ok boys, since I live in 'Wild kingdom' I can comment on what survives vs animals.

we don't have those little 90# deer (yes, the plural) we got them big ones. Not only that, we have:
Elk (full size)
Moose (aka swamp donkey) bigger than full size and tall
Griz, full size.
Buffalo
cattle
horses
Black Bear (mildly small)
Big Horn sheep- the next smallest
Antelope- tiny
deer white tail and mule deer

then all that small crap wolves, coyotes, badgers etc..

Bull bars etc can work on the smaller items (last 4) and those sub animals but if you tango at 65mph with an elk the things coming through the windshield even with 35's (plenty o wrecks)
Australia etc and those 'big bumpers' can handle 'roos' easy, but they don't have many Moose. Lights have always been the best thing for open/danger range or just slow down. If you think an ARB will spare your truck from a cow your wrong.
and I have to agree with ross, you see ARB's because they are commonly available and ARB USA has done a ton of advertising. There are other options, but you have to look. Safari Gard /Rock Solid will be working on an 80 bar but its not going to be $600. Their (SG) Ford bars are $$$$$$$$$$

Dang, I'm getting LCML flashbacks :rolleyes: I better up the dose again:flipoff2:

Hey Mike! Does driving your truck to and from the dealer really count as wheelin? Because if it does than you do a lot of it and I would suggest the Rhino bar. Why? Because of the cool name and its ability to score hot chicks at the mall. :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Late,

HCC

Yo HCC - you're suck a dick:D

Dear LiftedLass aka wrench - Chill out man. First of all, Christo's stuff is top notch. Get a grip, and not on yourself this time. :flipoff2: Christo's stuff is awesome. He designed it for a specific purpose. If you want to customize it in case you hit a deer, well, then that's cool. Henry is spot on about the ARB's - they suck big wad for wheeling - yes, they are great for times like when I cruise into deer - but they've stopped me from being able to clear some decent obstacles due to there suckass approach angle.

The ARB is a great product, but it was not built to be a rock crawling bumper. Christo's is a rock crawling bumper. You can modify either or both of them. Know anyone that welds in your area? You have chester sliders right? You could have tubes welded onto Christo's. Like the ARB? Then you can grind and cut down some of the lower portion. Either way, if you want a rock crawling bumper, you'll have to deal with the ac dryer - thank Toyota for that!


The only reason I have the ARB right now, is because for now, this specific truck is done! 'cept for those 38's I gotta order from HCC.:flipoff2:

Yeah, I got a big mouth, and I type faster than I think, but chicks dig my snorkel.:flipoff2:

Ouch, nasty comments when you don't read this board for a while. :) As people have pointed out, we did not design it to hit deer, bears, mooses, mouses or whatever, we designed it to hold a winch and rock crawl. See picture below. You can not do that with an ARB. Believe me, we have tried. This was the crack at Moab, the top side, not bottom. Nolen did this with an 80 two years ago and dragged the ARB pretty bad. We barely touched.

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/main_page_pictures/crack.jpg

As for the dryer, I have yet to rip it off. Did Pritchett Canyon with it, and most of Moab. Voodoo and Rattler at Paragon and Charloo Gap (spelling?) in AZ. The ARB does not cover it up. I am not saying that I am not going to, just that I haven't.

I see relocating it just like any mod for off-roading, if you are worried about it, then you need to protect or move it. When we did the bumper, we could have made a piece that covers it, but choose not to. It did not make sense to build a good clearance bumper, then weld skidplates to it to protect items that should be re-located.

Christo

Christo is spot on (as usual!).

Wheeled with him at CMCC-2002 (http://www.yourlandcruiser.com/images/CMCC2002/cmcc.htm) this year (and others like JH, Simmons, HCC, Pumkin etc). Bottom line is that after Christo drove over 1 rock without any touching with his bumper, I proceeded to move the rock with the ARB.

2 different bumpers with different goals in the design process. Most guys with 80's have the ARB's.... perhaps just because at the time it was the ONLY option.

If I were to do it again, I'd buy Christo's in a heartbeat, then have some tubes welded to the top so that when I pull in at HCC's shop, I can plow right into he and the littleshipper dude :D .

Later,
Mike
:flipoff2:

Hey, is that the same trail that would take any 40 about a 30 minutes to complete? That's right it was. Add a couple of 80's to the group and it turns into a 6 hour nightmare!!!:flipoff2: My buddy's lowrider S-10 could have finished the trail faster, but I forgot it was all the ARB's fault.

Late,

HCC

So with my ARB bullbar I need to cut off the bottom lip to make it better for rocks?

i see a negative comment about the TJM bumpers.......:confused:

anybody got any info on these? i was thinking of a TJM T-17 cause i dont want an ARB's upper tubes.....

i guess everbody's tastes are diff.......:shaking:

later

douglas hunt

HCC, yes we took a long time on Voodoo, but I did not realize it was a race :D

Lifted, yes you can cut the ARB and re-inforce it, since most of the strength of the ARB bar is from the shape and folds of the metal. The biggest problem we found is the corners. They hang down too low. They material is not very thick, and once you hit the corners they tend to bend.

HCC -> you WEENIE - I ain't talking about VooDoo. We were taking our time on that one due to the female presence in the area:flipoff2: . Actually, I'm talking about a specific section of Rattler 1 where you turn left, down the face head down about 8-10 feet then make a sharp right (see pic)

http://www.yourlandcruiser.com/images/tt/a.jpg

- there was a boulder at the bottom, right before the right, that Christo could drive up on to then turn .... he has his bumper. I had to move the rock with the ARB to make the corner. Look at it this way, if you drive your truck more than 20' per hour it would fall apart (oh - wait - that's my truck:eek: ). Had a great time the next day on VooDoo too, but definitely should have been 2 different groups.

Leatherlass:flipoff2: - search the archives of the GCLC list. Nick Demarest was 'trimming' the fat of his ARB. Dude - these are bumpers, whether it's Christo's, ARB's, some custom job, whatever - they can all be modified. Get a grinder or sawzall and go at it. The AC dryer thing ain't really no big deal - go to a shop that specializes in ac and have them move it.... just like you would do for exhaust (not to start anothe cherry bomb discussion).:flipoff2: