Homemade Bumper & Airbags

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:37 pm

How much will making a 2x6x3/16 bumper effect my airbags? (jereosbou) http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... hp?t=18062

will there be a difference if its 2x4x3/16? (All J's) http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... c&start=30

What about doing the 1/4 diamond plate bumper? (RespectMyLibertay) http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... php?t=3688

i know that my airbags still work properly with ARB's but i dont have that much money for a bumper but my main thing is i would like not to be in a wreck and be killed b/c i made a bumper for my Jeep that didnt allow my airbags to work properly
i like all three ideas and have already made designs for my own version so really i just need to pick one but i would like some thoughts and comments from everyone before i start

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:45 pm

Shouldnt change it at all. The air bags detect how fast the Jeep stops, not how much damage the front end gets.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:14 pm

Yes bumpers have no effect on the airbags at all there are sensors mounted further back on the frame which detects if you crash into something so no difference if ARB, RLs, your own or a chunk of wood about 2X12 with a piece of old truck tire bolted to it! :lol:

OK time to go to bed! :wink:

Tom

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:50 am

Sorry to disagree, but I get this question all the time at shows... so here is the right answer:

SRS compatible bumpers aren't about making sure the Airbag goes off, it's about making sure it DOESN'T go off.

For those of you that have our bar, look at the side of the subframe that attaches to the truck... see the wrinkled section that doesn't really look like it's supposed to be there on either side? That's a crumple zone. Every ARB Bar is desgined by our engineers with a crumple zone in it that matches the factory crush curve of the existing front end. This zone of the subframe collapses before anything else, protecting your unibody and the rest of the truck from damage by slowing it down as it fails. The other side bonus is that if you're in a 5 mph parking lot bender, your bar won't get a ding... it's like $500...the subframe may tweak a little like it's supposed to and need to be replaced, but it's less than $100. Saves money and keeps you and the person you hit safe.

If you don't have them (Crush zones), the truck becomes a 5,000 pound wedge with a steel bumper on the front when it hits something and will come to a jarring halt vs. a contolled deceleration if you have crush zones... so the inertia sensors (Air Bag senors) back on the frame rails will sense you came to a jarring halt in a 5 mph impact and blow the bags when they shouldn't need to be deployed.

So yes, an aftermarket bumper can and will change the way the air bags deploy unless you account for the factory crush curve. They'll go off, just not when they're supposed to, causing more damage to the vehicle in the process. So if you go with another product, be sure to ask how they account for factory crush zones because to my knowledge, we're the only company that does that.

CRDburnouts · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:00 pm

5mph with a freakin javelin welded to the front shouldn't make the airbag deploy, maybe if you hit a concrete wall with no braking. I need to see pictures of these crumple peices. Air bag sensors are just little g-force meters that detect deceleration, the amount of deceleration that a "crush zone" provides is negligible, you might get an extra few mph but i'm just speculating. What emperical evidence do you have that these crush zones play a big role?

Not trying to sound like a Richard here, I don't know what these look like or how they attatch to the bumper and I just don't beleive it would make THAT MUCH of a difference...

ARBSeth · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:12 pm

ARB has been building OE bumpers for companies like Toyota and Nissan for about 30 years now and have done over 100 crash tests on vehicles in conjunction with MFR's to prove that ARB Bars do indeed maintain factory crush curves vs. bars that don't provide fail zones.

The KJ bar in particular won a design award from Jeep and DC at the 04 SEMA show for just the very reasons I've mentioned. That's public record. I'd say that speaks volumes about our testing and data.

If you'd like certain data, send me your credentials and I'll forward it to Engineering where someone will get back to you with the data you're asking about. It's proprietary information and isn't for public display.

Best regards,

Seth Green
ARB USA

CRDburnouts · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:30 pm

Can you post some pics of what you're talking about?

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:12 pm

CRDburnouts wrote:

Can you post some pics of what you're talking about?

I think this is how you might be able to get what you want :

Seth said:

"If you'd like certain data, send me your credentials and I'll forward it to Engineering where someone will get back to you with the data you're asking about. It's proprietary information and isn't for public display. "

They are going to protect their R&D so others can't copy it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:14 pm

Seth,
I stand corrected! I have read volumes on ARB bumpers, OME lifts etc but never came across that. Thank you for clearing all this up! You are the man!!!

Thanks :wink:

Tom

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:58 pm

I can't believe that CRDburnouts would argue with Seth about his companies products.

The extra point Seth is making is after one of those other companies bumpers make your airbags fire when they are not needed, try and get your insurance company to replace them. Guess what will happen.

Do the words "SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK...." mean anything to you?

After market, NON SRS compliant equipment will allow them to say TOUGH LUCK, BUY THEM YOURSELF!!!

Don't believe me, try it.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:12 pm

Quality brakes and extra cautious driving are what keep me alive.

Pote · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:24 pm

RespectMyLibertay wrote:

Quality brakes and extra cautious driving are what keep me alive.

True, except that doesn't prevent the little old lady from hitting you in the parking lot. ORRR, doesn't stop this incident that occurred. My buddy just pulled up to a stoplight where the guy in front of him had stopped also. Just prior to rolling up behind him, he noticed the driver had gone a bit too far into the intersection and threw it in reverse to back up about 5 feet out of the intersection and stopped just as he rolled up behind him. the idiot in the car in front of him FORGOT to put it back in drive and when the light turned green, stepped on the gas and drove in reverse directly into my bud's bumper at least at 5 MPH if not more (you know these guys who think every light is the start of a drag race). anyhow, he crumpled my buddy's front bumper. :evil:

Just wanted to give an example where sometimes you have no choice in the incident, no matter how safe you drive or how good your brakes are. Sometimes it just happens and you are at the mercy of the other morons on the road. Food for thought.

Homemade Bumper & Airbags

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