ARB Bumper?

ObiHann · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:32 am

Hey, I got a 02 KJ Limited and am going back and forth between the ARB bumer and a good bull bar / skid plate... The big issue is if I go ARB, it is a lot of cash, and a lot of work. I wouldn't be able to do that installation myself, so I would need a dealer, also, I would need to upgrade my front shocks... So, all in all, is it worth it for the average driver wtih the occasional weekend trail ride? And are they that much safer than bull bar for impact with say, a deer, or a car? Also, how much am I looking at for a whole setup? Any suggestions would be great, maybe I don't need to spend the cash on ARB and there is another product that looks just as nice...

Xodius · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:24 am

I am a wise booty so I will start with, don't hit either cars or deer.

I do not have anything but the stock front, however, from everything I have read the ARB is a great bumper. I am not sure how it would do against a deer since I have seen them roll up off the bumper over the hood and into the driver/passanger. Maybe a bull bar, but that would only be good if you hit the deer/car dead on, lol.

I am curious what other LOST members will say also.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:41 am

I have the ARB. I installed it last month (painted it myself too). It's not hard to install, I did most of it myself. I needed a buddy to help me put the winch onto it and then the bumper into the mounting system.

Basically, you take the OEM bumper off, install the mounting bracket, drill some holes and hang the bumper. The system allows the bumper to slide so you can center it and once it is, you tighten all the bolts. It's really not a big deal. The dealer wanted $300 for the install but I did not see the point of it.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:51 am

You will need more than just new shocks. What you need is a Frankenlift II lift kit. That is a lot of weight you will be adding to the KJ. BTW: the front has struts not shocks. But, you probably knew that.

Terry

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:54 am

You can replace your OEM springs (gasser) with CRD springs. I have a set that I could not even give away for some reason.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:39 pm

Fulltimer wrote:

You will need more than just new shocks. What you need is a Frankenlift II lift kit. That is a lot of weight you will be adding to the KJ. BTW: the front has struts not shocks. But, you probably knew that.

Terry

Actually the KJ uses front shocks,not struts,we just call them struts since they "appear" to be struts but in fact the KJ uses a "coilover" front sytem with the shock inside of a coil spring.A strut takes the place of the UCA,which the KJ still has so it's actually a shock the KJ uses.

Back on topic...........

The ARB bumber is designed to deflect kangaroos(they're made down under) so they are more then strong enough to deflect deer,the ARB is also airbag compliant.Those so called bullbars/brushguards are junk and offer zero front end protection,they actually cause more damage if in a accident if you did not have one installed(seen it many times when I worked at a bodyshop).Plus you lose your front tow hooks,if you have them,when istalling the bullbars/brushguards.At least the ARB has shackle provisions built into the bumber so you have some good strong recovery points upfront.

Wasatch15 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:52 am **Posts:** 242

The ARB bumper is almost bomb proof. In three weeks time I was involved in two accidents with the front end. The first one I rear ended a Chrysler New Yorker in the rain (was that my outside voice admitting that), smashed the rear end of it , I had to replace the plastic license plate cover and rub their paint off, that was it. The next accident involved a woman hitting me on the drivers side. Her car clipped the back end of the ARB, ripped off her mirror, creased the whole side of her car, once again I had to rub paint off from my ARB. No other damage at all to my Jeep.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:40 pm

or you could find a shop to build you a bumper that will be light enough, that you could use it on your stock suspension and still give you protection

I made my own and I took it off today to paint it.....finally :roll:

, and since I had it off I weighed it and it only weighs 48# and its 1/4" steel and its paid for its self I hit a deer going 50-55mph and it did nothing but the deer did crack my grille a little but no big deal

NellyJeep · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:47 pm

working on putting my ARB on right now and it is a stout piece of equipment. I've seen one or two on stock height libertys and it just looks a little funny but looks amazing when you have some agressive tires and some lift.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:49 pm

NellyJeep wrote:

working on putting my ARB on right now and it is a stout piece of equipment. I've seen one or two on stock height libertys and it just looks a little funny but looks amazing when you have some agressive tires and some lift.

it slook funny b/c the stock suspension cant handle it and it sags, but they do look great on a lifted KJ w/ MTs :twisted:

Xodius · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:05 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

The ARB bumber is designed to deflect kangaroos(they're made down under)

LOL, reminds me of when I spent some time down there with my parents and my Mother had witnessed several vehicles drive over dead roos well, she thought our Ford Rental station wagon could do it too. We dragged the corpse a good 3K before it got untangled. When we finally stopped we had hair all over the undercarriage, it was funny and yet nasty at the same time.

Just felt like sharing.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:10 pm

I had a similar experience back in 1989 with a friends lowered Toyota min truck and a human head. We did not know it was a head at the time. :shock:

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:55 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

I had a similar experience back in 1989 with a friends lowered Toyota min truck and a human head. We did not know it was a head at the time. :shock:

WTF???? I know there is a story behind this ........ :shock:

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:04 pm

My friend was giving me a ride home late at night on I95 in Ft Lauderdale. We saw an accident up ahead that just happened. As we were getting closer, FHP was just showing up to the seen. Our attention was on the accident trying to determine what the wreckage used to be as we approached. We hit something in the road that rattled around under the truck for a bit before ejecting out the back. Scared the crud out of us.

The next day, the morning news had a story about the accident with fatalities. They mentioned one person was decapitated. The next day at work my friend and I were talking about how messed up it would be if the thing on the road was the guy's head. During lunch, we jacked up the truck and sure enough, bits of scalp and hair all over the place.

He sold the truck because he said it gave him the heebee jeebees. :shock:

Sorry for the hi jack dude

Inc · **Posted:** Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:30 pm

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:39 am

Back to the topic....
I installed my ARB all by my lonsome. Beast but with a couple of good saw horses, adjustable ones set close to the height of the KJ mounting points, no big deal.

Then just a few months ago took it off and installed a M8000 winch. took the steel cable off for Syn. and sved a few pounds. same saw horses. and re-installed the beast again all by my lonesome. Wish I had help, but really didn't need it.

mrkake · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:25 pm

I have had my eye on one of these for a while and I would be glad to hear comments from others.

http://www.scoffroad.com/

I am wondering if I will need to beef up my front suspension as well. Already got a Frankenlift CRD on it, so I don't know where I would go from there.

I too am sorry for the thread hijack. It just fits so nicely in this thread though :oops:

Xodius · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:57 am

[quote="mrkake"][/quote]What the heck is that on your avatar?!?! A LOST Sinner?! What part? Sorry another hijacking. And as for the head, :shock:

That would freak me out too.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:06 am

mrkake wrote:

I have had my eye on one of these for a while and I would be glad to hear comments from others.

http://www.scoffroad.com/

I am wondering if I will need to beef up my front suspension as well. Already got a Frankenlift CRD on it, so I don't know where I would go from there.

I too am sorry for the thread hijack. It just fits so nicely in this thread though :oops:

not if you got the CRD coils b/c they are 100# more than the stock you would be fine

mrkake · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:33 am

Quote:

What the heck is that on your avatar?!?! A LOST Sinner?! What part?

I actually "doctored" the pic for my avatar. LOST isn't available for that tag style. As for location, I am about as far southwest as you can get and still call it Vegas (Fort Apache and Blue Diamond).

ARB Bumper?

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