2003 Tacoma Grill Guard and Nerf Bar questions

[mfeuer86]

Hi all, new here and I like it.

I purchased a 2003 Tacoma a few months back and it came with a grill guard that has a winch mounting plate and Westin nerf bars. I have questions about both of these.

How do I tell if the grill guard is actually strong enough for a winch. There are currently tow hooks mounted to it. Will those rip it off? I am attaching a picture of how they are mounted to the frame.

For the nerf bars, when it comes to off roading, will they actually help my truck if it comes down on some rocks? Would I be better off selling them or keeping them on? I can't afford sliders now, maybe some day.

Also, I have been looking into getting larger/stronger tires. Suspension is stock TRD, and I currently have 265/70 r16. I have been looking at 265/75 r16, but I am not sure what will rub.

Thanks!

 

[Box Rocket]

If it were mine, I'd sell the brushgaurd and nerf bars. Both will bend fairly easily and just cause more damage when the contact the body of the truck.

No idea if that winch mount is actually strong enough but I wouldn't trust it on anything but a very light pull. Same with the tow hooks. The way that whole thing is mounted is not breat, because it creates huge amounts of leverage on the mounting plates because where you're pulling from is like the end of a big lever.

 

[ExpoFeast]

That looks to be a WARN transformer. If so it should be good for atleast a 9500lbs winch.

http://warn.iwebcat.com/imgVD/WAR/63658B0-pn63065.pdf

 

[mfeuer86]

Thanks for including the link. I thought it was the Warn Trans4mer, but there are no markings or Warn logos on it. My main concern is that what would cause front end body damage could bend the frame.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Since you're in Colorado you should also consider that that brush guard, which mounts on the front of the stock bumper, takes several degrees off of your approach angle and makes it much more likely that you'll bang it on a rock and cause damage to the brush guard and anything mounted on it (like a winch.) There are lots of places here in the Rockies where approach angle is critical, so that's something to think about.

IMO bolt-on brush guards like that are strictly for mall-crawlers. If you really intend to take that Taco on trails, you might want to invest in an aftermarket bumper. The aftermarket bumper replaces the stock bumper and all the plastic junk that hangs underneath it which improves your approach angle and makes it less likely that you'll damage something off-road.

There are a number of options when it comes to aftermarket bumpers. ARB is pretty much the standard. They are pricey but good looking and tough as nails. They will allow for a winch mount as well. If money is no object, you could look at Shrockworks or Armorology - both are custom built for your vehicle and you can get whatever options you want. Just make sure you're sitting down when you get the estimate - they aren't cheap!

If you're a cheap b@stard like me then you'll go for the tube bumpers. No, they don't look as nice but they're lighter, and much less expensive! I have an Addicted Off Road bumper on mine (Addicted is a small shop owned by an ExPo member, located in Greeley.) I'm very happy with the quality of their product and with the service they gave me. All Addicted bumpers will mount a standard Warn or Smittybuilt winch.

Here are the "before" and "after" pictures with my AOR bumper:

You'll note that while the AOR bumper does stick out further from the front end, the approach angle is actually improved because all the stuff from the stock bumper downwards is gone.

Here's a front end shot, you can see how much of the stock bumper and other crap was removed. Not terribly pretty, but very effective at keeping the crunchy bits from getting mashed on rocky trails!

BTW, since that picture was taken, it's gotten a little prettier - all that body-colored sheetmetal that you can see below the headlights has now been painted flat black and it pretty much disappears. If we get decent weather this weekend I'll try to shoot a picture and post it but I have to say the difference was dramatic!

 

[mfeuer86]

How do the airbags work with a bumper like that? Are the sensors just installed to the new bumper?

 

[mfeuer86]

I have tried searching for this, but no luck: Has anyone ran Goodyear Duratrac 265/75 r16 on stock suspension?

 

[Martinjmpr]

How do the airbags work with a bumper like that? Are the sensors just installed to the new bumper?

I don't think there are any "airbag sensors" in the bumper.

 

[corax]

Correct, 95% of the time airbag sensors are mounted a bit further back in the engine bay so they don't get crunched in a light collision. There should also be a 2 or 3 axis sensor integrated with the SRS control module which is usually placed near the center of the vehicle so it doesn't get crunched.

I've never understood what ARB means about being airbag compatible . . .

 

[Howard70]

...I've never understood what ARB means about being airbag compatible . . .

I'm not sure, but I think it might have to do with how much the bumper is predicted to compress in a hard headon collision. I've heard that the airbag sensors are set assuming a certain amount of "cushioning" (crumple!) from the stock bumper. If an aftermarket bumper compresses less then it would transmit more energy to the airbag sensor and the airbags might deploy at a lower speed (but similar energy) impact. Because the aftermarket bumpers themselves are considerably stouter (that's why we like 'em), ARB claimed that their mounting system would compress appropriately at a high energy impact but not low energy collisions.

I have no idea if this is correct, but it is how it was explained to me when I was shopping for bumpers.

Howard L. Snell

 

[pyrate]

I'm not sure, but I think it might have to do with how much the bumper is predicted to compress in a hard headon collision. I've heard that the airbag sensors are set assuming a certain amount of "cushioning" (crumple!) from the stock bumper. If an aftermarket bumper compresses less then it would transmit more energy to the airbag sensor and the airbags might deploy at a lower speed (but similar energy) impact. Because the aftermarket bumpers themselves are considerably stouter (that's why we like 'em), ARB claimed that their mounting system would compress appropriately at a high energy impact but not low energy collisions.

I have no idea if this is correct, but it is how it was explained to me when I was shopping for bumpers.

Howard L. Snell

Well said.

Here is ARB's comment from their website:

AIR BAG COMPATIBILITY

With an air bag equipped 4x4 it is essential that the vehicle's crush rate and air bag triggering is not altered when a bull bar is installed. To ensure compatibility, ARB assesses each vehicle's frontal crush characteristics and replicates the crush rate into the design of each air bag compatible bull bar and its mounting system. This method enables engineers to achieve maximum possible vehicle and passenger protection without affecting the crash pulse. ARB has invested heavily in vehicle crash barrier tests to validate the performance and compliance of its air bag compatible bull bars, and as a consequence, our bars offer a far greater level of protection than most standard brush guards and grille guards.

Please note that a few of the bumpers for older model vehicles are not air-bag compatible, refer to the Vehicle Application Guide for confirmation.

http://www.arbusa.com/Products/Bull...e-Carriers/Bull-Bar-Bumper-Production/15.aspx