ARB Bullbar 2005+ Tacoma

[daverami]

I will be in the market for a new front bumper soon and have a question for all you folks that have had the ARB for a while now.

With new bumpers coming out, All Pro, Shrockworks, and custom stuff, are you all still pleased with your purchase?

I have heard nothing but good feedback on the ARB, but some complain of weight, approach angle, looks (I think they look good on our trucks). A lot is determined by what you are going to do, trail types, terrain, etc., but I'm just curious.

Thanks

 

[heeltoe989]

I still love mine and wouldn't trade it for any other bumper. The powder coating has lasted very well in Canadian winters with salt and gravel. When it wears out I will use Line-x next for a very tough finish.

 

[Jacket]

They all have their pros and cons, and no one bumper gives you everything. The ARB isn't the lightest heap of metal, and you won't get the best approach angles, but you will get quality construction, good price, and a proven design. I went with what I thought was the best choice at the time, and I haven't really looked back. I like the design and looks of the new Bentup bumper that I saw recently - of all the 05+ Tacoma bumpers out there this one looks the most tempting to me.

 

[ssmathis]

+1 to what's already been said. The only other bumper I was considering was the Shrockworks but the wait time was horrible. I have no complaints of my ARB either.

Scott

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The #1 selling point of an ARB when it comes to safety... AIRBAG APPROVED

I truly beleive this is going to become a growing issue in the future, to the point where many smaller manufactures will be edged out of the market unless they shell out the $$$ for testing. I've sold bumpers to insurance companies on quite a few occassions (ARB bar replacements and upgrades for wrecks), they used to just send a check assuming it was cheaper than the OE bumper and the customer requested it. The last one I did I had to send a letter certifying it was airbag approved.

I'm not sure which other bumpers have gone through the testing, some very well may have. If you know which ones have post away, I'd love to be able to pass it on to potential customers.

 

[daverami]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the information.

David

 

[flyingwil]

As Kurt stated, the Airbag approved is a huge selling point. I personally think that they stick out a bit too far.

Each bumper has it pro's and con's though. It is going to boil down to a few things that you will need to consider.

1.) Protection... Yeah this is why you are buying the bumper in the first place, you want to increase your chances of surviving off the highway. So with that said, you know with the ARB that you'll get a TESTED air bag compliant bumper.

The flip side is how much approach angle will the protection cost. Either way an after market bumper will most likely increase your approach angle. For me, the ARB stuck just a tad too far out for my liking.

2.) Recovery... I think that all bumpers coming out now have recovery points designed into them, some don't. The addition of a winch will be the key to selecting the bumper.

3.)Winch mount... this ties into above, but is easily overlooked. The way the winch mounts and "tugs" on the bumper should be considered. I chose the Shrockworks bumper because of how the winch is mounted. The winch mounts so that it spools in through the bottom of the winch so to speak, and no mounting plate is required. Some manufactures will have a mounting plate that could create a torsion issue when the winch is used, most are tried and true.

4.) Mounting points... Most bumpers will give you mounting points to add after market products such as lights and antennas., however some require additional modifications or products to add such items.

5.) Looks... Pick one you like the looks of. If your going to fork out close to a grand for a bumper you better like it. We see a lot of ARB bumper customers that are coming from a tube style bumper to the ARB just because they didn't like their first pick. So pick one you like, that protects the vehicle they way you need it to.

 

[Dave Bennett]

I bought the ARB for my '05 when they first came out and have been a happy camper ever since.

The approach angle has never been an issue for me.

High quality + peace of mind protection.

 

[heeltoe989]

I bought the ARB for my '05 when they first came out and have been a happy camper ever since.

The approach angle has never been an issue for me.

High quality + peace of mind protection.

x2....


The approach angle has never been an issue for me. Mines taken a few good knocks including a lady that back into it with a neon, I looked at her car and then flicked the paint off, that she left on my bumper. Its great with winching too. The only thing I have a beef about the bumper is that there are no recovery points made into the bumper. All though I cured this problem by mounting d-ring mounts with a large 1/4 backing plate and grade 10 bolts.

It would have been nice to have d-ring mounts in the bumper from ARB like the previous gen Tacoma bumper.

 

[maxama10]

Its my understanding that the lack of shackle/clevis mounts is that it is airbag complaint and so, if you were to really put strain on it, it would fold like an accordion.

I'm not certain about that however.

Also, the fact that it is airbag compliant makes me think of crush points.

Thats why you're stock bumper is so crappy, because it is designed to take the force and just crumple.

 

[flyingwil]

I bought the ARB for my '05 when they first came out and have been a happy camper ever since.

The approach angle has never been an issue for me.

High quality + peace of mind protection.

The ARB's do not stick out on the new Tacos as far some other other models...

Below is what I am talking about:

In fact, Dave's ARB has saved my Taco in Baja!

 

[heeltoe989]

I found the new ARB for the new Tundra sticks out allot. it looks like it adds another 14 inches to the length of the truck.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/cruiserconnection_1987_1238056

 

[flyingwil]

Also, the fact that it is airbag compliant makes me think of crush points.

The ARB bumpers offer a modified "Crush" can as seen in red below: (sorry for the crappy pic...

I was originally going to put an ARB on my Taco... I love the looks of them, and the safety they offer is paramount.

I like the ARB's so much that we started stocking them and selling them.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Here are two questions.

It is my understanding that the second gen. air bags do not deploy from a crush sensor, but from a impact sensor (like a g-force sensor). Is this true? If it is, then why does the ARB bumper need to crush?

And if the ARB does crush, then would that not make it fold under a minimal impact. Kind of like, why put on a big bumper if it will crush easily. Although I suppose that it would fold easily only in one direction, that of a head on impact.

Any ideas on these thoughts?

 

[heeltoe989]

Here are two questions.

It is my understanding that the second gen. air bags do not deploy from a crush sensor, but from a impact sensor (like a g-force sensor). Is this true? If it is, then why does the ARB bumper need to crush?

And if the ARB does crush, then would that not make it fold under a minimal impact. Kind of like, why put on a big bumper if it will crush easily. Although I suppose that it would fold easily only in one direction, that of a head on impact.

Any ideas on these thoughts?

your right the new ones work off a G-force sensor cause my ARB doesn't have any crush zones. I've bump tree and rocks pretty hard and the bumper hasn't moved an inch.