beef tits
Well-known member
There is minimal info out there on this installation, and there are a lot of reasons ARB does not say this fits a GX. I took a gamble and installed one of these. It kinda works.
Here are a few take-aways.
1) Fitment is questionable at best. It does kind of fit but there are a lot of little things that are VERY different from a Prado. Mainly fenders and the hood.
Pro-tip: Just buy a bumper made for a GX, not one made for a Prado 120. ARB/Dobinsons/Ironman are all the same... not made for a GX... which is unfortunate because ARB in particular is the only company making quality bumpers in my opinion, Dobinson's is a close second.
2) Cutting your fenders is required (prepare for rust)
Pro-tip: leave the lower headlight mount point in place, this is necessary to keep the headlight stable and not break the upper tabs. The bumper will fit, you will have to trim around it. There is enough meat available to tie it back to the frame. I saw a video for an Iron Man bumper install (same fitment) and the dum-dum removed his headlight mounting bracket. Terrible idea.
3) Cutting your fender flares is required (impossible to get perfect)
Pro-tip: Remove the flares before installing the bumper. Cut away at them in increments until they fit with clearance for the bumper to move independently of the fender (GX is body on frame)
4) Cutting the ARB bumper is required if you want your hood to close and latch (so much for that powdercoating!)
Pro-tip: I cut this on the vehicle. Use blue tape. Cover your winch (if synthetic), cover your headlights, etc, to avoid sparks melting them. Yes I thought of this prior to it being an issue.
5) Opening your hood is a pain in the ass (unless you have tiny hands and/or salad fingers)
Pro-tip: Avoid opening your hood unless absolutely necessary.
6) Power steering cooler lines will need bent & modified at minimum. Factory line mounts need removed, and the lines are damn near impossible to keep from rubbing on the ARB hardware (power steering line will likely get a hole and leak over time)
Pro-tip: I wrapped my lines in foam where they contact the ARB hardware. Better than nothing. Short of taking the whole PS system apart, buying a tubing bender, and spending another 1-2 days on it... this was the best option.
7) A standard fairlead does not fit. You need a "Hawse Offset Fairlead", these do not typically come with a winch. The base of the winch (aka the bottom) will mount pointing forward on this bumper.
Pro-tip: order this ahead of time. Amazon had one to me in 24 hours, but I was lucky.
8) Winch can be mounted with the bumper on the vehicle. At least my M8000S was able to be mounted this way. It barely fit, but it fit. Clutch side goes in first, from as close as you can get to the driver's side of vehicle. Then, with the winch pushed half-way into the opening, slide to passenger's side, then push the power side of the winch up and in. Again, it BARELY fits, but it fits.
Pro-tip; This would have been slightly easier if I had removed the winch-line.
9) One person can do this install. Assuming that one person lifts weights once in a while. The bumper is heavy but not >200 lbs. Once the mounting bracket is on, the bumper can sit there loose while you diddle with fenders/etc.
Pro-tip: bend with your legs, not with your back.
Here are a few take-aways.
1) Fitment is questionable at best. It does kind of fit but there are a lot of little things that are VERY different from a Prado. Mainly fenders and the hood.
Pro-tip: Just buy a bumper made for a GX, not one made for a Prado 120. ARB/Dobinsons/Ironman are all the same... not made for a GX... which is unfortunate because ARB in particular is the only company making quality bumpers in my opinion, Dobinson's is a close second.
2) Cutting your fenders is required (prepare for rust)
Pro-tip: leave the lower headlight mount point in place, this is necessary to keep the headlight stable and not break the upper tabs. The bumper will fit, you will have to trim around it. There is enough meat available to tie it back to the frame. I saw a video for an Iron Man bumper install (same fitment) and the dum-dum removed his headlight mounting bracket. Terrible idea.
3) Cutting your fender flares is required (impossible to get perfect)
Pro-tip: Remove the flares before installing the bumper. Cut away at them in increments until they fit with clearance for the bumper to move independently of the fender (GX is body on frame)
4) Cutting the ARB bumper is required if you want your hood to close and latch (so much for that powdercoating!)
Pro-tip: I cut this on the vehicle. Use blue tape. Cover your winch (if synthetic), cover your headlights, etc, to avoid sparks melting them. Yes I thought of this prior to it being an issue.
5) Opening your hood is a pain in the ass (unless you have tiny hands and/or salad fingers)
Pro-tip: Avoid opening your hood unless absolutely necessary.
6) Power steering cooler lines will need bent & modified at minimum. Factory line mounts need removed, and the lines are damn near impossible to keep from rubbing on the ARB hardware (power steering line will likely get a hole and leak over time)
Pro-tip: I wrapped my lines in foam where they contact the ARB hardware. Better than nothing. Short of taking the whole PS system apart, buying a tubing bender, and spending another 1-2 days on it... this was the best option.
7) A standard fairlead does not fit. You need a "Hawse Offset Fairlead", these do not typically come with a winch. The base of the winch (aka the bottom) will mount pointing forward on this bumper.
Pro-tip: order this ahead of time. Amazon had one to me in 24 hours, but I was lucky.
8) Winch can be mounted with the bumper on the vehicle. At least my M8000S was able to be mounted this way. It barely fit, but it fit. Clutch side goes in first, from as close as you can get to the driver's side of vehicle. Then, with the winch pushed half-way into the opening, slide to passenger's side, then push the power side of the winch up and in. Again, it BARELY fits, but it fits.
Pro-tip; This would have been slightly easier if I had removed the winch-line.
9) One person can do this install. Assuming that one person lifts weights once in a while. The bumper is heavy but not >200 lbs. Once the mounting bracket is on, the bumper can sit there loose while you diddle with fenders/etc.
Pro-tip: bend with your legs, not with your back.
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