Heavy Duty Bumpers for Expedition/Overland Use: Practical Necessity or Superfluous an

[DR1665]

Still very new to all this, but I'll offer my interest is also mainly for protection. The animal I seem to encounter most in my travels is the inattentive vehicle operator. Not to be confused with drivers, as there is a distinct difference. For a number of years now, I've decided the majority of my play money will go into the race car, as race tracks and closed roads are the only places left where drivers outnumber operators. My daily driver - my truck - is an easily-replaced, low-buck machine.

That said, I don't want to just leave my guard down. I still (sadly) spend most of my time in the urban jungle. I suspect a set of burly bumpers do a good job of making clueless operators think twice before getting too close to a truck. I'd like that for my little Pajero. "Rock" sliders would have come in handy in the first three weeks I owned it. Still fighting with the Honda driver's insurance to get this resolved.

I love, love, love the top shelf builds I see on this site, but I figure if the Top Gear guys can get decrepit, bone stock, beater 4X4s through the Amazon and across the Atacama to the ocean (with help from their service crew friends), my little Mitsu has most of what it needs to survive in the wild. To me, the additional tow points and idiot deterrent properties are the biggest sellers.

Thanks for all the good ideas in this thread, by the way!

 

[crazyeyez]

as anyone had issues with airbags and these big bumpers?

 

[Eaglefreek]

I hear ya. I need to try to find a company that deos custom fabbing and makes thier income on other projects and can try a bumper on the side. I can see how a bumper only company is stuck with huge overhead, but there's got to be a company out there that can make quality bumpers for a more reasonable cost than Warn, ARB, Alum, Road Armor etc.

Supply and demand. I think I'd be better off investing in some steel and a welder and fab my own stuff. It ain't rocket science.

I could settle for $1.5k for the front with a simple light bar, and $1k for a rear....

I didn't have the dough to pay someone to build some for me, so I bought a welder and figured it out. I had the critical welding done by a local welding shop. I tacked it and brought it to them. I'm happy with the results and now understand the costs associated with fabbing a bumper. LOTS of time involved. The spare tire has been lowered about 4" since these pics were taken.

 

[crazyeyez]

looks good, Eagle!

 

[UpperLeft86]

as anyone had issues with airbags and these big bumpers?

This is the real question, and the one I've never seen adequately answered. Not an issue, perhaps, with older vehicles, but on something newer with sophisticated SRS systems, how do these bumpers effect that? I know ARB touts theirs as airbag compliant, which I've read means that it simply doesn't interfere with deployment.

I think a lot of us can safely say our rigs do a lot of double-duty as family-hauling daily-drivers. On dirt, a bumper makes a lot of sense. But what about when someone makes a left in front of you while you're doing 50+mph? What about at 20mph? Do the airbags deploy too late? Too soon? Do they deploy when they shouldn't, or fail to deploy when they should? I'm not a worrier, but if I'm putting my loved ones in a vehicle, I'd be keen to have at least some sort of answer about this, beyond, "Well it looks strong, and it would probably be fine."

Ya know?

 

[Bergum]

To answer quick and dirty.
Most likely it will deploy correctly. The sensor triggers on inpact, and that impact (G force) will be the same. Secondly you have a bigger crimp zone, since you are using the other car for your benefit...

B4x4.no

 

[CodyY]

You would be amazed how often airbags deploy incorrectly as is.

I cornholed a left turner a couple of years ago in my 08 Silverado. Totaling the Chrysler sebring, i got a bumper headlight and fender on my chevy. Bumper wouldn't have made a difference

 

[biere]

Go hit how it works or something similar to read up on the air bag sensors and what makes them deploy an airbag.

My opinion, the air bags will deploy when the sensor tells it to deploy as normal but these bumper replacements are changing crumple zones and a crumple zone spreads the acceleration time frame out so perhaps an air bag would not need to deploy if you crumpled your hood and fenders and frame up instead of hammering something with a big chunk of steel.

Plus you should read up on crumple zones in vehicles these days because the frames are made to give way these days compared to older vehicles.

I got a rear bumper replacement for a tj the other day. As much as I wanted a tire mount and what not I will go with the stock tailgate setup for now, I don't plan to change from the stock tire size on the next tire purchase so the tailgate will work for a bit.

I wanted a full width metal bumper with recovery points and a rated hitch. I got it. The bumper is not all that heavy and I will reinforce a few things from the looks of it but overall I am dang happy with it and I just think it needs a bit more frame engagement and not anything added to the bumper. The stock one is a joke, 2006 tj so plenty of plastic on it.

For the front I want to mount a winch and lights but I have hit a deer coming home from work in a different vehicle and after seeing the busted headlight, bent up hood, partially crumpled fender, and all the plastic bits busted up I decided from there on I want something sturdy enough to handle a deer.

I admit to liking how a good bumper looks as well. And once I have recovery points or a hitch or a winch I find them to be very useful.

I try to stick to stuff that is well built but not super duper heavy these days.

 

[CodyY]

Spent a few years in body shops and dealerships, I'm familiar.

I concur on the "not super heavy" too much weight does funky things to the shock valving and spring rates too.

Either way, I've got insurance. :thumbup:

 

[roving]

i just modified my stock bumper to work with my winch. It only added about 60 lbs total to the front end.

 

[biere]

I did not mean you specifically needed to go read up on them, I feel it is good for everyone to go read up on them and have an idea on what could make them deploy.

Same with abs and traction control and other stuff new vehicles might come with.

I will be putting a bumper up front first and then probably add in heavier rated springs and the winch at a later date. Will have to pull the bumper to put the winch in most likely since those are the theft deterrants I am looking for with a winch on the jeep.

I don't want to wait until I can afford to do everything at once and I feel having the protection is worth the money and effort I will spend in later taking off the bumper to put a winch in it.

And after thinking about it for a bit I don't know if I would put the bumpers on just because of what I want to do off road. Protection in a slow speed accident on pavement is my main consideration, or a deer for the front bumper part that will protect the headlights and grill.

If going to remote areas I would do the bumpers but if I felt more confident about the deer missing my jeep or the stupid people managing to miss my vehicle I would not worry about the bumpers as much.

 

[crazyeyez]

thanx for the input guys. something i've been wondering about. theres a bunch of guys on 355Nation with the bar type bullbars like mine, but havent heard of anythem getting into head on wrecks with em.

 

[BCHauler]

Apparently, I need a heavy duty bumper to protect my truck from my wife attempting difficult maneuvers like exiting our driveway. That rampaging hedge was unavoidable. Smashed headlight, bent hood, dented fender.

 

[redthies]

Apparently, I need a heavy duty bumper to protect my truck from my wife attempting difficult maneuvers like exiting our driveway. That rampaging hedge was unavoidable. Smashed headlight, bent hood, dented fender.

Damn those rampaging hedges! I have one that tries to attack me when I load my camper... My wife hates the look of the old school warn bumper, but the big flat spot was a great place to park the lunch stuff on our road trip last week.

I'm going to assume your wife doesn't read ExPo often? Or do you sleep with one eye open?:sombrero:

 

[BCHauler]

No, I sleep okay. I would hear her coming, anyway (see above).