LR3 rear bumper+dual swing outs

[zelatore]

I think you need to call ARB, something isn't right. There is either something wrong with the bumper itself or your LR3 may have had front end damage you we're aware of. I just relooked at the instructions (specifically steps 54-56) just to remind myself of what you are referring to and mine lined up with zero issue. I simply measure out the 815mm spacing and then my brother lifted the bumper and I bolted it on.

What you are describing sounds like there is something significantly wrong.


Update: After relooking at the instructions for a 3rd time, are you certain you have the impact absorber mounts mounted on the correct sides? Meaning the left one on the driver side and the right on one the passanger side? I'm thinking its possible you have them swapped which would lead to them being so far off as you're describing.

I had that thought, that maybe I had the impact absorbers on the wrong sides, but you can't put them on wrong because the cage nuts for the washer (driver side) and air solenoid (pas. side) would then be on the wrong side of the brackets.

I spoke with a tech at ARB and he didn't have any suggestions off the top of his head. He verified that I had the right part numbers, but really all that means is I have the right part number on the manual, not that the actual parts are correct. But as they do bolt up I suspect they are the right pieces. I emailed him a number of photos. We'll see what he says.

One way or another it will be on by the end of the weekend. I've got plenty of wire for the MIG if it comes to that

 

[zelatore]

Err, dismantle the front of your vehicle. Remove or cut a bunch of stuff so you can never change it back. Splice into the factory harness with "scotch loks" ( yikes, no way I was doing that) for the signal lights. Transfer the fog lights. Fit new bumper with a about million bolts and put the front of your LR3 back together. Yeah, simple.

My RRC.........four bolts.

That's progress for ya.


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It's not all that bad. Other than cutting the fender flares there isn't anything you couldn't undo if you wanted to go back stock. OK, so mine doesn't bolt up exactly, and I have heard of others having to tweak things to get their bumpers on, but mine seems to be the exception.

Now my rear bumper....that's a 'no going back' sort of thing!

But let me tell you, I was seriously envious of Classics or Defenders or even Jeeps when we were designing/building the rear or when I started fitting the front. SO much easier! A piece of flat stock and a few bolts - done!

 

[Finlayforprez]

It's not all that bad. Other than cutting the fender flares there isn't anything you couldn't undo if you wanted to go back stock. OK, so mine doesn't bolt up exactly, and I have heard of others having to tweak things to get their bumpers on, but mine seems to be the exception.

Now my rear bumper....that's a 'no going back' sort of thing!

But let me tell you, I was seriously envious of Classics or Defenders or even Jeeps when we were designing/building the rear or when I started fitting the front. SO much easier! A piece of flat stock and a few bolts - done!

It took me and a very handy fabricator (Pedram who did Don's rear bumper) from 8AM to 10:30PM to do the complete install of the ARB front bumper. However, about 2 hours of this was cleanly installing the off-road lights and putting the switch on the stock light plate. We did not have any issues with fitment, it all bolted on fine, the biggest issue was that the winch was a pain in the butt (and it's a WARN) to get in there - so many tight spaces and weird angled bolts. As for cutting the fenders, that was not bad at all.

We took some extra time to use high quality heat shrink connectors (NOT the supplied scotch locks) to tap into the headlamp harness, switched out the indicator/parking lights to LED, and took a lot of time to liquid electric tape the connections, wrap them, and get everything sealed up quite nicely.

I saved my stock bumper and all hardware/bolts/etc. and feel I could definitely go back to my stock bumper with no problem.

With all this said, I do think something is off with the hardware they sent Don. I know when I got my ARB bumper, they forgot to ship all of the hardware, so I had to wait for that to come later.

 

[zelatore]

I spoke to a couple guys at ARB in WA today and sent them photos of the offending impact absorbers as they fit on the truck. The response came down to "uh, yeah, that's not right" but there was nothing of any help. They verified the parts were the correct ones and they were in the right places (I was sort of hoping they'd say gee you idiot, you did xyz wrong). They did admit they didn't have much experience with the LR3 though and thought they'd run it past another guy on Monday who wasn't in the office today. Their best bet was that the truck was off. I suppose that's possible as I'm the second owner, but the carfax didn't show any collision repair and I don't see any signs of body or frame work around the front of the vehicle when I look. Granted, I'm not a body man but I'd think I'd see something to give away that much work.

I asked if there could be a difference in LHD vs RHD, or if maybe I had gotten LR4 brackets by mistake but they didn't think so and I doubt it myself since they do bolt up.

Oh well, I'll make it fit come Sunday one way or another!

 

[roverandom]

I guess my PITA threshold is lower than you guys......much lower. My install was long and involved. Everything is attached to everything else on a 3.

I know LR like to pedal their own overpriced accessors but some more thought should really have gone into the possibility that owners might want such basic modifications. Perhaps steel winch bumpers don't fit with the current corporate mantra of "premiumness" ?

I hope they make the new Defender easy to modify. That is what is so great about the old LR's.

Anyway, back to the fabricated rear bumper......looks awesome. Look forward to reading your impressions when you have 'tested' it some more. Especially the hitch.


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[zelatore]

I do have to agree with you that it's a PITA to do mods on these trucks. That's clearly why so few companies are offering parts for them. I don't think it's a Land Rover thing specifically though; just look at the front end on any new vehicle - how many of them have simple old-fashioned bumpers any more? The Wrangler comes to mind. That's about it. I think a lot of it comes down to crash standards and mpg (aero) requirements by the gubment.

 

[roverandom]

Very true. But nearly all modern pickup trucks have managed to retain construction methods that allow the vehicle to be altered/tailored to the owners particular needs easily. No matter how well equipped it is from the factory without that ease of adaptation the unit is almost useless to any commercial user, and to us overlanders/off roaders as well.

When LR realize this perhaps we will see a truck we can get excited about instead of just another Range Rover wannabe.


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[SteveMfr]

IMO you guys are missing a few minor points: the RRC bumpers were slabs of steel and, other than being a C-section vs. flat steel, not much different in mounting, weight, etc than a Model-T's bumper (come to think of it, the RRC design is nearly half as old as the Model-T 8-o ). And the LR3's bumper saves fuel (weight, aerodynamics), is safer for vehicle occupants and occupants of other vehicles or pedestrians, and is integrated into the vehicle's styling much more than a straight C-section of steel could ever be. It actually is progress... And, just like the electronics which make the vehicles cleaner, more efficient, more powerful and more reliable (even LR's lol), it's not going away anymore. And you can still do pretty much everything you could 30 years ago - it just takes different skills and tools. The fact that someone had an Erector Set as a kid no longer qualifies him as a mechanic. And Erector Set cars like the Defender or the Beetle are a thing of the past. If LR makes the Defender replacement versatile, it will allow different body configurations on one platform and possibly allow the addition of various accessories. It will never be the bolt together thing the Defender was since 1948.

Don - very nice bumper. Amazing attention to detail! It is no wonder it took a long time to build. I just picked up steel and a plasma cutter (finally - yipee) and will be doing a rear bumper for my L322 in the coming months as time allows. I hope my end result looks as clean as this.

 

[unseenone]

I'm currently doing the production costing exercise on two models of front and one rear design, it is the actual original design that tactical rovers "came up with" They will be very very cool when completed.

 

[jerdog53]

Todd you have a time frame on this, not that I'm in a hurry...

 

[unseenone]

As soon as possible, it's a priority project. Design Engineer has the drawings, working on costing, so it's competitive and any improvements that can be made. I'll show you pictures when I see you.

That being said, probably a couple of months at least.

 

[Finlayforprez]

As soon as possible, it's a priority project. Design Engineer has the drawings, working on costing, so it's competitive and any improvements that can be made. I'll show you pictures when I see you.

That being said, probably a couple of months at least.

Sorry if I missed this, but are these for the LR3 or LR4? I am still looking for an LR4 rear bumper. As I said earlier, I know Pedram who did Don's rear bumper, but I don't think I will go that route as Pedram isn't quite up for another build and I can't leave my truck with him for a few weeks. I spoke to Eric at Tactical 4x4 and he said in the Fall he can fit their LR3 rear bumper to my LR4. I also have the Kaymar option, but I don't care for the fit.

-David

 

[unseenone]

Planning on Both LR3 / LR4, two front options, a standard, a discrete, and the rear, all are sweet. Most likely it will be rear first, then standard, then discrete (hidden winch).

 

[Finlayforprez]

Planning on Both LR3 / LR4, two front options, a standard, a discrete, and the rear, all are sweet. Most likely it will be rear first, then standard, then discrete (hidden winch).

Awesome! I have an ARB with WARN winch for the front, so I am interested in the rear bumper. Do you know if the rear bumper will integrate the back-up sensors? I am still up in the air about a spare tire swing away, as I put my spare on the roof; however, if I want to do it I can have Pedram add one later.

So, I am very interested in learning more and seeing some photos! Please keep me/us posted.

 

[unseenone]

Yes-- I have parking sensors as well.

Happy to provide you a couple of pictures, but I don't want to post them for the copy cats just yet. Drop me a Pm with e-mail and i'll send you a couple of pictures.