Aftermarket Bumpers and airbags
- Thread starter Hepar
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ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
I've seen some gnarly crashes with these bumpers. The airbags should deploy technically sooner since there is no crumple zone. The airbag sensor detects sudden deceleration. With a crash and a normal bumper, the energy dissipates through the crumple zones, etc. With an offroad bumper, often the car that is being hit dissipates a lot of that energy. The case that you hit a pole or something, or another vehicle hard enough, the airbags will deploy just based on the rapid deceleration.
As I recall, KellyJ has an ARB. He destroyed the back of a civic with it. He did not have his airbags deploy.
Another fellow from the 4th Gen section, Andrew, did this with his 4th gen:
His airbags did not deploy.
Here's another crash:
Shrockworks Bumper Accident Tested at ~30mph! (lots of pics) - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
That's what I have gathered based on what I have seen.
As I recall, KellyJ has an ARB. He destroyed the back of a civic with it. He did not have his airbags deploy.
Another fellow from the 4th Gen section, Andrew, did this with his 4th gen:
His airbags did not deploy.
Here's another crash:
Shrockworks Bumper Accident Tested at ~30mph! (lots of pics) - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
That's what I have gathered based on what I have seen.
Hepar
New member
I'm actually ok with them not going off. I'm a pretty firm believer in seat belts. I had a bone stock 1991 and was driving across a bridge with a friend doing about 40 mph when a woman crossed the center median and hit us doing about the same. No side dispersal of energy. Basically a brick wall at 80 and we walked away.
00_4runner
New member
Damn hepar thats bad... I had a similar type accident in a vw. I walked away too. Somewhat off topic but just wanted to comment on what you said about the 40 on 40 head on being the same as 80 into a brick wall. Tests have shown that the energy is totally different. I would much rather experience the car on car as its been shown to be considerably less damaging.
Hepar
New member
Yep, totally agree that I would rather go car to car. I was more just saying that in this instance our two cars did not dissipate any energy to the sides (which commonly happens). They hit straight on and that's essentially where they ended up.
I had an FJ cruiser with a Demello bumper and I hit a tree last october, I was doing around 30, wasn't wearing my seatbelt (I was still in my neighborhood) and the airbags did deploy. Like most accidents, the car didn't look bad at all but the frame was bent to **** and thus got totaled.
StreetKill831
New member
I rear ended someone on the freeway last Thursday. Traffic was moving slow at about 50mph and then just stopped. Unfortunately the 2008 Chevy Impala was able to stop quicker than me and I hit him. Wasn't going very fast at all on impact so the rubber stops on the ARB absorbed most of it but because of the angle of his rear bumper my d-ring brackets smashed through it. When I hit my first thought was "$h**, I just F***ed someones car up". Didn't even scuff the powder coat on the ARB.
Obviously It was a low speed 'crash' and I wouldn't expect the airbags to go off. I wouldn't be surprised if bumpers like this caused the airbags to go off at lower speeds than without but even so I don't think it would make much of a difference in my decision. I think either way you will be much safer during a head on accident.
Edit: It's my understanding that the "impact" sensor is located near the center of the vehicle. Which would mean that with a offroad bumper that is attached to the frame, it would take a lower speed hit to cause the sensor to go off since the impact is being taken by the bumper and frame rather than being absorbed by more of the body and frontal engine components.
Right?
Obviously It was a low speed 'crash' and I wouldn't expect the airbags to go off. I wouldn't be surprised if bumpers like this caused the airbags to go off at lower speeds than without but even so I don't think it would make much of a difference in my decision. I think either way you will be much safer during a head on accident.
Edit: It's my understanding that the "impact" sensor is located near the center of the vehicle. Which would mean that with a offroad bumper that is attached to the frame, it would take a lower speed hit to cause the sensor to go off since the impact is being taken by the bumper and frame rather than being absorbed by more of the body and frontal engine components.
Right?
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ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
pics?
StreetKill831
New member
No.. the pics would be boring though. The damage wasn't horrible. Mostly confined to where the shackle brackets punctured his bumper and the huge scuff marks the rubber stops left on the paint.
the great him
Elite Member
not with your ARB, it has built in crumple zones that are designed to absorb the impact similar to the factory bumer -i know they arent the same and wont be the same but they have that designed into them.
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StreetKill831
New member
I realize there is a crumple zone but even so, much more of the impact will be absorbed by the frame.
the great him
Elite Member
yes, the bumpers are made to protect your vehicle against brush animals and well other forms or sources of damage(in this and most cases in the US other cars). they do their job and do it quite well, personally if some re**** wants to pull out in front of me and not give me time to stop or if he wants to brake check me thats cool i will run his a$$ through (once i have my ARB). dont get me wrong im not about going out and looking for opportunities to "crash test" my bumper or see how much damage i can accrue. no, im not all about getting into accidents, but if some moron is gonna pull out in front of me, im not gonna swerve off the road into a ditch and flip my rig or serve into oncoming traffic and have a head on with another vehicle. nope im gonna use my bumper, thats what its for, and let his or her vehicle take the punishment.
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