Duhockey
Senior Member
ah, I think that the OP probably only wants a "Plate" bumper based on his choices,
but maybe he should consider an Addicted offroad tube bumper!
IIRC Addicted will ship to Oregon right?
ARB or Shrockworks
- Thread starter criera
- Start date
ah, I think that the OP probably only wants a "Plate" bumper based on his choices,
but maybe he should consider an Addicted offroad tube bumper!
IIRC Addicted will ship to Oregon right?
theizzardking
New member
i run the arb as well and can say it's a good bumper, looks nice,is cheap, and the mod to fit it is very easy. and honestly it's pretty light i was able to lift it and fit by myself. maybe 80lbs or so, (taco version) as far airbags are concerned i don't think they should deploy until you've crumpled the front frame of the truck right? as from my understanding they are not g-sensor but more crumple zone senors, i could be wrong on that, but i do feel that i don't want my airbags going off unless there is going to be server bodily damage a few bumps into things here and there should be alright, lol, i mean after all I've crashed more cars then most people have ever owned.
any ways, i could be wrong but i doubt the other companies tested thier bumpers with airbags as well, that's thousands of thousands of dollars to do a proper study, and i don;t care what you say but running a stress analysis simulations on a cad model is not the same thing as a real world test where you set 'em up and knock 'em down a few times, either way the airbag debate with the arb, is pretty much null and don't think it's an issue even worth considering.
i'm not pushing the arb bumper, but think if your looking to get something done,cheap quick and easy that's your best bet.
the other bumpers are really cool and look slightly better on the body but they are also alot more money for the most part, the OL bumper is looking to be a good one at a fair price, but they just took a massive group order so it'll be interesting to see what sort of lead time develops on that front as well as support down the line if you have any problems, they are a very new company to our little world here but seem to have been doing fab work for years, so they def. know what they are doing but haven't dealt with enough of us for long enough to have a any sort of real consensus. i don't foresee any problems with them though, they are just relatively new to the scene is all.
shrockworks, very pleasing bumper to look at and everyone seems to be happy with theirs, ONCE THEY ACTUALLY GOT IT, and that's the hard part there is that the lead time is quoted straight up without looking at anything 3 months and is likely to be longer also it seems to be the most expensive of the lot. but again very good bumper, they have been around for a while and have earned the rep. " better late then never". you don;t need me telling you this you can do the research yourself and find numerous threads where people gripe and complain about this issue, again nothing wrong with the bumper it's self but with company management/time allocating .
and then you got all of the tube bumpers i won;t comment on those because i have no real interest with tube bumpers, but if you do check out hepar's ride, i usually hate the tube bumpers because it shows to much and makes my good looking 4runner hacked to pieces imo, but the one he has is pretty decent and i think he even had the shop weld in an extra bit of tube ere and there and it really filled the bumper out nicely. basically his doen't look half bad but personally i'd still stick plate bumpers because that's my personal taste in aesthetics.
you can go an a hard core search for a tjm bumper as well, but good luck on that one. and to be honest the retro fitted arb bumpers look better imo
any ways, i could be wrong but i doubt the other companies tested thier bumpers with airbags as well, that's thousands of thousands of dollars to do a proper study, and i don;t care what you say but running a stress analysis simulations on a cad model is not the same thing as a real world test where you set 'em up and knock 'em down a few times, either way the airbag debate with the arb, is pretty much null and don't think it's an issue even worth considering.
i'm not pushing the arb bumper, but think if your looking to get something done,cheap quick and easy that's your best bet.
the other bumpers are really cool and look slightly better on the body but they are also alot more money for the most part, the OL bumper is looking to be a good one at a fair price, but they just took a massive group order so it'll be interesting to see what sort of lead time develops on that front as well as support down the line if you have any problems, they are a very new company to our little world here but seem to have been doing fab work for years, so they def. know what they are doing but haven't dealt with enough of us for long enough to have a any sort of real consensus. i don't foresee any problems with them though, they are just relatively new to the scene is all.
shrockworks, very pleasing bumper to look at and everyone seems to be happy with theirs, ONCE THEY ACTUALLY GOT IT, and that's the hard part there is that the lead time is quoted straight up without looking at anything 3 months and is likely to be longer also it seems to be the most expensive of the lot. but again very good bumper, they have been around for a while and have earned the rep. " better late then never". you don;t need me telling you this you can do the research yourself and find numerous threads where people gripe and complain about this issue, again nothing wrong with the bumper it's self but with company management/time allocating .
and then you got all of the tube bumpers i won;t comment on those because i have no real interest with tube bumpers, but if you do check out hepar's ride, i usually hate the tube bumpers because it shows to much and makes my good looking 4runner hacked to pieces imo, but the one he has is pretty decent and i think he even had the shop weld in an extra bit of tube ere and there and it really filled the bumper out nicely. basically his doen't look half bad but personally i'd still stick plate bumpers because that's my personal taste in aesthetics.
you can go an a hard core search for a tjm bumper as well, but good luck on that one. and to be honest the retro fitted arb bumpers look better imo
Duhockey
Senior Member
Hacked to pieces???
WHAT??!!!
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bHYHCNdV0N8y6hkWbdOCVQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_rupYWKQ94eg/TKomSHIWC_I/AAAAAAAAByk/CKcPHYUUY1k/s800/UP.jpg" height="534" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/Duhockey/MoabOct1stWeekend?feat=embedwebsite">Moab Oct 1st weekend</a></td></tr></table>
how is that hacked to pieces? I know its impossible to argue preference in looks or aesthetics, but tube bumpers are way more modern looking,
you could put an ugly ARB bumper on a 70s pickup and it would look right at home. I think people are crazy for buying ARB especially when it adds zero originality to your ride, I could buy two AOR bumpers for the cost if an ARB... At least Armorology and Schrockworks have bothered with paying a design engineer in the last 20 years to make sure their bumpers are sharp and "current" looking.
another reason I wouldnt buy from ARB; Everyone likes their OME stuff but none of it was "designed" for our 4runners, it was all designed for other models and just "used" for the 3rd gens. Sorry, but Scotty and AOR and shrockworks, armorology and other companies that take the time to actually design a product for the 3rd gens are the only ones that deserve our money IMHO...
So this is going to turn into an ARB vs all the competition thread?
I just picked up an ARB bumper and it was an easy choice. Local and $460. Its lead a rough life, but with some buffing compound and touch up, turned out pretty good.
I considered a tube bumper, actually was close to taking the plunge and testing the Trail Gear Taco bumper, but in the end I too didnt want to look at all the metal pieces hanging down from behind the bumper. Just looks unfinished.
I dont know how ARB's really look dated, Now Smittybuilts are dated and they are well... Tubes.
Tube bumpers remind me more of the prerunner style and for that application they work well.
I wont knock anyones products as none of them are ugly, they each have there own following and hey, to each their own.
I personally thing the best looking tube bumper is the All-Pro Tacoma one as it comes with filler plates to help hide the crap behind the bumper. As far as plate, the Outdoor Logic one is pretty cool. But once you factor in PC and shipping, it gets pricey. Dumping $1k+ for a bumper on my 11 year old, 170k truck isnt the smartest idea, at least for me.
To the OP, if you originally wanted the SW bumper and are only getting the ARB due to price and wait time you should really consider the Shrock. You dont want to settle for something that you dont really want. You've waited this long for another bumper, whats a few more months.
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KokaneeRanger
New member
Based on looks alone? then:
Shrockworks. that is a no brainer.
Shrockworks. that is a no brainer.
racerunner
New member
Very well said duhockey.I don't think mine looks hacked to pieces either.However there is some pretty badass plate bumpers,outdoor logic,shrockworks, etc. Check out the elite bumper.96-04 Elite Off Road Plate bumper - Tacoma World Forums
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If ARB didn't have that GIGANTIC rack of dated smittybuilt looking tube on it it would be ok I guess. I still like the approach angle and overall look better on other plate bumpers.
My last rig had a plate bumper so I'm surely not against them at all. 'For me' I built an off road rig and I would like it to look like one so that's why I went tube this time around. As far as it looking "unfinished behind the tube... I can see your point but I painted all that stuff black and don't even take a second look at it anymore.
I like paint better than powder coat since I can touch up or repaint whenever I want and never have to worry about rock chips or scratches
ronsta
New member
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criera
New member
Hey everybody, thanks for all of the great feedback. The collective experience, knowledge, and insight from everybody on this forum is pretty powerful. I really appreciate all the advice.
when i originally posted the thread i was kind of hoping i would find that "ah ha gotcha!," epiphany. Where it would all be clear to me. Needless to say that moment of clarity never came. There is no right or wrong answer, and all of the different options, be it tube vs plate, or brand a vs brand x, stand out in their own ways.
My direct deposit is supposed to go thru on tuesday so technically i still have until then to change my mind, but for what its worth and to those curious, i think i will be going with the arb. It was not only about looks (shrock is still my fave) and not even only about money or time. at the end of the day the biggest factor for me was probably the airbag/crumple design of arb.
If any of the other mfgr's had advertised "airbag compliance," like arb, it might be a different outcome for me. Not saying that any of the others would do better or worse but i gotta think had resources been invested in studying the airbag performance they would have mentioned it?
safety is pretty high on the priority list. the reason in fact im building this new to me 3rd gen is because my 2nd gen was recently totaled in a head on collision. Truth be told Im still quite traumatized by the experience and even a little paranoid in my driving (i have a sketchy commute to work, there is even a bumper stickers that say, "i survived germantown road"
so be it an actual advantage or not, ill take any perceived edge i can get.
The other factors were price, getting it at wholesale and not having to wait. ill use the extra difference towards a winch which is eventually where i was going with all this.
So arb, not nearly as pretty or original, but capable, tried and tested will do it for me i think.
Thanks again for everybody's input.
when i originally posted the thread i was kind of hoping i would find that "ah ha gotcha!," epiphany. Where it would all be clear to me. Needless to say that moment of clarity never came. There is no right or wrong answer, and all of the different options, be it tube vs plate, or brand a vs brand x, stand out in their own ways.
My direct deposit is supposed to go thru on tuesday so technically i still have until then to change my mind, but for what its worth and to those curious, i think i will be going with the arb. It was not only about looks (shrock is still my fave) and not even only about money or time. at the end of the day the biggest factor for me was probably the airbag/crumple design of arb.
If any of the other mfgr's had advertised "airbag compliance," like arb, it might be a different outcome for me. Not saying that any of the others would do better or worse but i gotta think had resources been invested in studying the airbag performance they would have mentioned it?
safety is pretty high on the priority list. the reason in fact im building this new to me 3rd gen is because my 2nd gen was recently totaled in a head on collision. Truth be told Im still quite traumatized by the experience and even a little paranoid in my driving (i have a sketchy commute to work, there is even a bumper stickers that say, "i survived germantown road"
so be it an actual advantage or not, ill take any perceived edge i can get.
The other factors were price, getting it at wholesale and not having to wait. ill use the extra difference towards a winch which is eventually where i was going with all this.
So arb, not nearly as pretty or original, but capable, tried and tested will do it for me i think.
Thanks again for everybody's input.
BigFishAllDay
New member
That makes two of us! I'm looking forward to seeing the install thread! 
imp:
imp:
theizzardking
New member
when cruising down the street, to the non performance minded people, seeing the rad, light mounts and all of the other stuff that us usually hidden behind the grill looks hacked to pieces.
sure if you squint your eyes and look at the profile of the tube bumpers alone they do look more modern with the truck but personally to me seeing all of the components behind it looks very cheap,hacked,farm truck style to me and to others as well. less classy if you will, but again this is all opinion on appearance because to me even though the arb bumper is a bit outdated on our ride compared to shrockworks or something i still looks better then a tube bumper, which i say would be fine on a 2nd gen or 1st gen 4runner, or any other vehicle costing under 2.5K .
i know the hardcore are going to scoff and be offended by this, but it's a personal opinion on appearance and has nothing to do with performance, if this thing was a trailer queen and not a dd and i was trying to make some baja racer rallier out of it then a tube bumper would be the deal to get...
but with that said it's not, i do feel a large group of plate bumper owners would echo my sentiment that seeing the rad and all of that stuff behind the grill looks hacked up, heck even the tube bumpers with cover plates to hide that stuff are good in my book, i just don't want the front end of my truck looking ripped up when i'm flexing hard on the speed bumps at the mall.
lol
:frog:
^^ Well put. Some like the looks of the ARB, but dont like the tubes around the grill and headlights. Well, thats why we have sawzall's and grinders to cut it all off.
To the OP, I'm just going to throw this out there. You like the fact that the ARB is airbag compliant, but... Its airbag compliant on a Tacoma which is what the ARB is designed for. Remember, on a 4runner you have to cut plates off the end of the frame and drill holes to mount them. I'm not sure if this affects things or not.
Just something to think about.
To the OP, I'm just going to throw this out there. You like the fact that the ARB is airbag compliant, but... Its airbag compliant on a Tacoma which is what the ARB is designed for. Remember, on a 4runner you have to cut plates off the end of the frame and drill holes to mount them. I'm not sure if this affects things or not.
Just something to think about.
Hepar
New member
Dude. I'm personally offended. Do your own f'in tie rods.
:jk: I definitely agree that one of the aesthetic drawbacks of the tube bumper is the fact that it shows off so much of the underugly. It's the large reason why it took me so long to finally settle on one. I'm on the side of thinking that they look better on the 3rd gens. I think the lines of them are rounded like a tube bumper. Not square like a plate bumper. But the last thing in my mind when I look at a beast like Izz's is, "look at that ugly front bumper". I'd take his rig with that setup in a second. I also love the many differences in opinion. Imagine if everyone of us had the same bumper in mind when it came to aftermarket? Or any other mod for that matter. Would be pretty boring, that's for sure.
Oh and Izz, we can put that lambo door kit on too when we do your tie rods.
theizzardking
New member
you did not just go there, lol....bwahaha, like i said i won't flame anyone for making their ride how they want it to look,except for those guys, i have no love! lol
and to be honest i really liked your tube bumper one of the coolest I've seen that extra bit of tube on the front really fills it out nicely and the cover plates on top hide more of the ugly then most, so i could see a few tube bumpers not really being in the category I'm talking about but the vast majority of them are,
i think if they added a few more cover plates i'd be all on board with the bumpers but then if you do that they start getting heavy,block ventilation and start losing the advantages that tube bumpers have in some regards.
oh yeah dude, sold my soul and canceled the 60d and went with the 7d just for the extra weatherproofing and frame rate.
and ordered this
Amazon.com: Clik Elite CE501BK Compact Sport Camera Bag (Black): Camera & Photo
lol, off topic, but i'm stoked! lol
Duhockey
Senior Member
dude... you cant see crap behind my bumper, its trimmed and nice and looks 100 times better than those cheap overpriced ARB that only gets by because it was one of the first and only options on the scene...
Ill follow that with a "In my humble opinion" but I am a little perturbed because the generalization that you made here is common and COMPLETELY misguided and wrong.
There are plenty of Tube bumpers that look Classier than their 1970s plate bumper counterparts. it just takes a tad bit more work and love.
Its hard to argue Aesthetics, but I CAN argue ignorance, and you may have seen a few tube bumpers that were thrown together, but they are not indicative of all tube bumpers and the work and design etc. that went into them.
:thanks: for listening.
Hepar
New member
In Izz's defense, I don't think he's saying that all tube bumpers are "thrown together". Just that the sight of the stuff you were never meant to see gives an appearance of being hacked up. In fact, he said that he would probably get one if he had a trail rig. He just likes the look of the ARB and other plate bumpers over them. Nothing wrong with that.
Duhockey
Senior Member
No, I got that... and Izz is my boy! but its just that he thinks that "Most" tube bumpers look hacked, when its just the opposite, I think he is generalizing.
and if he saw more AOR or other well done tube bumpers he would see that they dont look hacked at all.
Hepar
New member
I still might be wrong here (Izz has to chime in), but the hacked part doesn't refer to the tube bumper at all. Just what some of them show off.
Duhockey
Senior Member
exactly... the bumpers he has seen obviously were thrown together and not built like the AOR or other nice bumpers,
cuz there isnt anything showing off behind my bumper, like I said, only takes a min to clean up the plastic behind the bumper and nothing shows...
oh, and I have a better entrance angle than almost every other bumper Ive seen.
