Bumpers and airbags

[Flyer]

So I have no aftermarket body mods on my T4R and was thinking about a front and read bumper, along with sliders. Are the bumpers all bolt-on? Welding may kill it for me. Also, approximately how much do off-road bumpers stick out over stock? I need to make sure the 4R still fits in the garage- I can cut down the work-area shelves if needed but would prefer not to.

I am sure a new front bumper affects the working of the airbags too, right? Anyway, the only places I have heard of are Shrockworks and CBI Offroad. I'm going to price them and look at features before deciding. Now if only I could buy and install all this without the little lady noticing...silly white color.

I'll bill them as safety items somehow. :wink2:

 

[Skrimz]

there are other places out there, are you looking for somewhere local to Denver, or CO in general? it also depends on what you are wanting, tube, plate, etc... so that will help guide your choice of where to look.
yes all aftermarket stuff will affect the working of it. on my 3rd Gen i ended up going with and ARB front bumper. it is designed to work well with your airbags which was important to my wife for road trips and what not before we got her her own 4runner. I would also look at them, I love my ARB bumper.

As far as safety you can always sell that point. I know down here in springs we have dear like crazy, I know parts of Denver have them also. a front bumper will not only be safer if you happen to hit one but also be less expensive. some bumpers like ARB claim to try and push the animal/object down and away to keep it from flying up into the windshield. I can't say i buy into that personally but I have no evidence one way or the other besides the claims on the website. all sorts of safety reasons you can come up with.

 

[Gerdo]

I will tell you that (as far as I know) the ARBs are the only ones that have mounts made with crumple zones. This allows the mount to crush, on light crashes, before the frame crushes.

I don't believe that any offroad/aftermarket bumper is going to effect the airbags. The sensors are frame mounted and are triggered by speed/deceleration from an impact.

 

[jimithing]

I am sure a new front bumper affects the working of the airbags too, right?

Incorrect. Airbag deployment in the 4Runner is only controlled by the rapid change in speed of hitting something. There are no impact sensors on the bumper. This is why low speed impacts in parking lots or whatever don't make the airbags deploy.

 

[Skrimz]

Incorrect. Airbag deployment in the 4Runner is only controlled by the rapid change in speed of hitting something. There are no impact sensors on the bumper. This is why low speed impacts in parking lots or whatever don't make the airbags deploy.

mostly true. Any aftermarket bumper will affect how the energy is transferred and interrupted by the airbag sensors. so while there are no impact sensors in the bumper you are changing the way a bumper works and how the airbags work. huge debate how much it matters from one bumper to another.

That being said, my wife use to own 2 different Mazda's and both were in pretty sever accidents and neither time did the airbags deploy when everyone agreed they should have. my conclusion-its a crap shoot anyway so i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Flyer]

I didn't even think of ARB. Will look at them. Yes, I live just west of Denver in the Ken Caryl area. Since I am not well-versed in installing anything (I did a hitch once), I would prefer to find someone local who can help with that. It would be great to get a front and read bumper- I would feel so much safer off-road as well- with better angles too.

I am not sure about the options on rock sliders though the tube ones are all I have seen. I'd prefer to put grippy tape on them to use as steps.

I'll not worry about the airbags. Hopefully, I will never need them. I am a pretty conservative driver and have not been in a wreck in the 20 years I have been driving.

Do you guys know of any good places near Denver, CO Springs, or even north, that would be helpful in installing bumpers/sliders at fair prices. I could even have stuff shipped to them, unless they deal with Shrockworks, CBI, or ARB.

 

[Skrimz]

I am sure most shops will throw it on for you. if you go ARB they are pretty straight forward, I know I would help you throw it on and I am sure you can find some guys local that will help you out. other bumpers I am not experienced with so I am game, most are pretty straight forward and easy.

I think its allpro is who actually makes some sliders that you can pay about $80 extra and get plates welded into the gaps on them for better foot traction. I am sure other places will do something like that if you ask.

 

[Flyer]

Skirimz: do you have both the front and rear ARB bumpers? I'll see if I can find any pictures of your rig. That will answer the question.