plate vs tube bumpers

[the great him]

I was under the impression that generally, plate bumpers were heavier than tube bumpers. ???

ARB bumpers are REALLY heavy... A tube bumper would be much less weight wouldn't it? The ARB I had for my 2nd gen was ridiculous.

I thought the pro to tube bumpers were cost and weight??

no no they are not, my arb was only a few lbs heavier than my factory bumper, mounts and trim with the brushguard...

yes typically tube bumpers are less money(a lot less design work goes into them as well), and they are lighter typically only because they do not cover as much and have less material in them -but they are also typically weaker because of that... not saying tube bumpers are weak and junk no. but if you want to compare a bumper strength for strength a plate bumper with typically be stronger weight for weight...

think about it, a tube will have the entire surface area of the entire tube(and then think of its thickness -it will keep its same thickness everywhere), were as plate only has the flat areas that you see, there is not much of that that wraps behing or under ect, the strength in plate comes from the angles used more than the thickness of the steel, where as tube strength comes more from its thickness than the angles. plate still needs to have thickness, but it can be much less than the tube(if built correctly) and tube still needs support. the problem is that most tube bumpers come from the mindset of a minimalist where less is more. thats not always the case... you go less support and it wont be as strong in a impact, or you go more support but less thickness and your tube(s) will cave in

most of the steel on a plate bumper is thinner than a tube bumper, but the plating is angled and positioned in such a way as to be stronger. yeah 90% of tube bumpers out there are gonna be light than a plate bumper, but they will not be as strong. my statement was "plate is less weight, and can be just as strong if not stronger for the weight." -now rereading that i can see now that might be confusing, i ment it as for the weight and coverage area a plate bumper will be just stronger for the weight and coverage area of a tube bumper.

sorry for any confusion

Quick Examples:

Shrockworks 3rd gen plate, 92 lbs.
4xinnovations 3rd gen plate, 100 lbs.

4xinnovations 2nd Gen Tube, 50 lbs.

I had an ARB before and loved the look. anyone know the weight on those?
To the OP's question: I prefer the look of plate, but am leaning toward a Hybrid to save some weight...

...but I have no money at this date, and to be rhyming it is much too late. :sad:

yes the weight of a tacoma ARB is right around 78lbs

 

[TheeMikeB]

On the front, I think most tube bumpers look unfinished and leave some parts exposed you don't want exposed. Not the mention the turn signals that get ziptied on. I think it looks cheap and unplanned like that. I have seen some done well and some not so much. So for the front I prefer a plate style.

For the rear howerver I like either since there isn't much behind the bumper that looks unfinished. The only thing behind the rear bumper is the cab vent and if you paint all behind there it looks clean.

I would think the biggest question is your budget and needs. If you just want higher clearance and protection then go with a tube it's more affordable. If you want a tire carrier and other options then go with a plate like a CBI. Or you can do the best of both worlds and do the CBI hybrid like I did. And I get complements on it all the time.

 

[Hepar]

My badlands bumper has plate on the top and in the center. I think this finishes off the look quite a bit. Downside is that it's heavy. I think it weighs over 85 lbs.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/jayswang/DSC_1757.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC_1757.jpg"/></a>

 

[nodixe]

Hello. Noob here. What thickness of plate is typically used in bumper construction? Can't imagine a bumper made completely out of 1/4" plate lol.....

 

[the great him]

Most of the plate is ~1/8 with the structural being 3/16, and some 1/4... But again the strength comes from the bends and angles...

 

[thebrandon]

How dare you put that on here. No one on this forum makes enough money to have something that intricate custom made for their rig.

It's all personal preference but to me tube bumpers look unfinished. I do like the Whitson hybrid bumper.

Here's my favorite tube bumper.

But in all seriousness, I love my toob! Front and rear. I was rear ended by a giant old Chevy SUV and my bumper didn't budge and kept shape. The guy behind me ruined his A/C condensor, radiator, whole front end, and who knows what else. All I needed was a little spray paint to cover up the scuff he left on the bumper. My rear lift gate needed to be replaced but was still functional after the crash.

My front bumper has saved me from random christmas trees in the road during the holidays, javelina, rocks while driving faster than I probably should have down a dirt road. I think it really is all preference though, and think both look good.

For reference, here are my bumpers.




This is the one thing my bumpers could not protect me from.

 

[JBurt]

Brandon those look pretty good. Addicted bumpers?

 

[snivilous]

think about it, a tube will have the entire surface area of the entire tube(and then think of its thickness -it will keep its same thickness everywhere), were as plate only has the flat areas that you see, there is not much of that that wraps behing or under ect, the strength in plate comes from the angles...etc

In laymans terms, If you look at a plate bumper it's "strong" because of how the structure is "boxed" giving the plate depth instead of just a flat plate taking the load.

Similarly, a tube has this depth inherently built into it. However the depth of the tube typically won't match the depth of the plate bumper, so to make it equally as stiff you need more cross sectional area of the tube (mass/weight). Though you can have your tube bumper setup like a plate bumper design wise, and have other tube structures give the "main tube" added stiffness.

You have to remember though, the stiffer your bumper the more your vehicle is gonna get injured when you hit something. You want the bumper to give a bit, otherwise when you hit something mildly hard the bumper will be fine but your frame has crumpled. Doesn't have to do with the discussion much, just note that you don't necessarily want the worlds stiffest bumper.


Me, I voted plate. I also vote make your own since it's about 10% the cost, maybe 50% if you need to buy all the tools and looks cooler and is unique. But that's just me

 

[cj80cruiser]

I was under the impression that generally, plate bumpers were heavier than tube bumpers. ???

ARB bumpers are REALLY heavy... A tube bumper would be much less weight wouldn't it? The ARB I had for my 2nd gen was ridiculous.

I thought the pro to tube bumpers were cost and weight??

I agree with scrap metal on this one.

Also I was under the impression tube is stronger than plate. Thought the cylinder was the strongest geometric shape.
If plate is stronger and lighter then why are buggies and race cars built from tube?

Tube vs. Plate as my mind sees it.

Take 2 lengths of 6" X 1/8" plate and roll one up into a tube leaving one in its flat plate form. Which one is going to be easier to bend with a hammer?

I like both. Plate definitely looks "cleaner" while tube looks "meaner"

Other bumper-related musings:

I never liked the look of the ARB front. Too bulky, especially towards to corners--seems designed more for a farm truck with less thought towards approach and corner clearance. I really dig the way some people have modified them to look sleeker (I forget his name but a guy on this forum with a black truck)

I think most tube bumpers could benefit from some plate here and there, both functionally and aesthetically. A hybrid style like Whitson's

JMoney trimmed his ARB although his is white but I think someone else did as well around the same time.

 

[thebrandon]

Brandon those look pretty good. Addicted bumpers?

Made by some guy in Phoenix, AZ. I forgot who he was though. He has a cool FJ with similar bumpers.

 

[white_n_slow]

I'm going to disagree with the assertion that plate is stronger than tube. It can be, but that depends 100% on the design of the bumper, amount of internal bracing, etc. (e.g. stuff that will make the bumper heavier). A cobbled together homemade version could be little stronger than the stock piece of tin. A well thought out and expertly built one like Shrockworks or the like will be plenty strong.

That said, a tube bumper using 1.75" .120 DOM is guaranteed to be strong, assuming it wasn't built by a numbskull. Cross bar, 4 supports, decent welds, decent frame mount, done. My sliders are .120 DOM and took the entire weight of my truck in a 45mph rollover with hardly a scratch.

 

[snivilous]

This is just barely on the horizon of the structural engineering I know. Someone who is a structural engineer should chime in, otherwise I'll just do two quick finite element models tomorrow at work :bigok:

 

[yota-runner]

Thanks for the input. I'll probably end up going with plate front and tube rear since I plan on mounting the spare on the roof. Swinging the spare out of the way every time I need to open the hatch seems like it would be a pain.

 

[JayRolla]

IMO tubes are stronger, better approach angles, better radiator flow, a lot less heavy, cheaper, look better since they dont look like hunks of metal. But again its all a madder of opinion.

 

[98OzarksRunner]

Swinging the spare out of the way every time I need to open the hatch seems like it would be a pain.

Now that I have a tire carrier on the bumper, I have decided that it is.hwell:

 

[NateMob]

Thanks for the input. I'll probably end up going with plate front and tube rear since I plan on mounting the spare on the roof. Swinging the spare out of the way every time I need to open the hatch seems like it would be a pain.

I just have never liked having that much weight that high on the truck, much less having to put it up there or get it down. I can comfortably move my current setup from the ground to my rear carrier without any drama, I dont have any desire to chuck a large and heavy wheel and tire over my head covered in mud. Just not for me and how i wheel my truck. :shrug:

 

[smkd13]

Btw this pretty much sums up the structural integrity of tube in a way the average joe can comprehend.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Links/

Tube gains with structure. Plate gains strength with structure. It is a preference thing. Tube has a place and so does plate.

I play in the rocks therefore I tube. Aussie play in the the outback therefore they plate.

Y'all forgot the point of purpose built functionality.

 

[yota-runner]

I like a hybrid style personally. Theres something new coming to market soon in this style.

:behindsofa:

And what would that be?

 

[yota-runner]

I just have never liked having that much weight that high on the truck, much less having to put it up there or get it down. I can comfortably move my current setup from the ground to my rear carrier without any drama, I dont have any desire to chuck a large and heavy wheel and tire over my head covered in mud. Just not for me and how i wheel my truck. :shrug:

I can see that, but for now I don't have a work truck so the runner is my work truck. I'm constantly in and out of the hatch on jobs, if that weren't the case I'd love a rear mounted tire.

 

[JBurt]

What's the major downside to the spare in the stock location if it fits, other than dragging?

I stuffed a 33" under mine.