why NOT an ARB bumper?

But other bumpers come with them. Why spend x dollars, and just have to do it again on a piece that should have been included

 

That's a fair point, but saying that there are no front recovery point options isn't accurate...

... which your post could be taken to imply.

I'm not one to promote my choice as the best or only choice. If the features of an ARB bumper fit your needs, then go for it. If not, then there are tons of other great options out there. Just make sure you do your homework before throwing down a lot of money.

 

Let’s be honest, you can stop there. Most every other reason is a justification because we want something better looking.

 

Like so many things it just comes down to personal taste. These things have been around for a long time. If there was a major issue, it would have been fixed by now (or they wouldnt be selling them anymore).

I think some legitimate things to consider are indeed the weight. Running a winch? Thats even more weight. But that is the price you pay for a FULL STEEL bumper rated to take out a kangaroo at 40 or 50 kph........
On that note, if running a winch you will need an offset fairlead to account for the bolts holes. Not a big deal at all, just got to make sure you're aware.
If you're 2012-2015, you will have to cut your factory bumper and reinstall the top few inches back on the truck. So its not as easy to 'go back'.

Only other legit thing I can think of right off is if you're a 3rd gen, they switched over to a 'textured' powder coat rather than the tried and true smooth that has been used on all the previous versions. It doesnt look that great IMO, and Ive heard its hard to keep clean (if you're into that kinda thing )

Tacomas have those stock... No need to fix it if it aint broke

 

I went with Relentless Fab because I love the sliders I got from them. Good reputation for well built armor, and I like the looks of it better than most others. And they have been great to deal with.

 

Ugly
Heavy
Overrated ARB stuff...........and yes I have the compressor and lockers

BUT I don't own a bumper yet so not qualified.

 

There's lots of reasons ARB bumpers suck - bulky, poor approach, etc.

But there's reasons why bumpers and recovery points ARB, TJM and other Aussie companies (Toyota included, who offers OEM bull bars) look they way they do. The requirements for design and testing on the aftermarket are much more strict there.

The main reason I got an ARB for my 1991 was I wanted a decent winch bumper and I liked that outback look. The bumpers for old trucks were more slim and it looked good. The reason I got one for my 2008 was mentioned in that Hilux video, ARB can say it doesn't change airbag timing but it'll still do the other stuff, protect from animal strikes, take some dragging over rocks.

 

Thanks for the shout out. We truly appreciate your business!

Relentless Fabrication
www.relentlessfabrication.com

 

Its the top rated battering ram bumper so if you're looking to drive through things such as a rain forest, crowds of people, concrete walls and the occasional Prius that won't get out of your way then go ARB. If your looking for a light weight functional off road bumper that doesn't require a suspension upgrade your choices are plenty.
I had the full hoop ARB on my 1st gen and it was HEAVY AF and felt like I was driving with a snow plow attached.

 

I didnt say no options. There are always options. Weld a hoop to your frame, boom! Front recovery. Just saying the bumper does not have any recovery points as it comes from the factory

 

Because ARB has engineers working for them? This was topic came up over on ExPo. One of the members reached out to ARB as to why, this was ARB's response:

"the reason that bumper doesn't have recovery points built in is due to the very light nature of the frame out near where the bumper connects to the chassis. Specifically, our engineers designed the bracket to accept controlled winch loads which rarely exceed 10,000lbs, but could not build a system that would work correctly with the crush rates for the airbags and tolerate snatch type loads (which spike extremely fast and often exceed 25,000lbs) at the same time. This is why the factory recovery point is reused since it's back further on the frame and much more robust in design. Unfortunately very few modern vehicles have sufficient structure and strength in the frame horns to allow for solid recovery points to be added along with the bar. You pretty much have to get to fullsize trucks to find a serious frame and rigs like the Tacoma are just too car like in engineering to allow us to include recovery points even when we would like too."

I know that Toyota redesigned the frame horns between the 1st and 2nd gens. The 1st gens have a known issue with the endcap welded into the frame horn failing under winching/snatching. I had to replace and reinforce both of mine after they cracked. 2nd gen uses a different design that shifts more of the load to the sides of the frame horn and don't use an endcap. The ARB mounting plates spread the force further aft along the frame than the stock bumper (and any other aftermarket bumpers that rely solely on the stock mounts)

 

Exactly.

 

I’ll be that guy.. i had one on my 3rd gen 4runner, do you want to hit a deer at 45 and keep rolling without a dent? GET IT. It does a great job protecting the radiator and front clip but does come at a heavy price compared to others and it’s HEAVY like 135lbs dry you will
need upgraded springs for it. I loved the look on the 4runner but the lines are different with a Tacoma so that’s a judgement call. But it’s a solid bumper all things considered,Most of them Aussies wheel damn hard so if they trust it so do I most of the time.

 

One reason why people have them that isn't mention here is availability.

Some people just don't have the time to wait the 6-10 weeks for a bumper to be made. There's the convenience factor for these that can be pulled off a shelf and installed in a weekend.

 

On a 2.5 gen, the ARB bumper adds 131lbs of weight on the truck. I weighed everything that I installed and removed. Suspension drop was under 1/4” with the weight. I can’t comment on approach angles as I don’t off-road on rough enough trails to have ever found out.

 

I don't think installing higher springrate OME front coils means "beefing up suspension"
they're only $200 for a set

 

Not really that much heavier than any other offroad bumper. Check shipping weights on Amazon.

I have had both BAMF and ARB both are about the same

 

That's exactly what you're describing. Swapping out stock parts with heavier duty replacements. I'd call that the definition of "beefing up."

If you do decide to get an ARB, don't go too crazy with the spring rate for the front coils. I've got Dobinsons C59-350 coils to support my winch-less ARB setup. These springs were recommended to me and have a 730 lb (!) spring rate. If I could do it all over again (which I won't, f**k that), I'd get coils with a 590-600 lb spring rate. The super-heavy springs I have ride like sh!t. That said, if you plan on adding a winch to your truck, heavier springs (~660 lb spring rate) are probably exactly what you need.

 

I walked away, the driver who hit me didn't. I put an ARB on my '05. That said, there are other good bumpers on the market as well.



ETA- I'd already pulled the passenger side Hella off when I snapped that picture.

 

Why would the price of the springs change the results? The heavier springs are exactly what's needed to "beef up" the front.