Which Bumper Is the best for 2003 discovery?
#11
10-15-2015 | 09:49 PM
What are your objectives, and what are your limitations?
I had an ARB on my truck for many years and grew to dislike it. An accident (my son got rear ended and pushed into the car in front of him) damaged the ARB crush cans and gave me the opportunity and incentive to sell the ARB. I then chose the Terrafirma.
ARB pros - No cutting of the grill or support structure needed to mount the bumper or the bumper and a winch.
ARB cons - The ARB extends further forward than other bumpers, which hurts the approach angle, and which frankly, to me, ended up looking goofy from other than a head-on angle after a few years (the vertical support structure of the ARB is by far the best looking from head-on IMO. It integrates with the vertical lines of the grill instead of introducing diagonal lines.)
The factory crush cans can and do deform with hard winching and with even a moderate frontal impact. (Specific examples are my son's rear-ended incident and another local owner who hit a deer on the way to work earlier this year. Both incidents not only deformed the crush cans but the bumper flexed enough that the light mount brackets on the top of the ARB brush guard made four dimples in the hood.)
Tactical Rovers - When I decided to dump (sell) the ARB, the Tactical Rovers bumper was on my short list. To me it's in between the ARB and the Terrafirma. It extends less far forward than the ARB but further than the Terrafirma. That gives more protection to the front end than the TF, which may be an important consideration for some. It gives good clearance and better approach angles than the ARB and is, to me at least, better looking than the ARB (except for the straight on view mentioned above).
Platinum - I didn't look carefully at the Platinum.
Terrafirma - I ended up going with the Terrafirma due largely to its relatively "minimalist" looks and it offering the best approach angle I know of. (Approach angle may be less important to many than other considerations). In the end I am happy with the Terrafirma although its quality control was a BIG, BIG problem (see another thread started by me Summer 2015 for details) as was the vendor's complete and utter dismissal of my problems (also detailed in my Summer 2015 Terrafirma thread). In fact, my problems with the company from which I bought the Terrafirma gives me great pause about buying the Platinum or any other product from them.
The downsides about the Terrafirma (assuming its basic fitment isn't a problem; no small issue IME) are that it requires cutting of the grill to be fitted at all (on '99-'02 DIIs, not on '03-'04s) and that it requires cutting of the grill to mount and use a winch (on all DIIs). It's most positive attribute is its looks. It simply hugs the front end of the DII much as the stock bumper does, but it therefore doesn't appear to offer as much protection as the other bumpers that extend further from the DII hood.
Good luck making a good decision based on your needs and circumstances. And please, please come back to us with your decision and rationales. Help us learn.
I had an ARB on my truck for many years and grew to dislike it. An accident (my son got rear ended and pushed into the car in front of him) damaged the ARB crush cans and gave me the opportunity and incentive to sell the ARB. I then chose the Terrafirma.
ARB pros - No cutting of the grill or support structure needed to mount the bumper or the bumper and a winch.
ARB cons - The ARB extends further forward than other bumpers, which hurts the approach angle, and which frankly, to me, ended up looking goofy from other than a head-on angle after a few years (the vertical support structure of the ARB is by far the best looking from head-on IMO. It integrates with the vertical lines of the grill instead of introducing diagonal lines.)
The factory crush cans can and do deform with hard winching and with even a moderate frontal impact. (Specific examples are my son's rear-ended incident and another local owner who hit a deer on the way to work earlier this year. Both incidents not only deformed the crush cans but the bumper flexed enough that the light mount brackets on the top of the ARB brush guard made four dimples in the hood.)
Tactical Rovers - When I decided to dump (sell) the ARB, the Tactical Rovers bumper was on my short list. To me it's in between the ARB and the Terrafirma. It extends less far forward than the ARB but further than the Terrafirma. That gives more protection to the front end than the TF, which may be an important consideration for some. It gives good clearance and better approach angles than the ARB and is, to me at least, better looking than the ARB (except for the straight on view mentioned above).
Platinum - I didn't look carefully at the Platinum.
Terrafirma - I ended up going with the Terrafirma due largely to its relatively "minimalist" looks and it offering the best approach angle I know of. (Approach angle may be less important to many than other considerations). In the end I am happy with the Terrafirma although its quality control was a BIG, BIG problem (see another thread started by me Summer 2015 for details) as was the vendor's complete and utter dismissal of my problems (also detailed in my Summer 2015 Terrafirma thread). In fact, my problems with the company from which I bought the Terrafirma gives me great pause about buying the Platinum or any other product from them.
The downsides about the Terrafirma (assuming its basic fitment isn't a problem; no small issue IME) are that it requires cutting of the grill to be fitted at all (on '99-'02 DIIs, not on '03-'04s) and that it requires cutting of the grill to mount and use a winch (on all DIIs). It's most positive attribute is its looks. It simply hugs the front end of the DII much as the stock bumper does, but it therefore doesn't appear to offer as much protection as the other bumpers that extend further from the DII hood.
Good luck making a good decision based on your needs and circumstances. And please, please come back to us with your decision and rationales. Help us learn.
#12
10-16-2015 | 04:06 PM
We tried many times to help you. We offered to give you frame measurements of stock trucks in order to help you out. You downright refused to measure your frame mounting points and report back with the information. We believed the cause of your troubles were due to the fact that your ARB bumper folded the front of your truck, which is why you replaced it with another. Don't blame us because your truck was bent in an accident and you refused to admit it. Nobody else has ever had the trouble mounting a TF bumper the way you did. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that their trucks weren't in collisions that were severe enough to destroy an ARB bumper?
#13
10-16-2015 | 04:13 PM
FWIW, I have had the Platinum on my D2 and have taken it all over the country for events. It offers great value for it's price and will surely fit your needs. It has the wraparound to protect the front, 2 recovery points as well as a winch tray that doesn't require trimming of your grill when you place a winch in it. And it also saves you $400 when compared to others in it's class.
#14
10-16-2015 | 10:56 PM
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,142
Likes: 159
From: MEMPHIS, TN
Won't
Work
Never
Tried
It
If it was true there would be used ones all over the place. Find an ARB that someone is getting rid of to go to any of the others mentioned in this thread and I'll buy it for you.
#15
10-17-2015 | 11:00 AM
Winching
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 623
Likes: 44
From: North Alabama
Any thoughts on the new Rovers North winch bumper?
ROVERS NORTH WINCH BUMPER WITH LED LIGHTS, DSCOII, RNA2106, TF009A - Rovers North - Classic Land Rover Parts
ROVERS NORTH WINCH BUMPER WITH LED LIGHTS, DSCOII, RNA2106, TF009A - Rovers North - Classic Land Rover Parts
#17
10-17-2015 | 01:44 PM
Camel Trophy
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 971
From: Southwestern Virginia
Any thoughts on the new Rovers North winch bumper?
ROVERS NORTH WINCH BUMPER WITH LED LIGHTS, DSCOII, RNA2106, TF009A - Rovers North - Classic Land Rover Parts
ROVERS NORTH WINCH BUMPER WITH LED LIGHTS, DSCOII, RNA2106, TF009A - Rovers North - Classic Land Rover Parts
#19
10-17-2015 | 04:36 PM
Any thoughts on the new Rovers North winch bumper?
ROVERS NORTH WINCH BUMPER WITH LED LIGHTS, DSCOII, RNA2106, TF009A - Rovers North - Classic Land Rover Parts
ROVERS NORTH WINCH BUMPER WITH LED LIGHTS, DSCOII, RNA2106, TF009A - Rovers North - Classic Land Rover Parts
#20
10-17-2015 | 06:01 PM
Winching
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 623
Likes: 44
From: North Alabama
Does anyone in the US sell that original part without the fog lights? I've been keeping an eye out for a bumper mostly for winching and recovery points.