I'm going to buy this:
https://www.firstfour.co.uk/shadow-h...ng-lights.html


For the Land Rover I do not yet have (I'm looking at a good one on Friday, if all checks out SHE IS MINE).


Reading the instructions, I notice it is required to remove the crush cans. I have a 5 month old daughter who will be in the back in a carseat, and a wife who will probably be in the passenger seat.


How much do the cans impact overall safety? How much of a jerk am I if I remove them?

 

I would think any difference in how an impact felt with them would only be noticeable at very low speeds. As they can only absorb a small amount of energy anyway as they crumple.
They are more for preventing frame damage from an impact. But, that is only my opinion. For a more informed answer, you would need crash test data, and do the math to see just how much impact can be absorbed and measured.
Whiplash doesn't feel good, even at very low speeds.
I personally wouldn't want any "what ifs" on my consionce, if it were my daughter, and she was hurt in any way, even in a small fender bender.

 

In terms of the SRS (airbags and seat belt pretentioners) removing the crush cans has no practical effect.


It was argued to me that removing the crush cans should, if anything, cause the SRS to deploy a fraction of a second more quickly since the deceleration sensor under the console cubby senses the deceleration a little more quickly with no crush cans in place. A theoretical argument, but I don't think it makes any practical difference. The crush cans have no direct connection to the SRS.

 

The problem with most aftermarket bumpers is that they are built far to heavily and don't bend before the frame rails. Retaining the crush cans diminishes this effect if the bumper allows it, but the same effect is more or less achieved with a properly engineered steel bumper.

Either way, passenger safety shouldn't be effected in any respect. Discoveries don't have much of a crumple zone anyway.

Biggest concern is that you will total the vehicle with a relatively small impact if the crush cans are removed and the bumper is over built. Rule of thumb is that the steel used to build the bumper should be no thicker than the steel of the frame. I have no idea how heavy duty that bumper is, but there's really no crash test data on any of them so it's pretty much a crap shoot.

 

Your insurance company might have an issue with taking the cans out.

 

X1 ............ If you are rear ended by a truck or hit someone in front the on the highway crush cans won't save you or your D2 but the SRS might save your life. IMO crush cans are merely for the 1:1000 slow speed shunts whilst in traffic queues in the city.

 

Thank you all for the honest feedback.

The bumper is 5mm thick FWIW...

 

I was wondering about insurance, too. If someone outside your family is riding along and is hurt or killed, their family may sue, if they found out.

Have you gotten a quote to ship to the US? A nice looking bumper. 5 mm is almost .2 inches, similar to our frame, as I recall.

 

About $720 all in shipped to california.

 

I am not a lawyer but I addressed this in another thread couple of week or so ago about doing Option B.

Sure, if someone outside your family is injured while riding in your vehicle you may get sued. That's true regardless of whether or not they "found out." Lawyers will convince clients to sue for all kinds of reasons, but from what little I know about the law they would have to demonstrate that the lack of crush cans contributed materially to the injuries. Seems to me that would be a toughie. The same should go for your insurance company if they try to deny paying a claim.