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I'm about to fit a winch to my ARB bumper, which I bought from Rovers North six months ago. I've found plenty of threads saying they need reinforcement because of the factory crush cans, is this true with the newer bumpers? Newest thread I found is almost 10 years old. Also, how many bolts do you guys have securing your bumper on either side? When I go into mud or a rock pretty hard it comes lose and I have to tighten the bolts (2 per side). If I make them any tighter they'll crush the sheet metal.
I'm about to fit a winch to my ARB bumper, which I bought from Rovers North six months ago. I've found plenty of threads saying they need reinforcement because of the factory crush cans, is this true with the newer bumpers? Newest thread I found is almost 10 years old. Also, how many bolts do you guys have securing your bumper on either side? When I go into mud or a rock pretty hard it comes lose and I have to tighten the bolts (2 per side). If I make them any tighter they'll crush the sheet metal.
a good upgrade is 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts Should never come lose. What metal is bending ??
a good upgrade is 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts Should never come lose. What metal is bending ??
No metal is bending, but my understanding is you can bend the bumper or crush cans winching without reinforcement. I believe they are grade 8 because ARB only shipped about half the hardware I needed. Are higher grade bolts less likely to come lose? I thought they are just stronger and less likely to break.
I use all grade 8 hardware from the lock nuts, nice thick washers, to the bolts. If you have an ARB with crush cans (SRS compatible) you will also have bolts which secure the ARB Bumper to the crush cans. Make sure those are also grade 8 hardware and you can always get longer bolts and use lock nuts on the back as well. Once properly secured it really shouldn't move.
I installed exactly how this sheet said a few months ago. I did those long 130mm ones that drill through the frame I saw those posts you may have seen about it being more rigid https://images.carid.com/arb/offroad...nstruction.pdf
grade 8 is just stronger not any less prone to loosening. The ARB will definitely hit obstacles as it is freaking huge and hangs quite low lol I love how mine looks but would really like to change it to something that is stronger and doesn't have a terrible approach angle
I've had ARB bumpers on several different types of 4x4's and I've yet to bend one wheeling. Heck I even took out a 96 Chevy pickup bed (not my fault) and all my ARB bumper had was a scuff mark on it. The tow hook points don't like to be pulled from the sides, but straight on pulls = they'll be fine. They are awesome bumpers that protect the entire front of the vehicle (what they're designed for). If you want a low profile front bumper the TF unit mated with a Warn M8000, and TF's newer angled front skid plate is more ideal. Excellent approach angles, but don't expect the front of your LR to be protected like it would be with the ARB.
I wheel pretty hard and maybe I've got just the right amount of lift, or I just don't drive into obstacles I know are over my LR's limitations, but I've yet to ground out an ARB off road enough to damage it or bend it. I know one guy that basically uses his non SRS D1 ARB as a plow and the worse it ever did to him was pivot on the mounting bolts. Once he upgraded the bolts he got back to plowing thru stuff lol.
It says winch control box bracket, I did not get one or any of the control box hardware. Also, I've seen people play around with spacers for Smittybilt winches, it that just because they didn't bother to clock them?
Last edited by jacobmstein; Jan 13, 2021 at 08:28 PM.
One other thing I noticed in the pics. You still have that OEM front bumper lower support installed, you don't need that with any aftermarket bumper. It was there to support the plastic OEM bumper/spoiler to keep it from crushing itself up into the steering. With that removed you will have more bite with the new bolts, and lock nuts to keep it tightly mounted.
I picked up a free 03-04 D2 ARB bumper that was involved in an accident (driver rear-ended a pickup at like 30MPH). The pickup truck had a hitch with a 2inch ball sticking out and the owner of the D2 hadn't installed a winch yet, so the receiver and ball punched thru where the roller fairlead would have been mounted. The crush cans did not even budge or bend. Two of the front bolts which hold the ARB to the crush cans snapped clean in half, but the crush cans didn't move. I still have that 03-04 ARB bumper and I plan on cutting out the damaged center section, and having a new plate of steel welded in. The rest of the bumper shows zero damage. I also have a friend which had a very violent wreck on a toll road. His TJM smacked into two concrete walls and it looked awful. The D1 was towed home, and once he loosened the mounting bolts the TJM went pretty much right back to where it was originally mounted. One crush can was slightly bent to one side (not front to back crushed) so it was easily put back into alignment. Besides a few scratches you'd never know it was in such a violent wreck.
One other thing I noticed in the pics. You still have that OEM front bumper lower support installed, you don't need that with any aftermarket bumper. It was there to support the plastic OEM bumper/spoiler to keep it from crushing itself up into the steering. With that removed you will have more bite with the new bolts, and lock nuts to keep it tightly mounted.
I picked up a free 03-04 D2 ARB bumper that was involved in an accident (driver rear-ended a pickup at like 30MPH). The pickup truck had a hitch with a 2inch ball sticking out and the owner of the D2 hadn't installed a winch yet, so the receiver and ball punched thru where the roller fairlead would have been mounted. The crush cans did not even budge or bend. Two of the front bolts which hold the ARB to the crush cans snapped clean in half, but the crush cans didn't move. I still have that 03-04 ARB bumper and I plan on cutting out the damaged center section, and having a new plate of steel welded in. The rest of the bumper shows zero damage. I also have a friend which had a very violent wreck on a toll road. His TJM smacked into two concrete walls and it looked awful. The D1 was towed home, and once he loosened the mounting bolts the TJM went pretty much right back to where it was originally mounted. One crush can was slightly bent to one side (not front to back crushed) so it was easily put back into alignment. Besides a few scratches you'd never know it was in such a violent wreck.
I don't even remember if it came with lock nuts, maybe I'll just pick up new grade 8 hardware and nyloc nuts before I mount the winch. I called Rovers North and asked about the control box bracket listed in the instructions, they had absolutely no clue about it.
Winch in ARB bumper
