Aftermarket Bumper
ARB actually makes "airbag" bumpers that are tested to work in a collision like a stock one would- they have crumple zones. Anything else yes, the airbags will still go off but the vehicle will not function in a collision "as designed from the factory" but something like TR or RTE will simply blow through whatever you hit.
Camel Trophy
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,079
Likes: 227
From: IL
ARB actually makes "airbag" bumpers that are tested to work in a collision like a stock one would- they have crumple zones. Anything else yes, the airbags will still go off but the vehicle will not function in a collision "as designed from the factory" but something like TR or RTE will simply blow through whatever you hit.
Mudding
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 107
Likes: 3
Random question I guess, so the ARB airbag bumper will give way when you hit something? That's the case it's a waste to spend the money on the bumper if you absorb the blow as well as what you hit right. So if you get the non air bag compliant version of the ARB bumper it will be like a can opener on the front of the truck?
Baja
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 5,232
Likes: 52
From: Georgia, USA
People should keep in mind that NTSA rules about energy absorbing bumpers have nothing to do with air bags. The requirements were implemented to reduce repair costs of damage caused in low speed collisions.
Bumpers without crush cans might cause the air bag to deploy at a slightly lower speed and will cause them to deploy a few milliseconds sooner than they would otherwise. In the real world those two differences will make no practical difference unless you happen to hit something at just the sweet spot speed, where the cans would have lowered the g-force to just below the threshold where the bags would deploy.
The reason ARB makes "air-bag compatible" bumpers is because the laws there are different and things like bumpers have to "mimic" the factory bumper design.
Bumpers without crush cans might cause the air bag to deploy at a slightly lower speed and will cause them to deploy a few milliseconds sooner than they would otherwise. In the real world those two differences will make no practical difference unless you happen to hit something at just the sweet spot speed, where the cans would have lowered the g-force to just below the threshold where the bags would deploy.
The reason ARB makes "air-bag compatible" bumpers is because the laws there are different and things like bumpers have to "mimic" the factory bumper design.
Camel Trophy
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,079
Likes: 227
From: IL
Random question I guess, so the ARB airbag bumper will give way when you hit something? That's the case it's a waste to spend the money on the bumper if you absorb the blow as well as what you hit right. So if you get the non air bag compliant version of the ARB bumper it will be like a can opener on the front of the truck?
The airbag ARB has crush cans just like the stock one does. Its totally worthless offraod. A friend of mine had the airbag ARB on his D1. He was attempting to get up a steep ledge and because of the crappy ARB approach angle the bottom of the bumper hit. The crush cans bent and the bumper pivoted forward which push the side wings up into the fenders causing body damage.
People should keep in mind that NTSA rules about energy absorbing bumpers have nothing to do with air bags. The requirements were implemented to reduce repair costs of damage caused in low speed collisions.
Bumpers without crush cans might cause the air bag to deploy at a slightly lower speed and will cause them to deploy a few milliseconds sooner than they would otherwise. In the real world those two differences will make no practical difference unless you happen to hit something at just the sweet spot speed, where the cans would have lowered the g-force to just below the threshold where the bags would deploy.
The reason ARB makes "air-bag compatible" bumpers is because the laws there are different and things like bumpers have to "mimic" the factory bumper design.
Bumpers without crush cans might cause the air bag to deploy at a slightly lower speed and will cause them to deploy a few milliseconds sooner than they would otherwise. In the real world those two differences will make no practical difference unless you happen to hit something at just the sweet spot speed, where the cans would have lowered the g-force to just below the threshold where the bags would deploy.
The reason ARB makes "air-bag compatible" bumpers is because the laws there are different and things like bumpers have to "mimic" the factory bumper design.