Branch Deflectors, anyone done em?

Was tooling around Mt Hood national forest last weekend and they would have come in real handy

Curious if anyone knows of a bracket or something near the headlight that could be used for a front mounting location without having to go full hoop front bumper. Maybe hood pin would work?


https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/front-runner-branch-deflectors.html

here's an FJ write-up:

https://www.fjcruiserforums.com/threads/fj-cruiser-windshield-branch-wire-deflector.288097/

 

You could use the transit tie downs / tow hooks and use a piece of hose on the cable to protect the paint and headlight lenses.

Edit:

Here you go. https://www.newhollandoverland.com/product-page/limb-riser-kits

 

That Front Runner kit is awfully expensive for stuff you can get at Home Depot.

The second New Holland kit linked looks much nicer, with parts manufactured to fit your truck.

 

I eventually will if I get a roof rack (best looks like Sherpa) to attach them to.
Front bumper is 05-11 ARB

$200 for that kit seems like a lot for parts that look like something you can get at Home Depot...

 

I think @RedDeadTaco has them on his truck.

 

A clever DIY route: https://www.wanderlustnotless.com/blog/diy-limb-risers

 

Why don't one of you guys make a 'template' out of a piece of cardboard for each side?

This part specifically -



Whoever can send me proper dimensions and pics of said piece (I'll need to know the distance between the holes center-to-center) as well as the edge to the bend, I'll cut the brackets out and send them at the cost of shipping.

I can either add a relief cut for a bend-it-yourself option or bend it and mail it that way.

 

Thanks, exactly what i was looking for.

Looks like they sell the actual bracket separately: https://www.newhollandoverland.com/product-page/limb-riser-lower-mounts

and you can order custom length on the wire: https://www.newhollandoverland.com/product-page/custom-length-limb-riser-cables

i've been on this board for awhile now and this is the first time i've seen this company.

 

One thing worth noting is that if you ever need to reverse with those things in tight brush they're a huge PITA.

 

I’ll try to remember to post my set up tomorrow

 

Anyone know how to do this with a rack and headlight hoops like ARB?

I’m thinking some sort of wire setup that’s removable, adjustable, and minimal parts so it doesn’t look like the ugly ass kits out there with gigantic pieces at the bottom

I’ll have to lower my bumper back down to whatever gap the instructions say to set it below body line which I believe is unfortunately an ugly big gap of 15-20mm to allow bumper flex during recoveries.

And generic $20 Amazon tube clamps onto the bumper because $100+ for those makes zero sense

popular company NiLight also makes some. They probably normally get used to put lights on but I don’t see why it can’t be used as a mounting point for wire. Assuming they’re strong enough metal and not weak plastic.

 

I want to use what border patrol does

 

@crashngiggles has a set on his truck

 

Yup.....I do. I started with something small like the metal wires with clear rubber coating on them, but I found them to be more "giving" then I wanted them to be.....so I beefed mine up with 8020 extruded aluminum to my front bumper and roof rack. Comes on and off in 3 minutes and solid as hell.

 

How much are people actually saving by DIY?

After the cost of brackets onto bumper tubes, I don't imagine that much can be saved
plus the looks: any DIY kit doesn't seem to look as good as the wire set on New Holland Overland

do any clear hood opening, and is that important?
I looked at the body angles of my truck, and it seems none would, regardless if they place onto tubes, or bracket...

New Holland says be careful installing bracket, to insulate it from paint rub. I'm guessing they mean where the bracket goes onto fender, the hood closing could rub it. Not sure what people put there to prevent paint rub.
And if there's any difference in effectiveness of keeping away branches, in the line angle of wire mounted to bumper tube, or fender (kit)

according to New Holland, they must be undone to open the hood (not a regular thing) which is why they come with built-in carabiners: to undo them when needed.
I don't know if I'll keep my ARB front, and may need to change the height/adjust it some more, so that's making me lean more towards New Holland kit, which removes bumper as a factor.

New Holland kit def seems simpler. No spending hours chasing bits and pieces at Home Depot. Just a kit that comes to your door and install it straight away.

 

ARB makes a limb riser kit but, like all things ARB, it's expensive. When I was in Australia, most of the Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi trucks that actually had limb risers looked like they were DIY setups; Land Rovers seemed to be more likely to have some sort of factory looking setups- yeah, I'm a nerd like that and loved looking at the variety of 4wds there. On the homemade looking trucks they usually had hose clamps or cable clamps (the metal clamps that are either rubber coated or have a molded piece of rubber on them) clamped to the bull bar and then ran up to the roof rack. A turnbuckle or occasionally a heavy spring was used inline to keep them taught.

Same thing when I lived and traveled in Asia.

 

What's the point of limb risers? I see they keep branches from touching the windshield, which is glass and doesn't scratch easily?

 

back when i had a land rover, and a bull bar we just got some old fuel line hose to wrap around the bull bar ends and the guide parts. went to home depot got some wrapped cable and turn buckles, and made our own think I paid like $20-$40 back in 2010ish. I cant remember. but I also re designed a few times with some of those spring chains from the dog leads to keep tension but have some give incase but they weren't my favorite choice.


oh and a good idea is to get some shrink tube over the ends of the wire i cut mine with some lineman pliers and the cable ends can be sharp. but slipping some heat shrink can help with that

 

Its for the heavier branches that can whip and break your windshield. at least thats the concept. Ive seen a video on youtube of a built LX making use of them but he was also scratching everything else though

 

If you look at the Camel Trophy trucks and most of the places that actually use them, they run to the top of the roof racks so that, in theory, they not only protect the windshield but also keep stuff from snagging the snorkel, lights and hopefully the stuff on the roof.