Question on ARB Bumper for 2013

I am looking at a new bumper to mount a winch on my 2013 DCSB, and I would like to go with ARB since I have been happy with their products on previous Jeeps and Rovers. For all of the pictures I can find of a 2013 with an ARB bull bar, it looks like there is a 1-2" strip of the original bumper still mounted to the truck, between the bull bar and the grill/fender. Does anyone here have any experience with mounting ARBs on 2013s? I am trying to figure out if it involves cutting a section of the original bumper and mounting it to the bull bar, or what. I tried a search and couldn't find anything specific to the 2013s. Hopefully you can see what I am talking about in the picture, it is especially noticeable in the two bottom corners of the grill. Thanks.

 

Yeah you do have to cut the oe bumper plastic. They use it to fill the gaps

 

Pelfreybilt makes a really nice bumper for the newer front ends. He's also a member on the forum. Just another option if cutting the bumper concerns you.

http://www.pelfreybilt.com/

 

Yup I have Tyler's front bumper and love it

 

It looks like Clay at X-Overland was able to do it.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/97112-Expedition-Overland-2013-Tacoma-Build/page20

It does look like they had to use part of the original bumper.

Clay writes, "Install. The factory bumper is to be removed and cut down so that you can provide a finished edge out to the bumper. Some people gripe about this, but in my opinion its a great look and ARB did what they had to do to get us a bumper that functions properly. Cutting it is not a big deal. Mask out your cut line ( make sure to cut further down by a inch or two from what the ARB instructions say. It looks a little better when the bumpers on.) and cut your line. we used a cutting wheel at first but moved to a air saw."

Q~

 

Same here

 

I got in an accident and want to get the arb bumper as a replacement front bumper. However I can't cut my old bumper to fill the gaps. Has anybody ever done this? The old bumper isn't salvageable and i would rather get something that will hold up better but still is air bag compliant.

 

Why not purchase an aftermarket unpainted front bumper cover from Sortafit or the like?

I plan on going that route when I (eventually) get an ARB for my truck.

 

This is always an option. I hadn't even thought about that.

 

Wow, that's the first mention I've seen of having to cut up factory parts to make the arb work.
Bummer.
Yeah, Certifit black rather than cut up the painted factory bits.

 

yes you do have to cut the factory front bumper to use as a filler piece for the ARB.

if i was going to buy a bumper for my 2012 it would be this all-pro aluminum one. incredibly good looking, functional, and light

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...-apex-series-aluminum-front-bumper-stock.html

 

Could you just "not fill that gap;" or would that look hideous?

 

Every single bumper sold is "air bag" compliant especially since the air bags use G forces to set them off. The more rigid the bumper the quicker the airbags would go off.

What you want is a crumple zone compliant bumper which is like asking for a tank that allows you to shoot pistol rounds through it. The point of a plate aftermarket bumper is to not crumple IMHO.

As far as I know ARB bumpers are crumple compliant and this is also why you will never see a 05+ Tacoma bumper from ARB that has a recovery point on it. Seems crazy to buy a bumper you can't yank on when your stuck, but that's juts my opinion.

 

I was wondering why they didn't have recovery points.

 

It comes down to the Tacoma frame being to weak due to the crumple zones. If they reinforce the zones like other bumper makers do they loose some of the crumple.

They lost me as a bumper customer 5 years ago just because of this reason. I get stuck all the time and need to get pulled out from the front.

 

I can see why.

 

Do you lose the OEM recovery point with the ARB?

I was towed out of the sand when I buried myself up to my rear bumper on the beach on my old Toyota with the ARB. I used two straps though to distribute the pulling forces. I had D-shackles on the bumper but my town straps were incompatible. So it's the bumper itself that's weaker now, or how it's attached to the frame?

 

Yep a little cutting is needed...easy though!!! I believe they look great. This is my 5th ARB bumper!!!

 

That is one huge plus to the one for the H3. They used the factory recovery points. I just put one on my wife's H3 after she smacked a deer in Dec and jacked up the factory bumper. I wish the taco version had these or something like them.

BTW, ARB actually made the bumper to come down over that area, so you just re-install the rp points over it.

 

I know I'm a little late to the shin dig but I saw this and had to post. http://www.arbusa.com/Uploads/PDF/newProductAdvice/2013/2012On_Tacoma_bar_retail.pdf