Low-pro style bumpers (SSO, Relentless, C4, etc.) - airbag compatibility?

Curious to know how these bumpers affect airbag functionality. (I already have the Relentless one installed.) Don't see anything mentioned on any of the manufacturers' sites.

Anyone know or can fathom an educated guess?

As far as the full bumpers go, I believe the ARB one is officially compatible with the truck's airbags, but I don't know of any other bumpers with such claims.

 

I believe airbag computers are much, much more sophisticated now, but if anything the addition of a steel bumper would make the airbags more prone to deploy at lower velocities too. Reason is most of the aftermarket bumpers are metal and mount directly to the frame. Airbag sensors I believe are primarily accelerometer based and mounted to the frame. So any impact to the bumper will be directly transmitted to the frame and set off the accelerometers. Airbag computer sees maybe 10g at a 3 mph impact now vs 2g for the stock tupperware bumper at 3 mph (numbers made up). If its smart enough itll say, welp, speed is slow enough, dont deploy, accelerometer is faulty so it wouldnt care about the bumper. If its not smart enough, itll say, welp, accelerometer limit has been reached and even if speed is slow, car needs to go full safety mode and deploy the bags. Realistically, itll be some combination of both of these cases, plus a bunch others like which side is the force on and how heavy is the driver, is seatbelt being used, and deploy accordingly. But regardless, a direct metal link to the frame with less "bumper" protection than OEM will cause higher impact forces/acceleration through to the frame.

 

Only an uneducated guess. But I doubt they have any detrimental effect on the airbags. Airbags are triggered accelerometers sensors not by anything touching / crushing a particular sensor. So if anything you might accelerate /decelerate quicker since the bumper has re-inforced the crumplezone, so potentially setting off the airbags sooner / or in a crash that "lighter" in nature to running the OEM bumpers. I can't think of any reasons that the airbags would not be set off when running an aftermarket bumper.
But absolutely no data to back those statements up though.

 

The only difference is ARB can afford to do actual airbag deployment crash tests with their bumpers, and thus label them as airbag safe or certified.

I believe in Australia where they're from, it's actually illegal to run any sort of bull bar or front bumper that has not been test certified.

 

I think there was a picture of an ARB bumper and they had built in "crumple zones" on the frame mounting tubes. Or am I imagining this?

 

Yeah I believe you are correct, crumple zones in the frame mounting points is how ARB designs the bumpers to be certified.

Essentially:

1) airbags are deployed by force sensors,
2) rigid steel bumpers cause more force to be transferred during crash,
3) crumple zones reduce force back to "normal" levels during crash.

This means given a rigid mounted aftermarket steel bumper, airbags could hypothetically read higher levels of force and deploy in situations they wouldn't normally.

 

Thanks everyone. That's pretty much what my gut feeling was telling me, but I was getting paranoid and thought a few more opinions can't hurt.

 

This is correct. The one I had on my Tundra had crumple zones that went onto the frame horns and then the bumper went on them.

 

I feel the same way, but I am more worried about how insurance companies perceive this and our liability to our passengers for modifying a truck with a bumper that is not air bag compliant. I do not think it is unreasonable to see a lawyer/insurance company to go after someone with a modified truck with an non compliant bumper to be held liable for a passengers injuries in an accident should the airbag not go off, which happens in unmodified cars all the time. I know mine didn't go off at all in my accident 10 years ago, and my buddies, recently did not fire on his new f150 when he was in an accident. Perhaps I am the one being ultra paranoid, but is definitely worth a thought. I am all about reducing my exposure to liability these days, especially with how sue happy everyone is.

 

It is definitely a sketchy area, but then again you've got people running plate bumpers all the time, but I have only seen a couple extensive examples online where the poster was running a plate bumper. I don't think I've ever seen anyone burned over the outcome, but then again the cases I've seen posted have never been the poster's fault lol.

Either way, I can imagine if an insurance company feels you done fucked up by adding aftermarket kit and they want to get out of paying because of it, then it wouldn't be too hard to accomplish.

 

They will not cause your airbags to not deploy. If anything, it is slightly possible, although highly unlikely, that they would make them pop off prematurely.

 

Only thing I'd be concerned with is in an accident the liability insurance.
I was talking to my insurance company about it as I am considering winch bumper eventually.

They told me if the bumper does not have airbag certifications, and in an accident they do not go off, where I am at fault for said accident, I would actually not be covered for any injuries sustained that would have been prevented by said airbag.
So for sake of liability, ARB would be safest bet.

But like others said it works on G sensors.

Given you keep most of your factory bumper with the low pro ones though, I think they'd be fine for airbags

 

Which like other people said, it's not that it won't go off, it's more likely that it will go off prematurely or "easier" than a plastic bumper. G forces will technically be more with a full metal plate bumper than a plastic one. So liability shouldn't be that much concern on it not going off; could be the opposite - airbag causing the injuries from prematurely going off because of it.

 

Probably the biggest claim in a serious accident would be medical payments. You may be fine if your airbags go off and the other driver you hit (or hits you in the front somehow) may be fine, but the other driver may get the bright idea to sue you for a non-OEM/rated/certified front bumper that somehow caused them back, neck, or other injuries (real or fake). Your insurance then might back off because the other drivers lawyer would have at least some basis for going after you.

 

This still convinces me that I should be installing the ARB bumper. I do love the look of the low pro ones and is what i would go with, but the liability part is what gives me the willies, again probably over thinking it and just convincing myself I need the full plate bumper.

 

same boat as me dude.
Just for the sake of liability