My ARB bumper sags in the front and hits the front quarter panels near the front wheel arches after some robust trail running. It makes a terrible racket on the washboards. I jack up the front and loosen the several bolts, then re-tighten them, to spec. and all is fine till the next big wheeling day. Should I replace all the bolts? Have they stretched? Does anyone have the same issues? Thanks for your input.
NOTE: I am running a Mile Marker 8000 electric winch with 95' of steel cable and a regular roller fairlead.
I had that problem but its because my frame end caps started to disintegrate after winching at harsh angles. The L-brackets were starting to tilt forward and the outer edges of the bumper would rub the body. You might want to consider the end cap mod if you haven't done it already: http://northwestoverland.com/Forum/tabid/166/aft/69958/Default.aspx
Well those of you that were at the Borrego Desert meet two weekends ago are aware of my front bumper failure during winching. Here are the end caps after removing the ARB bumper. Well I found a local engineer/welder and he built me some 3/8" end caps and welded them on. after tacking them and squaring them up he welded som taks on a few other contact points that can be ground off if I need to take the bumper off in the future.Now I can sleep better on the trail. The thing will not move at all! It is twice as strong as it was new. The top bar doesn't even flex a millimeter. Now I can get on to the two wheel project. I have to make room for the Christmas tree.
Those end caps are tinney little pieces of sheet metal and are in no way structurial. Do what I did. I cut them out then I machined solid blocks of steel that extend into the frame rail all way up until where it bends. Then I bolted those in place with four grade 8's from the side and two larger bolts up from the bottom where the stock tow hooks were on each side.
I left the blocks long enough to bolt my bumper to it plus I added a cross member across the frame ends.
It eliminated my crumple zone but I figure to just use whatever unfortunate soul I may hit for a crumple zone. It ain't gonna sag or go anywere and I can winch with it from any angle all day long. It's heavy but effective, you might even say overkill.
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