ARB Roof Rack and Bumpers ??

[gilessankey]

Hello,

I have been thinking about adding the ARB Roof Rack with the mesh. Do all the racks come with the FJ Cruiser logo on the side, or is that extra?

Also I was wondering about the weight factor of the ARB front bumper. Would the bumper affect the way the vehicle sits?? My vehicle is a daily driver, so I would not want to diminish that driving experience... your thoughts are welcomed.

BTW I am in Simi Valley ... do you have a show room, and do you stock these items for Pick Up???

[mir207]

gilessankey previously said:

Hello,

I have been thinking about adding the ARB Roof Rack with the mesh. Do all the racks come with the FJ Cruiser logo on the side, or is that extra?

Also I was wondering about the weight factor of the ARB front bumper. Would the bumper affect the way the vehicle sits?? My vehicle is a daily driver, so I would not want to diminish that driving experience... your thoughts are welcomed.

BTW I am in Simi Valley ... do you have a show room, and do you stock these items for Pick Up???

I know Steve is out this week (well earned vacation). Man-A-Fre have their site at 1775 Surveyor Ave in Simi Valley. They have some stuff on show, but they also usually have one or two mod'ed FJC's sitting out back (one of them is usually mine). So you can check out what the ARB front bumper looks like etc. The ARB front bumper is definitely heavy and you will almost certainly need to change out the front suspension to eliminate sag. I don't know about logos on the ARB rack, but I do know that it is heavy as well. I'd give Steve a call next week and arrange to stop by and chat.

[DoWork]

The ARB roof rack has FJ Cruiser engraved into the fit kit that mounts the rack. If you get the rack you will have this engraved automatically into the fit kit supports.

[Layonnn]

Yeah, fit kit (extra) that you have to have to put the rack on has FJ cruiser cut out into it. As mir207 said, the ARB is heavy. About 150 lbs. You should at LEAST rerplace the front springs with something that has a higher spring rate. Many options out there. There are other bumpers that are lighter and change of suspension is not necessary.

[Hardluck]

I live in Simi Valley and have the ARB roof rack and front bumper... you can come over any weekend to check them out. I replaced my OE suspension with DRs about 1 month after I installed the bumper. Prior to the new suspension, my front sagged from the weight of the bumper and would nose dive in hard breaking.

[gilessankey]

Hardluck previously said:

I live in Simi Valley and have the ARB roof rack and front bumper... you can come over any weekend to check them out. I replaced my OE suspension with DRs about 1 month after I installed the bumper. Prior to the new suspension, my front sagged from the weight of the bumper and would nose dive in hard breaking.

Hey that sounds like an offer I cannot pass up. What did you do to your suspension? What are DRs? Do you think suspension change will affect the normal long term drivablity and wear on the vehicle?

Also what are some lighter bumpers that could be considered?

Thanks for all the help.

[Hardluck]

gilessankey previously said:

Hey that sounds like an offer I cannot pass up. What did you do to your suspension? What are DRs? Do you think suspension change will affect the normal long term drivablity and wear on the vehicle?

Also what are some lighter bumpers that could be considered?

Thanks for all the help.

DR's are Donohoe Racing's (now Icon) coilovers. They are coilovers in front and shocks and springs in the rear. They are height adjustable and give you approx 3 inches of lift. I installed them for a variety of reasons, one being that I knew that I would be adding around 200 pounds (bumper + winch) to the front of the FJ and that the stock suspension wasn't going to work. This was confirmed when I ran my stock suspension for about a month before the DR coilovers came in. It was a marked inprovement in ride over the stock coilovers with and without the ARB bumper. The FJ, even with the added weight is as or more drivable now than stock and I am very happy with my purchase. As for wear on the vehicle, a 3 inch life is not extreme and any additional wear on the vehicle is negligible IMHO.

As for lighter bumpers, frankly, almost any other choice will be lighter. I chose the ARB for its reputation, protection, better approach angle than stock (although not as good as other bumpers) and the fact that I'm building an expedition vehicle, not a desert racer so the additional weight, although always a factor, did not negate from the overall package.

If I were you, and I was not sure about what bumper I wanted, I'd go to the next SoCal Meet and Greet (I think it is April 19) and check out the wide variety of bumpers you see there. I will give you a chance to take a look at them in person and decide for yourself.

However, if I was considering a light weight bumper, I'd probably go with a tube style bumper. Cowboy4x4 on this forum is a local fab guy in Simi Valley (you might see him - built VB FJ). He can built you a killer tube bumper. Check out adventure4x4.net as Cowboy just posted his pricing.

Hope this helps. My offer still stands. I'll send you a pm with my cell phone number.

[gilessankey]

Wow thanks again for the useful information and the invite. Sounds like April 19th would be a good idea. Do you know where it will be?

Does raising the FJ 3" change any other aspects of the vehicles drivetrain like the drive shaft or any other effect? Does a mod like this affect the warrenty? Did you do this yourself? I lifted my Jeep on my own, so I wonder if I would be able to do a lift like this on my own also.

Thanks again for your help.... I will look for the PM. Look forward to talking.

[Hardluck]

gilessankey previously said:

Wow thanks again for the useful information and the invite. Sounds like April 19th would be a good idea. Do you know where it will be?

Does raising the FJ 3" change any other aspects of the vehicles drivetrain like the drive shaft or any other effect? Does a mod like this affect the warrenty? Did you do this yourself? I lifted my Jeep on my own, so I wonder if I would be able to do a lift like this on my own also.

Thanks again for your help.... I will look for the PM. Look forward to talking.

PM sent. The effects of the lift have been discussed in other threads, but it is my understanding that a 3 inch lift will not have a significant effect on the drivetrain. As for the warranty, I think that issue as been discussed in detail in other threads, but the essence is that you're whole warranty will not be voided but the dealer will not cover repairs that are required due to any modification you make.

As for the install, I did not install my suspension - from what I've seen though, it doesn't look too complicated. I have a two year old and a 2 month old so I don't have too much time to do mods. I did install my bumper, roof rack and winch.

Here's the thread for the SoCal meet and greet

Meet and Greet IV?

It is at Claremont Toyota from 10-12:30 with a trail run afterward. I plan on going so maybe we can caravan.

Ryan

[MIKESCRUISER]

The ARB roofrack is a universal rack, you would need the FJ fit kit usually $150 depends where you shop.