Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/150744
BUMPERS: HEAVY DUTY fragile and cost upwards of $50 apiece to replace. So when you are shopping for heavy-duty bumpers, be sure they have provisions to accept the OE sensors. Another word of caution: If the bumper has holes for the sensors, make sure they are covered if the bumpers are being powdercoated or shot with a bed liner material. The sensors fit tight and there's no room for hole-sizing errors. Forcing the sensors in will likely damage them. As for occupant protection, make sure the front bumper you are considering is fully compatible with the truck's OE air-bag sensors and other built-in OE front-end collision safety measures. Not all bumper manufacturers take this into consideration because it's a costly R&D process. ARB USA (arbusa.com) has gone to great lengths in that regard. The company's full-size "bull bars" that fit many later-model Buckstop Bumpers uses welded grille/ brush guards made of thick-wall tubing. Also note the hitch receiver tube under the bumper that can serve multiple purposes on the jobsite. Make sure the bumper you choose is designed for the winch being installed. This bumper is designed to handle winches up to Warn's 16,000-pounder. PRODUCT SHOWCASE Road Armor Stealth The backside of the Fab Fours winch bumper shows the fully welded/gusted construction that provides maximum strength. The least amount of front-end protection you need on a construction site is a good grille guard. One with a winch mount and tabs for auxiliary lights adds another layer of function with form. full-size pickups, not only has provisions for a winch, factory fog lights, turn signals, CB antennas and auxiliary driving lights, they also incorporate a special crumple zone that in the event of a major front-end collision. THE BIG PICTURE A well-designed heavy-duty bumper should also provide sufficient airflow to aid the engine's cooling system. This is especially critical on diesels where airflow to the intercooler has a direct impact on the engine's performance under severe loads such as towing while pulling long grades. If you plan to add a heavy-duty winch, the bumper's engineering must accommodate the extra strain. Pay attention to the bumper's winch size limit, too. Remember, a winch is only as strong as its weakest link – and you don't want that to be the bumper or the bumper mounts when you are using every ounce of pulling power. Look at buying a heavy-duty bumper system this way: Be they front or rear, heavy-duty aftermarket bumpers are both a tool and a layer of protection for work trucks. Buy accordingly. Road Armor's 2011-12 Ford SuperDuty Stealth Bumper is designed with recessed light pods for Square Dually/D2 Series, or Vision-X Optimus Series LED lights. Bumpers are fully welded front and back; shackle mounts and winch mount to house up to a 12k non-integrated winch are standard. Constructed from 3/16-inch outer shell, 1/4-inch internal mounting brackets/gussets; tubing is .120-wall. Bumpers combat-proven courtesy of roadside bombs in Iraq. Lifetime guarantee against breakage. www.roadarmor.com; (877) 294-2726 Warn HD Bumpers Warn Industries' HD one-piece bumpers, constructed from 1/4and 3/16-inch steel, fit 2011-newer Ford Super Duty, Chevrolet Silverado HD, Ram HD 2500-5500 pickups. Bumpers have an integrated winch mount to accept Warn Heavyweight Series winches, including the 16.5ti, and are available with or without welded, large-diameter tubular brush guards. Comes with welded eyelets for D-shackles and integrated light ports with Warn W350F fog lights with wireless remote. Powder-coated bumpers provide generous tire clearance to accommodate oversize tires, and are commercial/fleet approved. www.warn.com; (800) 543-9276 Pro Series Bumpers Go Industries Pro-Series Bumper Replacement for full-size Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge trucks is a one-piece, fully welded unit that provides heavyduty front end protection for on or off-road use. The winch-ready bumper is constructed of 7-gauge smooth steel. It's built with 5/16-inch laser cut uprights and two 2.5-inch, schedule 40-inch is available in a Wrap or Center Section only design. www.goindustries.com; (800) 527-4345. Fab Fours Black Steel Fab Fours took the "ranch" bumper and gave it the unique styling and design that we are known for in our heavy-duty plate bumpers. Every bumper fits the body-lines of each model truck and includes factory fog light mounts. Fits half-tons and HDs. Available in either a full grill-guard, pre-runner (shown) grill guard or base bumper, with or without winch mounts to 16.5K. www.fabfours.com; (866) 385-1905 30 PROPICKUP Big Book 2013 ProPickup_2013BB_Bumpers.indd 30 8/6/13 9:57 AM