questions re: ARB bullbar
 

so after much searching and debate, ive decided to go with the arb winch bar and am now currently searching around for the best places to get em...weighing out the differences between buying online and picking up in the US, or buying locally. which year prado will i be wanting for my 98LTD? im guessing its the same gens, just different body/name, so 96-02 prado? is this right? ill also be getting the bumper fillers.

also, i read here that the tjm's have some adjustability for mounting w/ body lifts. the arbs dont? i think bamachem(?) stated that his saraha bar had room for mounting with a 1" BL. is this the same with the bull/winch bars? ill be soon installing a 1.5"BL, and would like to minimize the gap, by raising the bumper instead of adding trim...

and finally, any recommendations where/who to get em from? ive searched ebay and a store called "sportstrailerz" (?) has some decent prices ($705 for taco winch bar) with only $80 shipping. theyre located in albuquerque, NM...anyone heard of em? jim maybe?

thanks :banger:

if you decided to get a TJM, call Sonoran steel or burtman industries.

The TJM does adjust more than the ARB, IIRC

the ARB Sahara bar i had on my 99 limited adjusted FINE for the 1" BL

Just in case you don't know already there is some modification to the frame rails that needs to be done to get the ARB to fit properly, as well as to sturdy it enough to be able to use a winch safely on it. Do a search on arb mounting and you should run across it. I think those are correct years for the bumper for your truck. Also if you have the smaller fender flares you may want to look at using the ARB bar from the Tacoma. And as said if you do decide on a TJM go Sonoran Steel all the way, Steve is a great guy and will take care of you all the way.

SEND YOUR REQUEST TO: INFO@TRDPARTS4U.COM (Authorized ARB Dealer)

My TJM did not allow enough adjustment for a 1"BL.

If you are really concerned with the finished look, Steve at Sonoran makes custom brackets for BL's that also have the shackle hangers attached which is a rea nice added bonus.

I went with the ARB Sahara from National 4wd in Calgary - cost was $1,200. It was little more $$ than the TJM but I liked the look of the Sahara better (also, when I was researching the various bumpers, I seem to recall something about the ARB having a better winch angle than the TJM ??)

Good luck with your decision.

James

hey thanks for the tips guys. i pretty much had a hard on for the arb bumper from the get go, even before deciding on getting a front bar & winch. the tjm's are nice and of course we all know theyre both pretty much (for the most part anyway) equally great bumpers, but its all personal preference. i was referring to the winch bar though, not the sahara (a bit too spendy). although i love the deluxe winch bar...bummer its not available here.

i read up on the mounting mod that you have to do for the frame...doesnt seem too involving. hopefully jgm will still have his brackets available..that'll take care of the gap.

homer666: 1200 for the sahara? national is showing em for (yikes!) $1672? this is for the prado sahara though...for some reason, they dont have prado winchbars? :think: . they do however, have winchbars for 96-2000 4Runners...wonder if its the narrow one for SR5 flares & tacos...? hmm my parents live in cowtown..and theres no pst there. i think they need a visit soon!..they'll be like :scared: what did you do to your truck haha...

Come on down anytime Sonny; we have some pretty good wheeling in the area.

The $1,200 quote was based on a phone call to National about 2 months ago. I'll have to give them another call just to find out which price is correct.

James

Sonny,

If you haven't yet. Try NSOR or Sporttrucks. I presume you did. There is a shop on Lougheed by AVU that sells ARB bumpers too. I was looking a few years back with this shop, but decided against it. I'm sorry I don't remember the name. My bro Richard might know.

If I were you I head down to WA for a weekend and get it installed there. Especially with the dollar so good right now.

Dave

yeah, i emailed em last night, and am just waiting for replies. from a half dozen places actually. maybe ill give em a ring today. gaah, taran (bigcountrycustoms) quoted me a really competitive price for a custom front winch bumper with hoops & powdercoat too & i can put that money saved for a better winch (thinkin about warns tabor series).

[hijacking my own thread]
im definitely looking into a road trip this summer to calgary. i loved the van-calgary drive in my GTi. blazed it in under 7.5 hours..im sure itll be different with a couple screaming kids in the back seat this time. and maybe i'll even try to find the toll booth bypass...where in calgary you from? i lived there for a year..downtown. my parents live in the au claire area... definitely would like to hook up for some runs!
[/hijack]

hey dave..

yeah i talked to my friend jeff who works over at sport trucks to see if he can give me a deal. itll probably be close to the same price national4wd is selling em for ~$1000 or so, plus taxes. if i go national4wd, id just grab it from my parents and also save on our PST...

but...

after calculating the quote i got from trdparts4u.com, id pretty much still be saving money after rate conversion, taxes and duty fees(!). id be picking up directly from ARB in wa, so there isnt any shipping. i think ill be going this route, although i feel kinda bad not supporting the local market...meh. that'll pass. the money i save will be going to a winch that i will be buyin from sport trucks...

We appreciate the business and look forward to earning even more.