Want everyones opinion...Stubby or Full Length Bumpers

[mep4wd]

Choose what you wish. The REAL problem will be with availability.

You might want to have a plan A, B, C, D, E because of backlogs. Retailers know customers have caught on to the shortages issue. Some of them are up front and tell you. Lots of stuff is 3-4 months backloged. Others are coy about it, so they don't lose orders, at the risk of pissing off their customer.

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[Fast Eddie]

When it comes to bumpers, the shorter the better. Good luck. Cheers, fm Williamsburg, Virginia

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

Just got the wife's blessing on RockHard4x4 front full width aluminum w/lowered winch mount AND their rear bumper.
USA made, but gonna be about $2,500.

 

[georamorim]

I struggled with this as well. The stubby has its benefits such as approach angle when climbing obstacles, where the full width helps protect the front end more than a stubby and in some places it's the law. If you are climbing obstacles definitely go stubby but if you're more of an overlanding style adventure seeker, go full width. If you are going on esthetics alone I haven't found a single full width bumper that didn't make me throw up a little in my mouth. The after market stubby bumpers look better. So after researching every option over and over what I ended up buying was the Mopar bumper. I managed to score a sweet deal on one which made it a no brainer. It gives me the flexibility of going full width or stubby. It also has the most factory look, because, well, it's the factory option.

 

[Free2roam]

Newbie question here. Are there any implications to how the airbags function when swapping out the plastic bumper?

Yeah now that you mention it. I am curious too how this affects the airbags? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Newbie question here. Are there any implications to how the airbags function when swapping out the plastic bumper?

Why would that impact or effect air bag functionality? The "plastic" bumper has a metal backing, it's a plastic front or shell. It's still attached to the frame horns the same way. Air bags aren't connected to or wired to the bumper in any way.
The sensors are elsewhere, and it's the force of the stop and other factors that trigger them. Not the bumper.

Here's something that explains better than what I'd write up..........


Different types of sensors measuring wheel speed, seat occupant status, brake pressure and impact, and other vehicle status indicators are monitored by the airbag control unit located in the front portion of the cabin. The sensors relay signals to the airbag control unit, which analyzes the data and can orchestrate safety features like seat belt lock, automatic door locks, as well as airbag deployment.

Two types of airbag sensors used in cars are electrical and mechanical. Electrical sensors vary in design. Some use an electromechanical "ball and tube" mechanism, which basically consists of a small tube containing a circuit switch and ball that's held together by a small magnet. If a collision occurs, the ball is dislodged from the magnet and rolls forward in the tube, hitting a switch that completes the electrical circuit. Other electrical designs are similar in principle, using a metal roller or spring loaded weight instead of a ball, or in newer cars, an accelerometer to trip the sensor. Mechanical sensors work independent of the electrical system and respond similarly to the electrical sensors, with a design that actuates a firing pin triggering a small explosion after a crash. Since a mechanical sensor does not require a power source, it cannot be deactivated like an electrical sensor can when the battery is disconnected.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yeah now that you mention it. I am curious too how this affects the airbags? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

ZERO impact on air bag functionality. It's the sudden stop, the G-forces and other factors. there are no sensors in the bumper itself.
The bumper won't change how fast that thing comes to a halt when you hit a tree or a semi head-on.

See my other post...........

 

[ShadowsPapa]

As to the original post or question. I've got it figured out.

40% like full width bumpers
40% like stubby bumpers
40% like mid-length bumpers

Those that crawl on boulders prefer shorter bumpers, swept up at the least
Those that run into trees and brush and don't crawl on boulders seem to prefer the full bumper to protect fenders from their run-ins with trees and cows on narrow paths.

All Jeep people seem to like bumpers on both ends of their Jeeps.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Max Tow Gobi with a full width for the win! You’re my new hero!!!

It's actually a Gator but appreciate it. Color changes based on the lighting.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

To each his own, but i like the full width as well and i have the same bumper as jeeperjamie, thanks for the inputs on the fog lights too by the way jamie

Anytime boss, enjoy the bumper!!!

 

[jc1986]

ZERO impact on air bag functionality. It's the sudden stop, the G-forces and other factors. there are no sensors in the bumper itself.
The bumper won't change how fast that thing comes to a halt when you hit a tree or a semi head-on.

See my other post...........

The crumple / crush cans that are in the stock bumpers actually do dissipate the energy from a front impact. This is one of the reasons arb full width bumpers are engineered to repurpose the cans from the stock bumper. Their stubby doesn’t reuse them and in theory the crush cans do aid in airbag deployment and how the energy is transmitted in a front end accident. The energy transferred through the crush cans can make the difference between the airbags deploying or not. The sensors in the vehicle do a lot of computing no doubt.
I could be wrong but that’s one of reasons arb bumpers are popular overseas, that and bumpers require more safety engineering to be road legal. A talented fabricator can build a bumper to be stout but unless they go through strict safety evaluations they will never work in concert with the safety features build in by the oem.

 

[NightFog]

OEM full length steel. Don't like the look of a stubby.
Besides, I don't want people pointing and saying "look at stubby"

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The crumple / crush cans that are in the stock bumpers actually do dissipate the energy from a front impact. This is one of the reasons arb full width bumpers are engineered to repurpose the cans from the stock bumper. Their stubby doesn’t reuse them and in theory the crush cans do aid in airbag deployment and how the energy is transmitted in a front end accident. The energy transferred through the crush cans can make the difference between the airbags deploying or not. The sensors in the vehicle do a lot of computing no doubt.
I could be wrong but that’s one of reasons arb bumpers are popular overseas, that and bumpers require more safety engineering to be road legal. A talented fabricator can build a bumper to be stout but unless they go through strict safety evaluations they will never work in concert with the safety features build in by the oem.

A bit more research comes up thusly -

They (the "crush cans) absorb energy.
They may delay or prevent in the case of a slow speed collision such as up to about 10 mph because they'd absorb the sudden shock., but above a certain speed, the g-forces will be enough cans or not. There's really little substance to the ones that were in my stock bumper.

Typically, a front airbag will deploy for unbelted occupants when the crash is the equivalent of an impact into a rigid wall at 10-12 mph. Most airbags will deploy at a higher threshold — about 16 mph — for belted occupants because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds.

http://kodsiengineering.com/airbag-deployment-decision/

 

[Mojave2021]

The crumple / crush cans that are in the stock bumpers actually do dissipate the energy from a front impact. This is one of the reasons arb full width bumpers are engineered to repurpose the cans from the stock bumper. Their stubby doesn’t reuse them and in theory the crush cans do aid in airbag deployment and how the energy is transmitted in a front end accident. The energy transferred through the crush cans can make the difference between the airbags deploying or not. The sensors in the vehicle do a lot of computing no doubt.
I could be wrong but that’s one of reasons arb bumpers are popular overseas, that and bumpers require more safety engineering to be road legal. A talented fabricator can build a bumper to be stout but unless they go through strict safety evaluations they will never work in concert with the safety features build in by the oem.

Thanks! That’s actually why I was asking the question. I had seen ARB mention how they work with our airbags but I’ve not seen any other bumper mention that. I’d love to find an aluminum option that is setup like the ARB.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Thanks! That’s actually why I was asking the question. I had seen ARB mention how they work with our airbags but I’ve not seen any other bumper mention that. I’d love to find an aluminum option that is setup like the ARB.

Won't impact air bag deployment at highway speeds, any impact if there is any, will be slow speeds.
AND you'd have to actually HIT one of those tiny cans. They are small targets compared to the total width of your truck.

Lack of those crush cans won't cause the airbag to NOT deploy, could I suppose cause it to deploy if you hit a tree on the trail at a lower speed but think about this- those cans are where on the bumper? Not the ends or corners, but in just two places so unless you hit something large enough to hit those cans, like say you hit something in between them - they may as well not be there.
Consider their placement - great for hitting another car or a brick wall. No effect if you ding a tree to the left or the right of those cans.
I think people are over-thinking and overly concerned.
The crush cans are NOT between the bumper and the frame. They are at the ends of the frame horns and IN FRONT OF THE BUMPER, not behind it.
This means that unless you hit something square on those cans, they do NOTHING. Imagine you hit a tree in the center of your bumper - you miss the cans, they do nothing, might as well not be there.

So hit something to the left of the frame rail or to the right of it - hit something at an angle - the crush cans don't get touched!
Unless you hit something pretty square-on, you are going to at most hit one of them, and they are a small target.

Here's a pic (not mine) and look where they are - IN FRONT OF THE BUMPER STRUCTURE -

Now look at where they sit when the bumper is on - yeah, behind the plastic fog light bezel - so what if you hit something or something hits you but misses those plastic bezels? Those crush cans do NOTHING thus can't do a thing to how the air bag deploys.
Those openings inside of the fog lights are where the crush cans fit - there's a lot of Jeep to hit on either side and in between. So unless you hit something WIDE and flat, like a total-head-on, they won't make a difference.

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