| Author |
Message |
    
Chris Haugo
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 10:16 am: | 
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I have a new '03 Disco that I just wrecked. A bread truck pulled out in front of me.
Anyway, I would like to protect the front of my vehicle.
ARB tells me they won't make a bull bar for the '03 for probably a year. Atlantic British told me one person has installed an ARB bumper on their '03.
Anyone know anything about it or have any advice? |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 10:25 am: |
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Just a guess but I don't think there is enough of a difference from the 1999-2002 D2's and the 2003 D2 to make a difference. I would say go for it but also consider other bumpers. |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 01:00 pm: |
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FWIW someone around here put a rovertym D2 bumper on their 03 so stuff shouldn't be to different. |
Darren
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 01:48 pm: |
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I dont know if you need to replace stronger springs and struts like OME once you put in the aftermarket bumper. I was going to replace mine with the ARB, then I changed my mind. That's because I dont feel like spending more money on shocks/struts. |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 03:30 pm: |
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shocks should be fine, I have seen a disco w/ arb running stock springs and the front sits noticably lower and it bobs up and down when he drives down a bumpy road (he also has a winch though) |
gooddoggomez
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 06:21 pm: |
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I got a ARB winch bar (no winch....yet) on my DII at the dealership, and had a very bumpy front end until I put some OME 777 in (the stock shocks are coping just fine). What a difference they made!!! I will upgrade to HD's front 'n back before the winch goes in though. ie: cheap pair of 777's going soon.... |
gooddoggomez
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 06:35 pm: |
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Just spoke to my mate at the local ARB dealer, they are still waiting for clarification for ARB head office. He reckons that there shouldn't be any problems but they (Land Rover) may have changed the triggering software for the airbags. He said he'd let me know when he hears. |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 09:30 pm: |
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Software and AIR bags have little to do with the bumper. The two sensors are inside the vehicle not on the bumper. If the software was changed then it will affect all bumpers including the stock bumper. |
OLIVER CLOTHSOFF (Everythingleaks)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 10:22 pm: |
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How hard did it hit the bread truck? Did the airbags go off the first time? I rarly see the airbags go off in the disco II anyway. I would just put the ARB on it.
If you had the ARB the first time would you have to shop for another bumper? |
John Davies
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 11:07 pm: |
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Al said: "Software and AIR bags have little to do with the bumper. The two sensors are inside the vehicle not on the bumper. If the software was changed then it will affect all bumpers including the stock bumper."
What about the crush cans? It seems to me that if the '03 was designed with more give in the front end structure, the air bag software would have to take that into account somehow.
Has any reputable company ever documented the impact (pun intended) of putting solid off-road bumpers on the front of a vehicle that was intended to have a crush zone there? Do the airbags still work as designed?
Enquiring mind wants to know.... |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 11:33 pm: |
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John, I'm only guessing here. But given the costs of a total redesign of the front end with more give over just a cosmetic change I would think that Land Rover would have gone with the cosmetic change. As for testing, I know ARB has done it but maybe they're not done with the '03 testing. But there are two sensors (one inertia switch and one chaffing sensor) in the center console that trigger the airbag. The crush cans just reduce the energy transfered to the frame. The current requirement has been in place since Regan was president. As mentioned already, it takes a good impact for the airbags to deploy. Changes would have to be made to the sensors and not something as simple as just a bit change in software if the new cans were different. Either way I would be willing to bet the crush cans for the 2003 and 2002 are the same. You can check with your parts department. |
OLIVER CLOTHSOFF (Everythingleaks)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2003 - 11:37 pm: |
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This is the company that still uses a '60's buick engine and the '03 disco exhaust that will bolt up on a classic. How much could it have changed? |
Ross Thoma (Rossthoma)
| | Posted on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 02:16 am: |
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(FWIW someone around here put a rovertym D2 bumper on their 03 so stuff shouldn't be to different.)
That was me, and there is no change in frame designe, so anything to fit a 2000 and newer that fits on the frame and not the body is no problem to mount.
Ross Thoma |
Carter Simcoe (Carter)
| | Posted on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 10:25 am: |
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Got any pics of that thing Ross?? |
Steve (Steve2)
| | Posted on Friday, January 31, 2003 - 01:06 pm: |
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yes the arb bumper will fit an 03.
any questions?
steve |
Chris Haugo
| | Posted on Sunday, February 02, 2003 - 10:19 pm: |
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Okay, sounds like I have a couple options to replace the stock bumper.
Anyone have any pictures?
Anyone here actually do this? I have some specific questions about it. |
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