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ARB Bullbar Delayed

79K views 338 replies 61 participants last post by  BobT 
#1 ·
I received an email from ARB today regarding the GC bullbar....

Due to huge demand for our products and the release of numerous new and facelift vehicles in the last 12 months (many of which are fleet and trade vehicles), the Grand Cherokee bar development has been delayed. We're hoping to have something ready later this year but unfortunately I can't give you a more accurate ETA at this stage.

Kind regards, Sam (marketing).
 
#225 ·
Here's some pics of an arb bar on a white MY14. Two things people need to know, if your running 275 tyre's they will rub at full lock at normal ride height and apparently the front recover point is not designed for snatching, only towing :mad:.
Just wanted to say this is my favourite looking rig on the forum to date. Not sold on the ARB bar, but the de-chroming, rock rails, black rims and aggressive tyres look the business.

You've convinced me to go for the ST Maxx tyres..... I think :huh:

How did you go about the dechroming, was it plastidipped in place or did you remove and paint the trim?
 
#211 ·
Looks nice colour coded. Are you able to trim a bit off the black skirt to give a bit more clearance?
 
#213 ·
What tyres do you have on there? The writing looks like Cooper Discoverer AT3, but the sidewall looks a bit different.
 
#219 ·
Ahhh, I think the STs are a bit oversized for a 65 Profile, might not be a problem on other 276/65R18s.

Looks like the STMaxx will be landing soon in this size, I'm a little worried about rubbing, given they are also said to be a bit bigger than the average tyre in this size.
 
#220 ·
There is no doubt that a wider low profile tyre has an aesthetic appeal no doubt because of its association with motor sport, however, performance wise, there is nothing in it. Intuitively one would think a wider tyre has advantages on sand but this is not necessarily the case. It is the bow wave of sand that a tyre has to push that saps the car's energy and eventually bogs it. The trick of course is to lower the tyre pressure thereby getting a larger foot print, more floatation and therefore a lower bow wave. All things being equal, a wider tyre always pushes a wider bow wave. This is why old landrovers did so well with their skinny tyres. On bitumen, wider tyres usually mean more sprung weight which is not beneficial to handling. What I'm saying is, if you want cool, go wide, if you want performance, don't bother.
 
#221 · (Edited)
That makes a lot of sense. I was talking about the diameter on the ST and ST Maxx being a bit larger than other 65 series profile tyres. Although looking at the 'specs' it seems there may only be 5mm in it. But I have read on some forums the ST Maxx is considerably bigger..... not sure.

I like the 65 series because it gives you a 'little' more height and a little more side wall to play with. It also fills out the wheel arch a bit more. Anyway, sorry to go off topic.

edit: A big issue for tyre weight is LT construction vs Passenger. If I wasn't worried about the strength I'd go for the P to save ~20kg
 
#222 · (Edited)
edit: A big issue for tyre weight is LT construction vs Passenger. If I wasn't worried about the strength I'd go for the P to save ~20kg
Very true! Also remember that P tyres and wide ones even more so, buldge out and with the soft sidewalls, are vulnerable off-road. Punctured sidewalls casn't be plugged.
 
#224 ·
BobT your absolutely correct with tyre width, the only medium fatties will work better in is mud to my knowledge. If I could get tall pizza cutters in 18" I would,
As for rubbing I think any 275 tyre would rub on the arb bar, I'll take a pic to show how bad it is.
 
#227 ·
Here's a picture of the wheel rubbing, the car is at ORI with the wheel at full lock. If you look closely you can just see a black line behind the lugs were it slightly rubs in ORI. The diagonal line of bare metal and smudged dirt to the right of the tyre is were it rubs at normal ride height. The other pics are of the skirt removed and what's behind it.
I've also had one of the park sensors in the bullbar fall back into the bar cavity now, I was a bit disappointed to find out it was essentially held in place with nothing more than heavy duty two tape...
 

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#229 ·
This might be of some value to anyone having dramas with their acc after getting a bullbar fitted. It's the instructions for setting up the radar on an ARB bar but it should be the same for any of the other bullbars too.
1. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground, this should be checked with a spirit level.
2. Place a spirit level on the front face of the radar. The face has to be perpendicular to the level ground, so 90 degrees and parallel to the front face (I'm assuming this is the front face of the bar) with a tolerance of +/- 1 degree. If your within this tolerance you should be good to go, if not you'll need to access the back of the radar to adjust it.
3. Using a T20 Torx driver, adjust the radar so that it is within the above tolerances (The radar is held in place with three legs that clip into black plastic fittings that are attached to the car/bracket, the Torx bit fits into the back of these black fittings)

Just an update with my bar. I took it back to ARB to resecure the parking sensors after three of them fell out and while they had it, they also moved the bar as far forward as they could (and still be ADR compliant) to eliminate my tyres rubbing.
 

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#230 ·
Thanks Wadeus,
I've just had the ARB bar fitted, and am pleased with it. The radar works fine. Some false alarms from the parking sensors as if they are pointed down a bit too far.
Main issue is that after reading your posts, I discovered that my tyres are rubbing just a bit, on park/entry suspension setting and about 2/3 lock. I assume this would happen on full bump as well. My tyres are BFG 260/65/18. Did moving the bar forward fix it for,you, and what size are your tyres?
Russell
 
#231 ·
Hi Russell

My tyre size is 275/65/18. At normal ride height it seems ok on flat ground but if I drove up a kerb at full lock it would rub. Not sure about entry/exit height as I rarely use it but I imagine it would rub badly. Hope this helps.

Wade


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#232 ·
Russell FYI, and as discussed recently, the BFG AT generally has a wider tread than many equivalent sized competitors. Whilst your size has a smaller sectional width to Wade's, the tread might be around the same width. Maybe compare the data for your tyres against that for Wade's Cooper STs.

There's also some recent discussion about contact with BFG ATs on the OEM guard liners etc somewhere too. Probably either the Off Road 18"s thread or the AT thread.

Cheers,
Steve
 
#233 ·
Thanks Wade, Steve. It is almost certainly the very square edges of the BFGs which is the problem. If there were more rounded I'm sure they'd miss. It's a bit annoying because I specifically asked ARB to check the clearance. I had a quick look when I picked it up, but only looked at the point where the tyre was closest to the OEM guards (but didn't actually rub) - these are rubbing further down on the protection plate added with the bar.
I'll do a bit more testing today at normal ride height, but I think it will be OK. I might see if I can get ARB in Alice Springs to move the bar forward while I am there for a few days on the way to the Kimberley. I assume Wade, that fixed yours.
Russell
 
#234 ·
Does anyone happen to know if ARB stores are company owned or franchises? I.e., is it likely that the Alice Springs shop will work on a warranty job with a bar installed by another store?
Thanks, Russell
 
#236 ·
Thanks Wade. Looks like it was an effective solution. I found out that the Alice Springs store is a corporate store, but in reality, I guess tyres larger than the oem's are not really their problem. Doesn't matter much, but if it can be moved like yours was, that would be better than cutting and welding.
From the tyre size specs, it looks like the tread width on our tyres is identical, while yours are a couple of mm larger radius. Probably more dependent on the exact bar installation than anything else.
Thanks,
Russell
 
#237 ·
I have just got BaaBaaa back from the ARB store in Alice 1/2 hour ago after getting the bullbar fitted. Finished up taking till past 6pm as they had a hard time fitting the ACC sensor. I got the colour matched black and it looks very sweet.. Since my car has been in limp mode since Monday due to the electronic throttle control error I didn't have a chance to test out the ACC. Will test it out on the weekend after it is fixed. As for the ARB store being corporate or not... I found that out when I asked could they fit the Lightforce spotlights I won.. Got a resounding "No", not allowed to..


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#243 ·
Does anyone know if the new ARB Bullbar will fit the Summit?

Would not have thought there was that amount of difference in the Summit bumper, but the couple of ARB stores I called this morning said that the comments on the Bullbar state that fitment is not confirmed for Summit models and that they would not look at trying to fit one until it could be confirmed!
 
#244 ·
#245 ·
Just a heads up to anyone with an ARB bar, you may want to check how your felt wheel arch liners are attached to the bar. Mine were just tucked in behind the tabs of the lower wing panels and the side of the bar.
When I was airing the tyres up the other day, I noticed both liners had come out (I suspect during a water crossing) and the right hand side tyre had rubbed right through the liner, you can see the air compressor through the hole in the pic's. So yeah, if your liners are just tucked in like mine were, grab some steel cables ties or something and secure them properly.
 

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#246 ·
The Uneek bar is exactly the same and when I questioned them and asked why there wasnt tabs on the bar to allow the liners to be properly fixed they said that the body and the bar flex differently and therefore the liners could not be securely fixed?

Legitimate or just an excuse for a crappy finnish I dont know
 
#253 ·
That's disappointing Mark... I'm sorry to hear that you've been let down because I know that you've been particular about getting what you want.

Perhaps putting a few photos up highlighting your concerns would make you feel better? Or are you still negotiating a resolution?

Cheers,
Steve
 
#254 ·
Thanks Steve

Uneek have kinda washed there hands of things, and it makes it really hard dealing with the east coast.
Things are just bounced between Uneek who say it is an Installer issue and the Installer saying it is the way it is designed??

I will take some pictures while out and about over the weekend
Probably my biggest erk with the sliders is that they are shown on the Uneek website all nice and flush, mine (and a number of others that I have heard from) the top step bends up around where the Uneek name is cut in, just because the rivets clash with the bottom pipe and wont allow it to sit flush?

So whether they have made the steps narrower or changed the position of their emblem????
The Bull Bar arriving chipped and touched up :( and it sits hard up on the front bumper in places! Now whether this is a result of the Summit having a different bumper I dont know - but dont say something fits it it doesnt actually fit

Just little things in the finish of the products that severely let the whole product down
 

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