Building the Ultimate ARB Front End on Your Ford Bronco: Bumper, Lights, and Air

[Felix808]

@MDrums

I am no longer sure why you'd spend ( just for a twin compressor) upwards of $600-$800 more for an ARB other than it is slightly smaller.

Yeah, I kept looking at replacing my TF300 that is on the way out with an ARB Twin but just can't get over the $1,000+ cost of entry. The MF will be an upgrade over what I have now that has real heat sinks & other improvments.

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[Valhalla]

Your compressor will either win or time around the same as a twin ARB filing up tires. There are review comparisons out there with ARB against Morrflate, EZFlate, Napa and others like this on YouTube. I am no longer sure why you'd spend ( just for a twin compressor) upwards of $600-$800 more for an ARB other than it is slightly smaller.

Oh, I have the EZflate (I think)... I run the summit bumper.

 

[Felix808]

Well after looking at my original compressor I realized it had the metal heat sinks. I wanted to keep it mounted under the hood & I didn't want to chance doing it a 3rd time so hopefully I'm doing it right. Found a good 4th deal and jumped on the ARB Twin train .

 

[Marie_ARB]

Have all of it, with the exception of the lights. That will be next, once my wallet takes a few breaths.

Haha, love to see the build! What is your favorite part?

 

[Marie_ARB]

Other end of the spectrum
Normalize minimal update of what is actually needed.
On the trail: Because everyone has a winch, and is itchy to use it, you don't need one
Air Compressors: Only need if you do rock crawling, maybe snow & severe mud is an example you need it if not rock crawling but that's about it.
Lights: Prioritize what is functional for daily. "Ditch lights"? Really? Fog lights - yea. Be careful not to be a jerk with a blasting yellow array because you think it looks cool to people outside your vehicle.
Markers: yea why not they look cool and dont bother anyone

Building an "off road Bronco" is one thing, living with it is another and using what you screw onto the front of your vehicle is yet another thing. IMO start with the least and have a plan to update if needed.

Thanks for sharing your take; honestly, a good perspective for people reading this thread. Everyone's got different goals for their build and what you actually need depends a lot on that.

For what it's worth, my truck's pretty built out at this point, and no, I'm not using everything on every single trail. But the times I do need it, I'm glad it's there.

I will push back a bit on the onboard air stance though. I've been on plenty of trails that weren't overly technical where I didn't air down going in, then changed my mind partway through. Having a compressor is what let me make that call instead of just toughing it out. Same goes for when a buddy punctured a tire out on the trail. Having an air compressor on hand turned what could've been a long, miserable day into a quick fix, and we kept moving. At the very least, having a portable compressor (which we do offer!) is a must.

That said, we're not trying to tell people to buy everything. The whole point of these posts is just to lay out what's out there and when it actually comes in handy, so people can figure out what makes sense for their own rig instead of feeling like they need the whole lineup.

 

[Marie_ARB]

We love to see our products at work! Awesome shots. What trail is this?

 

[Marie_ARB]

I would love to have this bumper for our farm duties.

I do find my ditch lights have saved me from deer standing close to the road and I think the Summit bumper would be able to take a deer hit if one occurred. I have definitely been sideways missing deer so save some of our vehicles.

I completely agree; ditch lights (and even light bars) are a huge lifesaver for anyone living out in the country where there is wildlife and not very many street lamps.

And you're right on the Summit for farm duty. It's built from heavy steel with a tube-style design, so it's meant to take a hit and keep protecting the truck (and you) rather than just cave in. We haven't tested it on wildlife, not really part of the QC process here at ARB, haha.

Glad you and your rig have stayed safe so far. Sounds like the Summit would fit right in with how you're already using the truck.

 

[Marie_ARB]

You come out West and log a couple hundred miles of washboarded, rock loaded roads, you'll be wishing you'd have lowered your tire pressures.

But you obviously have more off-road experience than I do.

As a PNW native, I approve this message!

 

[Tofudude]

I'm so glad we didn't get the fugly mkii summit bumper...i do think the zenith could use a mkii similar to the current tacoma bumpers

 

[Valhalla]

We love to see our products at work! Awesome shots. What trail is this?

Trail 71 at windrock park.

 

[Marie_ARB]

It would appear ARB has left the chat But if you are still with us, our lockers are electric no $1,000+ air compressor setup needed. But like @MDrums said it just seems so cost prohibitive as I've been shopping for my next compressor.

Hello, we are still here!

A compressor is needed if you plan on installing our lockers. If you're interested, we can absolutely write up a post dedicated to our lockers, which are a great option for Bronco owners who don't have lockers on their truck!

Regarding the compressor purchase, what are you looking for?

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