[Rustyray13]

I just bought a secondhand bullbar and it has no recovery points next to the hi lift holes arb claim there is only one bar for the jimny there is no evidence of grinding or cutting and the standard black powdercoat is fine just wondering if anyone knows if arb made any like this and why

[Mike57]

I have noticed that on the Jimny bars that are produced now (last year or so) they don't have the tow points. Mine purchased in 2011 has them. Both are winch bars so there are definitely two different designs. I figured they had removed them after determining that they were not rated recovery points and could be mistaken for that and so removed them in case someone was injured and took them to court. Just my theory anyway. I am assuming the older ones had them and the newer ones don't.

[Scorpion0476]

I've had the ARB winch bar whacked on a brand new one about 6 months ago. Went through all the questions with the salesman beforehand to ensure that the bar that I was getting was exactly as pictured/required (with the recovery eyelets on the front). Picked it up and sure enough, no eyelets. After trying to chase them up for three weeks to find out whether a replacement will be sent or are they modifying it to what I paid for, I gave up and got a local engineering company to put some on.

Had one of the other salesman tell me that the existing "tie-down" points on the car are actual recovery points. Hmmm yeah.

As said by many people, unless you own a Cruiser or Patrol they wont go out of their way to rectify stuff.

In saying that, it still is the single best mod for my needs.

Scorp.

[Poz93]

Hey so my story is, I bought my bar late last year so I had front 'recovery points'. I wasn't around at the time (going through basic training) when the bar was fitted and didn't see my car for four months so it wasn't until I got home that I realised they weren't there. So I shot ARB an email back in Brisbane (where I got it from) and I got no reply...

The other week I went to the 'Explore Australia' expo in Melbourne and decided to go ask one of the ARB blokes because he wouldn't be able to run away! He TOLD me its because of airbags? Reckons I didn't get the points because I have airbags.

I had a niggling feeling this wasn't correct because I knew Mike ^^ had the points and was a newer model Jimny than mine; therefore had airbags... I also knew that my oldmans 80 series cruiser had them on his Bullbar and that deffs had airbags. When time permits I'm going to send another email to the store back in Brisbane that I got mine from and if there is any other contactable means because it was slightly annoying...

[Rustyray13]

Ok well it seems im not the only one what are our options for frontal recovery then seeing as the sticker clearly says any modification to the bar is no permitted. So some sort of bolt on option using the mounting bolts for the winch maybe

[Scorpion0476]

Initially I was thinking of getting a 40mm hitch welded into some plate so it could bolt/unbolt into the winch plate. As long as it's for slow pulls/tugs and not redneck snatches, it may be a option.

The reason I say 40mm is if you go 50mm the actual box section will foul on the thermo fan (that's if you want it sitting flush with the front of the bulbar), and you'll need to have the winch plate widened a bit with a grinder.

But I ended up just forgoing the warranty.

Scorp

[Rustyray13]

In my opinion what you have done is fine and assuming the engineering workshop have done a professional job then its just as strong anyway. Id like to know the reason theyve been deleteted does anyone know of any points failing? I can see tge chasis end caps have changed design between my airbag equipped 2002 model and the 2001 model I got the bar off (which had been butchered by arb they drilled 3 holes in chasis rail on drivers side and 5 holes on left side as if they mounted it three times before getting the correct place and when installed the mounting plates covered over all the extra drilling)

[Mike57]

Poz93 you are correct. I have air bags. I think it has something to do with them now selling proper rated recovery points and not wanting people to think the tow points on the bar were recovery points. I sort of agree with that because from my calculations they are quite marginal in terms of any rating. There is another thread (or maybe several) that have discussed Jimny front recovery points.

[Poz93]

"Hi Luke,

After speaking with the Product Manager about your request, he's sent the following response which I hope answers all of your questions.

"Unfortunately the information that you’d received at the Explore Australia Expo that it was to do with airbags was a little misleading. There are a number of reasons why ARB bars don’t always have recovery points. Previous generations of some ARB bars, Jimny included, did have what were referred to as tow points. These points, however, were never rated as a recovery point.

As mentioned in previous correspondence with you ratings of recovery equipment are very specific in how they are rated. The tow points as fitted would not have provided a sufficient rating, especially on angled pulls where the loads exerted can vary greatly depending on factors as simple as whether you are stuck in sand or in deep think High Country mud. Within each recovery there is always going to be a weak point. ARB’s intention is to have the weak point being the recovery strap rather than a fabricated item ie eyelet, or a rated bow shackle which can be potentially life threatening if these break before a strap (though even a broken snatch strap can be extremely dangerous).

A recovery load on an individual tow point exerts considerable force to that point alone. Whilst some people advocate the use of bridle straps between two points bridle straps are only useful in a direct line pull where the load is evenly distributed across the two points. A direct line forward pull is rare so again loads on front points would be unevenly placed between the two points.

The Jimny bar is mounted to the vehicle chassis with two mount plates. The airbag crush cans are within the chassis section and fitment of the ARB bar doesn’t affect the deployment of the airbags. However, uneven loads on each chassis end could have implications on the chassis and hence airbag deployment.

For when forward recovery is required ARB recommend the use of a winch. Loads on a bar when winching, for example, are spread across the face of the bar as the winch is mounted feet forward so loads are on the wider front face of the bar. Rear recoveries can be performed with a centre recovery point in a towbar hitch receiver as loads are spread across the towbar assembly, rather than one offset point.

Unfortunately ARB do not have an aftermarket recovery point available for the front of a Jimny. The ARB winch bar for the Jimny has been designed to protect the front end of the vehicle and to provide the platform to mount a winch for recovery purposes. As recovery and safety are both concepts important to you, we can definitely help with a good price on a Warn or Smittybilt winch to suit to help you out."



This is what I got from the ARB in regards to my questions. Hopefully it clears up any questions!

I was happy to finally get an answer!

[Jezza86]

bummer about the tow points but. id still tow of mine using the bar points over the tiedown points.

[pete_79]

Well that's pretty bloody clear and should be used as reference for the next 5000 questions and new threads started about Jimny front recovery points.