ARB Bullbar for Suburban fitment clarification

[upcruiser]

I have been trying to find a bit of clarification on ARB's options for my 2004 K2500 Suburban. On ARB's site, when I plug in my vehicle details it shows me a winch bar at that is listed as Silverado 1500/2500/3500. I know there is a difference between the half ton and 3/4 / 1 ton frames and they list adapter kits. I have seen pics of ARB's on half ton burbs and a variety of Silverados but no pics on any 3/4 ton Suburbans. anyome know if those Bull Bars for the Silverados actually do fit the Burbs? I am sure other folks would find the info helpful too.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Have you considered some of the aluminum bumpers, hop on craigslist or searchtempest and type in aluminum bumper and you will find a few, very popular with the oil field work trucks and most remove the bumpers to sell before trading in the truck.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Ranch Hand makes one, too, for the 2500.
.
http://www.carid.com/2004-chevy-sub...hand-summit-series-front-bumper-15957262.html
.
EDIT: Better link directly to Ranchhand:
.
http://www.ranchhand.com/catalog
.
Search by vehicle. They do make different versions for the 2500 and the 1500.

 

[PGW]

Not sure how accurate it is, but on Rockauto the bumper and bumper mount parts (for the 2500 SUV's) cross reference to 1/2 ton models. You may have to order a bumper for a 1/2 ton and maybe/maybe not have to make a few tweaks for it to fit.

 

[njtacoma]

I have no information to ad, except if you put a ARB on your suburban you may finally pull me away from my van lust over to suburban lust.

hmmmm

 

[upcruiser]

Have you considered some of the aluminum bumpers, hop on craigslist or searchtempest and type in aluminum bumper and you will find a few, very popular with the oil field work trucks and most remove the bumpers to sell before trading in the truck.

I will take a look, have only seen applications for the trucks in the past. Are 3/4 trucks and Suburbans interchangeable for the given years? That's part of my original question I guess is if the frames are the same and bumper options interchangeable.

 

[upcruiser]

Ranch Hand makes one, too, for the 2500.
.
http://www.carid.com/2004-chevy-sub...hand-summit-series-front-bumper-15957262.html
.
EDIT: Better link directly to Ranchhand:
.
http://www.ranchhand.com/catalog
.
Search by vehicle. They do make different versions for the 2500 and the 1500.

I have a Ranch Hand grill guard on it right now, which is pretty stout and seems to be similar to the bumper aside from the integrated bumper and front receiver.



I would prefer something that didn't wrap around and had the ability to install a winch. We were originally planning to keep this rig fairly stock but I am toying with idea of getting rid of our 80 series Land Cruiser which is a bit more built up and ready for more rugged adventures. If I did, I would want to set up the Burb a bit more to make it a little bit better suited for more technical stuff. Just trying to see what the options are out there. Was going to have the guys at Roam auto fab up a rear bumper with a spare tire swing out too. I love this platform, just wish it had a bit more aftermarket for people like me who don't have fab skills.

 

[upcruiser]

Not sure how accurate it is, but on Rockauto the bumper and bumper mount parts (for the 2500 SUV's) cross reference to 1/2 ton models. You may have to order a bumper for a 1/2 ton and maybe/maybe not have to make a few tweaks for it to fit.

Yeah I saw that, it kind of added to my confusion a bit. Haha In the end, that probably is the way to go. Just expect some tweaking. Outside of potentially some frame differences, the front end dimensions are identical from 1500 to 2500 so at least I have that going.

 

[upcruiser]

I have no information to ad, except if you put a ARB on your suburban you may finally pull me away from my van lust over to suburban lust.

hmmmm

We were considering the van thing before we got this, almost pulled the trigger on a Sprinter but decided for the winter weather and the need for more towing capacity the Suburban was the way to go. I do miss the idea of all that glorious space in a Sprinter or even domestic van though.....

 

[p nut]

Just out of curiosity, why not just have the same guys making the rear bumper make the front as well? ARB is great, but so heavy. They don't make a bumper for my F150 anyways, so I have been in contact with custom fab people. Local guy makes aluminum bumpers that are lighter than the steel versions. I'll probably go that route myself.

https://www.rockslideengineering.com/product/gmc-sierra-front-bumper/

Maybe these guys can shed some light on your question, though.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Just out of curiosity, why not just have the same guys making the rear bumper make the front as well? ARB is great, but so heavy. They don't make a bumper for my F150 anyways, so I have been in contact with custom fab people. Local guy makes aluminum bumpers that are lighter than the steel versions. I'll probably go that route myself.

https://www.rockslideengineering.com/product/gmc-sierra-front-bumper/

Maybe these guys can shed some light on your question, though.

Rockslide makes some great products.

 

[1stDeuce]

You won't find a steel bumper that looks similar to the ARB that weighs less. I put an ARB on my truck and I could pick it up and move it by myself. Try that with a Ranch Hand or Road Armor, or any other steel bumper and you'll pass out before you get it off the ground...

To answer your question, the bumper that fits a 2500 'burb would also fit the early '99-02 1500HD and 2500 (non-HD) trucks. Mounting kit 4. (See ARB application guide here) Well, the bumpers are all pretty much the same, it's the fit kit that differs.

Your 2500 'burb does not use the same frame/geometry as the 2500/3500 "HD" trucks, but rather the early 2500 non-HD and 1500HD models. Suburbans and Tahoes also never got the "avalanche face", so they use the earlier bumer p/n as well. This is a good thing, IMO.

 

[upcruiser]

Just out of curiosity, why not just have the same guys making the rear bumper make the front as well? ARB is great, but so heavy. They don't make a bumper for my F150 anyways, so I have been in contact with custom fab people. Local guy makes aluminum bumpers that are lighter than the steel versions. I'll probably go that route myself.

https://www.rockslideengineering.com/product/gmc-sierra-front-bumper/

Maybe these guys can shed some light on your question, though.

Thanks for the link. Regarding having one fabbed, I figure if one already exists it would probably be cheaper. I have had several ARB's and they have served me well. The pics of an ARB on a white Silverado looked pretty sharp to my eye.

 

[upcruiser]

You won't find a steel bumper that looks similar to the ARB that weighs less. I put an ARB on my truck and I could pick it up and move it by myself. Try that with a Ranch Hand or Road Armor, or any other steel bumper and you'll pass out before you get it off the ground...

To answer your question, the bumper that fits a 2500 'burb would also fit the early '99-02 1500HD and 2500 (non-HD) trucks. Mounting kit 4. (See ARB application guide here) Well, the bumpers are all pretty much the same, it's the fit kit that differs.

Your 2500 'burb does not use the same frame/geometry as the 2500/3500 "HD" trucks, but rather the early 2500 non-HD and 1500HD models. Suburbans and Tahoes also never got the "avalanche face", so they use the earlier bumer p/n as well. This is a good thing, IMO.

Ok cool, that is super helpful, thank you. Funny I can't find a single image of a 3/4 ton Suburban of my generation with one. Yeah the Ranch Hand Stuff is super heavy. The grill guard on my truck feels almost as heavy as my Land Cruiser's bullbar.