ARB Bar chipped n rusty. 1 month old, not been off-road yet!

[BIG BRUCE Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BIG BRUCE]

Looked at seven vehicles at work with ARB bars and as I would expect they are all painted in two pack enamel .
Also noticed that at least 50% of them have surface rust , checked the paint dept with an instrument that we use to measure coatings on structures and they certainly wouldn't pass the usual test for long term corrosion resistance .

[AJ Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AJ]

Hi AJ,

can i ask what you payed for the colour coded bar and from which agent? I rang two stores today and they both gave the same price $2040.00 :shock: This is for a bar that will accept a whinch.

Not interested in doing a deal at all.

Cheers

PM'd you the details mate. Also, this is without the fog lights. They can be fittted later if required, but I'm going to look into other options before I do this. Was quoted about $570 for the foggies from the same mob.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
AJ

[dustie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dustie]

Was quoted about $570 for the foggies from the same mob.

AJ

Sounds like a rip off. I bought the IPF Foggies for $320. ARB normally quote $370.

[Deeptank Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Deeptank]

So, I took my Prado back to ARB in Dandenong for their opinion and came back with the precise sum total of bugger all.

They said it the major chip could've "just happened" at any time. This is of course true, but it doesn't say much for the quality of the paint or indeed the underlying powder coat. The fact that the chip is relatively small (about 7mm across, more or less round) would implicate a pretty small stone (or whatever it was). The fact that it did go though paint and powder coat means I cannot reasonably expect either to last that long. This is pretty disappointing, seeing as I bought pretty much the most expensive and 'reputable' product available and only a few weeks of 100% on-road use it is showing its wear and tear. The rest of the front of my Prado doesn't have a single chip on it and this is after a few years of general and off-road use, some of which has been in pretty poor conditions. This can only mean that whatever paint Toyota use must be miles ahead of whatever ARB have used (or jobbed out to some third party company). Jesus, let me pay an extra $50,- for a decent paint and just have to do the job once!

So, armed with buugger all I went to Autobarn and got a small touch up paint and dabbed it over. The colour match was supposed to be bang on, but of course it wasn't. Not the biggest issue in the world as it is 'just a bullbar' and at least the spread of any more rust should be halted, but suffice to say I am pretty pissed off about the whole affair.

Now I am also stuck with what to do next... I was intending on an ARB rear-diff locker, a 2" lift and a snorkel, but after this episode I am tempted to purchase these items elsewhere. Damn, damn, damn...

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Now I am also stuck with what to do next... I was intending on an ARB rear-diff locker, a 2" lift and a snorkel, but after this episode I am tempted to purchase these items elsewhere. Damn, damn, damn...

Where else would you go? Yes it hurts but it's cosmetic, the bars are as tough as.

[dustie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dustie]

Now I am also stuck with what to do next... I was intending on an ARB rear-diff locker, a 2" lift and a snorkel, but after this episode I am tempted to purchase these items elsewhere. Damn, damn, damn...

Maybe you could have struck a deal, if you fix this problem I intend a rear diff locker etc.... :?:

[lofty Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lofty]

Hi AJ,

can i ask what you payed for the colour coded bar and from which agent? I rang two stores today and they both gave the same price $2040.00 :shock: This is for a bar that will accept a whinch.

Not interested in doing a deal at all.

Cheers

PM'd you the details mate. Also, this is without the fog lights. They can be fittted later if required, but I'm going to look into other options before I do this. Was quoted about $570 for the foggies from the same mob.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
AJ

Cheers AJ, will keep in mind for future reference. Wont be doing the deal at the moment unfortunately, my wallet must have a hole in it, and the credit cards melted :!:

[Deeptank Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Deeptank]

Now I am also stuck with what to do next... I was intending on an ARB rear-diff locker, a 2" lift and a snorkel, but after this episode I am tempted to purchase these items elsewhere. Damn, damn, damn...

Where else would you go? Yes it hurts but it's cosmetic, the bars are as tough as.

And right you are... I'll get over it... Might use their current catalogue for kindle and then quietly order a new one... :wink:

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Just out of interest, around the edge of the chip could you see the powder coat under the paint? Powder coat is apparently quite thick and I would have thought you could see it.

Mick

[AJ Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AJ]

Was quoted about $570 for the foggies from the same mob.

AJ

Sounds like a rip off. I bought the IPF Foggies for $320. ARB normally quote $370.

Just checked my quote again. It's actually $475 for the lights and fitting. The prices for the foggies alone was $318, so you're price is pretty bloody good or just for supply.

Also, just got my colour coded deluxe bar fitted today. It looks the goods. 8)

I'd like to thank Big Fella for the "inspiration" in going for the black colour coded look. I'm happy as a pig in....

I'll get some pics up soon, it was dark by the time I got home.

Cheers,
AJ

[dustie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dustie]

[quote="AJ
The prices for the foggies alone was $318, so you're price is pretty bloody good or just for supply.
[/quote]

Sorry, it was supply only. Fixed the lights myself, since the connectors are different got ARB to change it from the toyo stock connector.

With the ARB bash plates the nut & bolt, they come loose when off-roading. I have put nylock nuts instead.

Hope this helps.

[Deeptank Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Deeptank]

Just out of interest, around the edge of the chip could you see the powder coat under the paint? Powder coat is apparently quite thick and I would have thought you could see it.

Mick

No, couldn't really make out any powder coat, but ARB's litarature and the guy in the store both imply that ALL ARB bars are powder coated first as a matter of course. The chipped area had rusted over in no time. I did use a small amount of fine sand paper to scrape of the rust before applying the touch up paint, but still couldn't make out any powder coat.

In my mind I would've thought the powder coat would take a hell of a beating, but evidently not. My collegue has a powder coated bar on his six year old Disco and not one chip on the entire bar - and he puts it through a fair bit.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

So, armed with buugger all I went to Autobarn and got a small touch up paint and dabbed it over. The colour match was supposed to be bang on, but of course it wasn't. Not the biggest issue in the world as it is 'just a bullbar' and at least the spread of any more rust should be halted, but suffice to say I am pretty pissed off about the whole affair.

why didn't u use the touch up paint that came with the car, should be good match.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

No, couldn't really make out any powder coat, but ARB's litarature and the guy in the store both imply that ALL ARB bars are powder coated first as a matter of course

Hmmm... interesting, I'm sure they told me in store that the powder coat is stripped off before painting, but my memory is a little hazy about it now.

The ARB catalogue definitely says the powder coat is a base for painting.

My bar is powder coated only and has had some abuse. The biggest stone chip is only a couple of millimeters across. To me the powder coat seems very hard wearing.

Mick

[Deeptank Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Deeptank]

So, armed with buugger all I went to Autobarn and got a small touch up paint and dabbed it over. The colour match was supposed to be bang on, but of course it wasn't. Not the biggest issue in the world as it is 'just a bullbar' and at least the spread of any more rust should be halted, but suffice to say I am pretty pissed off about the whole affair.

why didn't u use the touch up paint that came with the car, should be good match.

I sure would've, but never got any... I had a small batch of properly colour coded paint from a panel shop from an earlier scratch fix (some twats busted my window in during the night), but despite being stored in a tight container it had dried up.

The main thing, for the time being, was to stop any spread of rust, which would never get better by itself.