Thread: Question RE ARB Bullbar, Recovery Points and the Plastic Air Ram

Rotating the gearbox etc on winches is a listed step in the ARB fitting instructions for winches on their website (for an NT Pajero at least). If the ARB workshop has not done this, then i would be taking it back and getting them to rectify free of charge!

All fixed, I brought it back to ARB and the guy that installed it was not aware that it could be rotated. But they were more then happy to rectify, so all is good now!

Originally Posted by lr4

All fixed, I brought it back to ARB and the guy that installed it was not aware that it could be rotated. But they were more then happy to rectify, so all is good now!

Scary thought that the fitter is so inept that he didnt know this...

I suggest you never, ever take your vehicle back there again

Did you get the plastic under tray re-fitted - it assists airflow into the right areas...

Originally Posted by Tombie

Scary thought that the fitter is so inept that he didnt know this...

I suggest you never, ever take your vehicle back there again

With my first D3, which was one of the first to be fitted with the bar + XP winch, the main (Ossie Pk Perth) ARB dealer didn't know either. When I took it back to them to ask how I was supposed to disengage the clutch, there were a lot of scratching-head moments, before they rather reluctantly realised that they'd have to remove the bar to rotate it. This was after several techies came away with bruised knuckles trying to show me how you could squirm your arm into the opening and reach the release lever.

Cheers,

Gordon

ARB = Are Rough Bastards

This is a very timely topic as my ARB bullbar and Tigerz 11 12,000lb winch have just been fitted to my D3 by "Ritters" and they rang me this evening to say that it's ready to pick up tomorrow morning but there is a slight problem with the position of the free-spool handle and I'll have to try to see if my hand will fit into the hole to operate the switch otherwise I'll have to run my cable out using the winch motor (not ideal).....they obviously haven't come up against this problem before and I had no knowledge of it.... anyway I have just sent them an e-mail with a link to this topic and I'll talk to them in the morning to see what can be done about it. It may mean the bar has to come off - a pain for all concerned (and Ritters have been great to me so far) so I'll keep you informed of my progress with this little "problem".....

I fitted the Tigerz11 12000lb on the D4 myself after I got the bar fitted by ARB without taking the bar off.
The winch would not go in the ARB bar in the original holes as it fouled on the body at the back (just). I drilled a new set down about an inch with a bit of trouble and a trip to bunnings to get a 90 degree gear thing for the drill (about $14.00) so i could drill from the rear.

A tip I got from another forum was to cut the heads of four 3/8" bolts and screw them into the winch before lifting into position. These hold the weight while you replace them one at a time with the proper bolts that still have the heads on them. (this stops the nuts falling out while you are putting it in place.)
I also had to cut the hole where the rope goes out down about 3/8" and get an offset hawse fairlead, but all good now.
I rotated the gearbox about 3 holes = 3*36deg=108deg, so its just forward of vertical. I can get my hand down to select the free spool even with the spot lights fitted.
A bit of skin off the knuckles but I am not sure I would have got the same result from the installers who did the bar. Also found when I was doing it that they had just left the extra transmission oil cooler I had had fitted before the bar was fitted hanging in the breeze after they removed the cross member and the ARB bar was about 1" lower. They just put a zip tie in to bridge the now 1" gap.
I pop riveted some 25mm square aluminium tube in to pick up the original bracket so it all solid again.
Its good to do it yourself sometime I think.

Regards
Gerry

Originally Posted by disco4now

Its good to do it yourself sometime I think.

I am glad you managed to complete the install, but it's frustrating to hear that you paid good money for supposed experienced people to install to what should have been a better than minimum standard. Any they left the oil cooler hanging in the breeze! That could have been a disaster waiting to happen!

Anyways, anytime a business does work for me (on vehicle, house, at work, or anything), I end up conducting a detail inspection of that work. With the ARB bar & winch install, I removed all the stone trays so that I could get behind the bar and inspect & torque all bolts & check & zip tie all winch cables & other electric cables. Trust no one but yourself!