Bumpers & protection Dirtbox Overland Modular Winch Bumper & Bullbar Kit

[MileHigh]

Modular Winch Bumper & Bullbar Kit​

Looks like and interesting bumper and winch and bull bar in a nice looking package. Plus a ‘hidden’ winch spool, that has some access.

Modular Winch Bumper & Bullbar Kit | INEOS Grenadier / Quartermaster

This is the whole kit and kaboodle! Our modular front bumper with a 13,500 lb. winch mount, skid plate, and bullbar or pre-runner bar is hands down the strongest, most complete front-end protection system available anywhere. CORE FEATURES & CONSTRUCTION The system is built to withstand extreme...

dirtboxoverland.com

Video:

The INEOS Grenadier Bumper Problem — Solved​

View: https://youtu.be/aIJAprKkmVM?si=Xcp1hpa2H0sIRE9e


Text from video:

The INEOS Grenadier bumper problem — solved.This modular INEOS Grenadier winch bumper & bull bar system was engineered to deliver maximum protection without the weight, suspension sag, airflow issues, or complicated installs found in many aftermarket front bumpers.Designed for both the INEOS Grenadier and Quartermaster, this true bolt-on front bumper system features:• Integrated 12,000 lb winch mount• Modular bull bar & pre-runner bar options• Mega-duty skid plate protection• Improved radiator & auxiliary cooler airflow• Factory ADAS / radar compatibility• High-strength heat-treated steel construction• Easy drop-in winch installation• No cutting. No welding. No suspension sag.Built for real off-road recovery, overlanding, and harsh trail conditions.Engineered by Couch Off-Road Engineering in Colorado.Product Page:https://dirtboxoverland.com/products/...

 

[NQ94]

Nice bull bar looks good, I like the modular design. An Aussie version of the bar needs to lean back and with the ADR bull bar testing it will do well in Australia even at the $2400 USD and import costs.
A lot of the current bull bar designs are based on Australian designs that meet Australian Design Rules for air bag compatibility so the top bar has to be near vertical or lean back. The rules stopped us making legal forward leaning bars with straight ends for cars 25 years ago.

 

[BoatTox]

Nice bull bar looks good, I like the modular design. An Aussie version of the bar needs to lean back and with the ADR bull bar testing it will do well in Australia even at the $2400 USD and import costs.
A lot of the current bull bar designs are based on Australian designs that meet Australian Design Rules for air bag compatibility so the top bar has to be near vertical or lean back. The rules stopped us making legal forward leaning bars with straight ends for cars 25 years ago.

As someone who just has had this bull bar installed. Are the ADR air bag compatability requirements because if it hits something the air bags won't deploy? Is it because it could hit too high on another car and not allow the airbags to deploy on the other car? I didn't know about this. As far as I know the US doesn't have this requirement, but that doesn't mean I want to endanger my passengers or others on the road. Thanks for any input.

UPDATE: As we do these days, I asked Claude.. Here is the response if anyone is interested. Please let me know it if got anything wrong.

"Good question, and it’s worth getting the history right because the two concerns (your airbags vs. harm to others) have very different implications for you.

What drove the Australian ADR changes

The push to restrict forward-projecting bull bars in Australia — roughly mid-to-late 1990s, culminating in tighter standards through ADR 42/04 and related rules — was primarily driven by pedestrian safety, not airbag protection. Traditional roo bars that swept forward and upward were striking pedestrians at the torso/chest rather than the legs, dramatically worsening injury severity. That was the public health and policy driver.

The airbag deployment concern is real but secondary, and it’s specifically about your own vehicle’s airbags. A rigid forward-projecting structure changes the crash deceleration pulse — the rate and shape of the decel curve that the airbag control module uses to decide whether to fire. A bull bar that absorbs or transfers energy differently than the stock bumper can cause the sensors to see a “slow” crash signature even in a hard impact, potentially delaying or preventing deployment. So that’s an occupant-protection concern for the person inside Winston, not a concern about what your bar does to someone you rear-end.

US regulatory picture

There is no federal equivalent. NHTSA has no ADR-style geometric restriction on bull bar or bumper bar angle or projection. Aftermarket bumpers in the US fall into a regulatory gap — FMVSS governs the vehicle as manufactured, and once you modify it, the liability framework shifts to you, but there’s no bull bar geometry rule you’d be violating. You are not creating a legal exposure specific to bar angle under US federal law.

That said, the physics don’t change based on jurisdiction. A forward-projecting rigid structure that hits a pedestrian still does more harm than a compliant one, and the crash pulse concern for your own airbags is still worth thinking about — especially since Couch/Dirtbox engineered this bumper for a platform that is sold in Australia, so they’ve presumably thought carefully about the ADR requirements."

I never seem to ask a bad question to Claude. So it looks like Pedestrian risk and people in my vehicle at greatest risk. Part of why I wanted it is to protect my Grenny from mammals, but it wasn't humans.

and these idiots

I just pulled up a picture of my Jeep:

... Sitting on 37s I wouldn't be surprised if my current bull bar is just a few inches lower than the new one. It definitely extends out further.

 

[MileHigh]

What is the relationship between the US distributor and the Australian model? Are they the same thing?

 

[cyson]

As much as I like the stuff dirtbox builds, I’m afraid to see their prices. Whole different magnitude.

 

[Commodore]

It a great product any they build top end stuff but that is more than I’m going to spend. If I lived somewhere with wild life on the road at night then I would think differently

 

[BoatTox]

It a great product any they build top end stuff but that is more than I’m going to spend. If I lived somewhere with wild life on the road at night then I would think differently

Yeah, thank you for understanding my perspective. On the same truck I had $14,000 one time and $7000 another time. $7000 from a deer was just a hit at 25 miles an hour. The larger one with me on the main highway coming home at dusk. Deer jumped from the bottom of a 6 foot ditch and hit dead center in my grill while I was driving at 60 miles an hour. I never saw anything, just pink mist. All that was left was a single leg. The year before that someone a few miles away was driving home in their pick up, hit the deer and it went a little higher through the windshield and killed him.

Strength in front of the vehicle has contributed to my built thoughts for some reason

 

[BoatTox]

Returning to our regular scheduled program. Livestock and Deer aside, the bumper is modular. If you don't want it, it reduces the cost. There were many other reasons that I spent time with Jay discussing this bumper. Other things that affected my choice:

1. Comparing to many other bumpers on the market the bumper is strengthened and reinforced on its own in ways that made me feel it would be a long term durable product.
2. I have seen other posts on the forums and I think a few things on YouTube about mud intrusion, difficult cleaning said intrusion, and bending or breaking of the aux coolers. Somewhere I saw a post/video of someone in the lead of a group going through some ice and it packed it and broke the mounting points of the coolers. Someone I think also mentioned a rock strike breaking one. The changes Jay made mitigates this a lot compared to other bumpers. For me this will be farm work as much as fun runs, but I drive through fescue that gets tall in certain parts of the year, and I don't want that packing into these areas. I really don't want a grass fire. Jay was thinking of the same thing but from his experience with safaris.
3. He also rerouted the air flow making it harder for the mud to make it up to the engine bay and you can blow out the areas that are clogged easier with an air hose. (I will have to have him demonstrate that to me when we meet up).
4. To do all of this , keep the weight down, and keep the center part of the bumper with the same approach angle (slightly improved like 1-2 degrees), and significantly improve the outside corners of the bumpers approach angle, was amazing to me. Form follows function.
5. This also allowed me to upsize tires without thinking of a lift, which I'm hesitant to do. (Other bumpers do this so not unique to his, but I also love the look of this bumper).
6. Hiding the winch is something I want as I only use it sparingly for farm work or adventures hopefully. For aesthetics I'm ready to not have mine exposed. I wanted to keep the outside mostly free of other items. I love the look of the Grenny and wanted to keep it as close to the original look as possible outside. (again others do this as well)
7. Jay's willingness to help me troubleshoot my antenna situation (I love Agile Offroads solution but we have many trees that catch things on narrow paths on the trails and at home around me. Putting the antenna on the side grab rails would just be something else to hang up on. Also I only use the radio in our small group, typically less than 4 people, and in hilly country not wide open spaces, so the longer antennas are not needed). Jay helped me decide and worked on placement. He also was willing to custom mount the antenna anywhere I wanted but was also willing to think through and discuss with me changes I might make in the future that might need a different antenna. He came up with a solution that lets me move forward and make changes as needed without being stuck on the original solution.
8. Jay was also willing to work with another company to assist with other parts of my build and he worked with Jeff Brooks at Accessories Inc and together they made just what I wanted.
9. All of these things were worth the extra money and time needed to get the solution I was most happy with. I feel very happy with my purchase and I couldn't recommend both Dirtbox Overland and Accessories Inc. enough.

Hopefully this might answer questions for anyone considering this setup.

 

[washingthegreaseoff]

Returning to our regular scheduled program. Livestock and Deer aside, the bumper is modular. If you don't want it, it reduces the cost. There were many other reasons that I spent time with Jay discussing this bumper. Other things that affected my choice:

1. Comparing to many other bumpers on the market the bumper is strengthened and reinforced on its own in ways that made me feel it would be a long term durable product.
2. I have seen other posts on the forums and I think a few things on YouTube about mud intrusion, difficult cleaning said intrusion, and bending or breaking of the aux coolers. Somewhere I saw a post/video of someone in the lead of a group going through some ice and it packed it and broke the mounting points of the coolers. Someone I think also mentioned a rock strike breaking one. The changes Jay made mitigates this a lot compared to other bumpers. For me this will be farm work as much as fun runs, but I drive through fescue that gets tall in certain parts of the year, and I don't want that packing into these areas. I really don't want a grass fire. Jay was thinking of the same thing but from his experience with safaris.
3. He also rerouted the air flow making it harder for the mud to make it up to the engine bay and you can blow out the areas that are clogged easier with an air hose. (I will have to have him demonstrate that to me when we meet up).
4. To do all of this , keep the weight down, and keep the center part of the bumper with the same approach angle (slightly improved like 1-2 degrees), and significantly improve the outside corners of the bumpers approach angle, was amazing to me. Form follows function.
5. This also allowed me to upsize tires without thinking of a lift, which I'm hesitant to do. (Other bumpers do this so not unique to his, but I also love the look of this bumper).
6. Hiding the winch is something I want as I only use it sparingly for farm work or adventures hopefully. For aesthetics I'm ready to not have mine exposed. I wanted to keep the outside mostly free of other items. I love the look of the Grenny and wanted to keep it as close to the original look as possible outside. (again others do this as well)
7. Jay's willingness to help me troubleshoot my antenna situation (I love Agile Offroads solution but we have many trees that catch things on narrow paths on the trails and at home around me. Putting the antenna on the side grab rails would just be something else to hang up on. Also I only use the radio in our small group, typically less than 4 people, and in hilly country not wide open spaces, so the longer antennas are not needed). Jay helped me decide and worked on placement. He also was willing to custom mount the antenna anywhere I wanted but was also willing to think through and discuss with me changes I might make in the future that might need a different antenna. He came up with a solution that lets me move forward and make changes as needed without being stuck on the original solution.
8. Jay was also willing to work with another company to assist with other parts of my build and he worked with Jeff Brooks at Accessories Inc and together they made just what I wanted.
9. All of these things were worth the extra money and time needed to get the solution I was most happy with. I feel very happy with my purchase and I couldn't recommend both Dirtbox Overland and Accessories Inc. enough.

Hopefully this might answer questions for anyone considering this setup.

I think we all appreciate the thinking that went into this bumper.

Jay mentioned in his video about airflow and cooling. Would love to hear your experiences after living with it for a while and whether there's any changes to how engine cooling is functioning with the bumper installed.

 

[MileHigh]

So, what would be the most competitive option to this?

At $2400, that includes a winch too, right?

35 inch tires with this bumper, no lift needed?

Also, even with a winch, you don’t need to change the stock springs?

That seems like some pretty good advantages and save some cash that you wouldn’t need to spend on other winch/bumpers.

I’m also going to be driving in areas with a lot of moose and elk, so a bit more protection is not bad.

 

[Commodore]

So, what would be the most competitive option to this?

At $2400, that includes a winch too, right?

35 inch tires with this bumper, no lift needed?

Also, even with a winch, you don’t need to change the stock springs?

That seems like some pretty good advantages and save some cash that you wouldn’t need to spend on other winch/bumpers.

I’m also going to be driving in areas with a lot of moose and elk, so a bit more protection

The price with the bull bar is $3,250 and that does NOT include a winch. It is extremely well made and Jay builds great stuff and you pay for that.

 

[MileHigh]

The price with the bull bar is $3,250 and that does NOT include a winch. It is extremely well made and Jay builds great stuff and you pay for that.

Thanks, I guess 'kit and kaboodle' isn't what I thought it was- though it is all the bumper, the bull bar is the add.

Which winches are compatible ? $1000-1500 for one?

To me, teh GP factor is the closest one? $3500 for the new bumper section and winch (which is currently out of stock) and the $1800 for bull bars.

Not clear if the Dirtbox bumper+winch needs new springs, but the Dirtbox gives you different edge sections and a new front skid plate too.

When you have to look at a GP Factor product to try to justify cost....

 

[Commodore]

Thanks, I guess 'kit and kaboodle' isn't what I thought it was- though it is all the bumper, the bull bar is the add.

Which winches are compatible ? $1000-1500 for one?

To me, teh GP factor is the closest one? $3500 for the new bumper section and winch (which is currently out of stock) and the $1800 for bull bars.

Not clear if the Dirtbox bumper+winch needs new springs, but the Dirtbox gives you different edge sections and a new front skid plate too.

When you have to look at a GP Factor product to try to justify cost....

You are likely going to want new springs for any bumper and winch that you add. That’s a fair bit of weight way out front.

 

[QM DYDRM aka ADVAW8S]

Not swaying you from Jay's set up. My bumper was 2800, this included a bull bar. My carbon off road winch was on sale and I paid 800. All in it was 3600 before shipping. But I damaged my side bumper earlier. That replacement price was 700, then the cost for GP center section was 3500 plus bull bar. It was cheaper buying a whole bumper and winch than paying for sections.

 

[Brad@SuperiorCO]

A lot of good points made throughout. If you don't need a bumper like this, the truck looks great without it. And for looks, a bolt on bar works fine.

I had the GP Factor winch and it was great. I now have a The Cruiser Company bumper and it is great, similar properties to Jay's, only the winch is in your face, which isn't my favorite. However, if Jay would have been 9 months sooner to the market I would have the Dirtbox bumper.

I like the "hidden" winch, the grill over the radiators, the monocoqe design. And Jay builds well engineered products. We called these cattle catchers in Nevada, and they are worth their weight in gold on dark Nevada roads, which is why I have one.

The cost isn't for everyone, we are in a niche market and building steel products in lots of 10 is expensive. Heck, buying a Gren is expensive.

 

[Mister_BevilAcqua]

The Dirt Box bumper is the best-looking one on the market, and I think I can safely say one of, if not the most, overbuilt as well. It's far and away at the top of my list at the moment. I am just waiting to see it in person and get some real-world feedback from another user here before I pull the trigger.

I do like the bumpers from The Cruiser Company and CA Tuned as well. I would default to the Dissent bumper if they still offered it, as I am a huge fan of their designs. Expedition One makes solid stuff with attractive designs, but they have the worst customer service and powder coating in the industry. I have been bitten by them in the past, and a buddy recently got screwed over by them as well on some GX parts; never again.

 

[MileHigh]

For some reason I always talk my self into the more expensive options. My wife kind of got me into that mindset. I was always looking for the best ‘deal’, while my wife just assumes that the most expensive one is the best- and frankly it’s right way more than it’s wrong. That and I’m drawn to the most engineered option- often more expensive- and this option seems to tag that.

 

[carlg007]

The Dirt Box bumper is the best-looking one on the market, and I think I can safely say one of, if not the most, overbuilt as well. It's far and away at the top of my list at the moment. I am just waiting to see it in person and get some real-world feedback from another user here before I pull the trigger.

I do like the bumpers from The Cruiser Company and CA Tuned as well. I would default to the Dissent bumper if they still offered it, as I am a huge fan of their designs. Expedition One makes solid stuff with attractive designs, but they have the worst customer service and powder coating in the industry. I have been bitten by them in the past, and a buddy recently got screwed over by them as well on some GX parts; never again.

I recently ordered Expedition One rock sliders. They should be delivered this week hopefully I will not experience any problems with them!

 

[Tom109]

For some reason I always talk my self into the more expensive options. My wife kind of got me into that mindset. I was always looking for the best ‘deal’, while my wife just assumes that the most expensive one is the best- and frankly it’s right way more than it’s wrong. That and I’m drawn to the most engineered option- often more expensive- and this option seems to tag that.

Then that would be the Off-road Animal Toro Bullbar…

 

[Mister_BevilAcqua]

I recently ordered Expedition One rock sliders. They should be delivered this week hopefully I will not experience any problems with them!

Carefully inspect the finish, both before and after install, their coating SUCKS! They will make you ship them back on your dime to have them redone, and likely equally as shoddily, too. This has been ongoing since at least 2017. I was caught up in a massive group buy issue like this back then on RAM parts. They are notorious for missing or incorrect hardware as well, so check that too.

They have great-looking designs on most everything they make, but the rest leaves a lot to be desired.