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Front Bumper Beam Safety?


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Does anyone have any info(not theories) as to why the DOT requires(at least im guessing its a requirement) a bigger bumper beam than the JDM beam. Does it actually provide more safety?
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safety reasons... stricter regulations in the U.S.

 

nope. it's to satisfy a federal regulation that requires all cars in the US be sold with "2.5 mph" bumpers, i.e. bumpers that can withstand an impact of 2.5 mph without damage, supposedly to reduce the repair costs associated with minor fender benders.

 

Keep in mind this regulation, which was reduced in 1983 from 5mph to 2.5mph, applies to the "facebar", or bumper beam, not the bumper skin.

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I'm assuming this was a joke, right?

 

No joke it's true.

 

Our giant bumpers are the result of the 2.5mph rule, and the lack of time/money spent by Subaru engineers to beef up the beam without altering the protrusion of the bumpers. I'm actually surprised Subaru didn't make the JDM and USDM bumpers the same like they've done on the Impreza line....

 

Maybe in '08 :icon_roll

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it's about damage to the car, not about the people inside. Crash safety works because of crush zones, arbritrarily making the stiff beam at the front connected to the frame rails much stiffer isn't good for that. If the car is too stiff you can liquify your organs without even being touched directly :O
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No joke it's true.

 

Our giant bumpers are the result of the 2.5mph rule, and the lack of time/money spent by Subaru engineers to beef up the beam without altering the protrusion of the bumpers. I'm actually surprised Subaru didn't make the JDM and USDM bumpers the same like they've done on the Impreza line....

 

Maybe in '08 :icon_roll

Yeah, it's a CHEAP HACK.

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it's about damage to the car, not about the people inside. Crash safety works because of crush zones, arbritrarily making the stiff beam at the front connected to the frame rails much stiffer isn't good for that. If the car is too stiff you can liquify your organs without even being touched directly :O

 

This is exactly right. The larger bumper doesn't have anything to do with safety - it's about how much it costs to repair a fender bender. Insurance companies lobbied for the requirement so that they don't have to pay out as much.

 

And as I recall, our bumpers are actually 5mph-rated, better than the 2.5mph-rating required by the US. Word was, because Canada requires 5mph bumpers, Subaru decided to make all NA cars use the same bumper.

 

So you know who can be blamed. ;)

phoenix96

2006 Legacy GT Ltd · 2011 Outback 3.6R Ltd · 1992 SVX

2006 Outback 3.0R VDC · 2009 Forester 2.5X

2002 Outback VDC · 1996 Outback 2.5L · 1986 GL-10

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Nah, our soccer moms can talk on their cell phones, apply makeup, drink coffee, *and* drive a stick.

 

Your soccer moms.. well, let's just say they don't have the sk1llz. So as a precaution, SOA doesn't sell the 5mt wagon to the general population because of that.

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When my car was almost brand new, I rear-ended a recent Honda Accord (Icy road, ABS). I didn't hit him too hard. My license plate holder cracked, my bumper cover got light scratches (polished 'em out).

 

The Honda was a mess, beam moved, plastic cover dented badly and cracked.

 

They may not be sexy, but I like the subie's bumpers.

 

P.

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Think about it - The Impreza, Forester and Tribeca all have bumpers that don't look like a swollen lip

Yeah, but the swollen USDM Impreza's bumper beam prevented us from having these larger fog lights stock;

 

http://www.mcnproductions.com/sti/exterior/sti21.jpg

 

:p

 

-Mike-

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The front one doesn't bother me as much as the rear one, although having both JDM bumpers would be nice...See Difference?

 

With the smaller rear ones, i think the exhaust pipes would look SOOO much better

I love my car ... basically.
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