SEMA 2013: ARB Delivers Performance For The Truck And Jeep Market

This company was long known as those guys from “down under” with that great locker, but that was then and this is now. At this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, ARB stepped up to an entirely new level with a vastly improved design to its famous Ford 9-inch Air Locker, as well as a handful of new products for full size pickup trucks and Jeep JK Wranglers.

First of all, ARB has developed a line of products for full size pickups, the first available will be for the Ford F-Series truck, and can be built out by the consumer in three configurations. The lower full-width bumper; the lower full-width bumper with the center upright section; or all three, the lower full-width bumper, center upright section and the side wing hoops. This is a bull bar-style front bumper with a massive, winch housing-style bumper.

In addition, the company’s famous Old Man Emu suspension line has moved over to full size pickups. Starting with the Ford F-350, but soon to be offered for GM and Dodge/Ram applications, the 4-inch kit we saw was heavy duty and done right with radius arm drop brackets and a Panhard rod spacer kit, allowing the F-350 to be fitted with 37-inch tires and no caster angle troubles.

A rear bumper and tire carrier of Herculean sturdiness is also new for ARB, and the tire carrier assembly is bolted to the rear bar via a heavy duty, 5.11-inch long carrier hub with a self-lubricating sintered bronze bushing. The mounting structure bolts right onto the chassis bracket to keep the weight of a tire up to 40 inches and a hi-lift jack on the bumper, not the tailgate.

Saving our favorite for last, ARBs redesigned Ford 9-inch Air Locker is the cat’s meow. Matt Glass, ARB marketing specialist PR & media, told us, “working with Ultra 4 racing champion Shannon Campbell during a year of development, we reengineered the 9-inch RD99CE air locker and he could not break it, that should tell you something. The new Ford 9-inch Air Locker is now a much stronger, two-piece case; offers improved oiling; and it’s much easier to service as it uses safety clips on the case bolts, so there’s no need to safety wire the bolts.”