I'm looking at pulling my plastic bumper off and replace it with a nice steel one like a Shrockworks. Being the wacko engineer I am I have to wonder how the modification effects the air bag operation. I'm assuming that the air bag sensor is mounted near the stock bumper and that the aftermarket bumpers retain the sensor.

Anyone want to hazard a guess on the changes to the air bag system? I'd hate to be in a terrible accident and have my insurance company point to my steel bumper for causing greater medical bills.

Not sure about the 2nd generation trucks (2005+), but on the first generation vehicles (2000-2004), the air bag deployment sensor is mounted under the center console armrest and is unaffected by aftermarket bumpers. I would assume the newer trucks are similar.

Correct, just swapped a '06 OR's bumpers...no airbag sensors associated with it.



In short, the bumper swap will not negatively impact the airbag deployment.

The sensors respond to deceleration that might be hard enough to cause a predetermined level of injury...if you hit something hard enough, they will deploy.

I recommend NOT hitting things hard enough.

Yup, the airbags are inertia based. No problems.