Bullbars: are they necessary?

[nbd73]

Been wondering for a while, what is the obsession with fitting a bullbar? They are generally over $2k fitted, and compared to say a suspension system for example for similar $ which is used & felt every driving moment they seem over rated. Hanging fishing rod holders, spot lights, uhf aerials & winches seems to be their primary use. Costly hanger.
Now I understand everyone says "protection against roos" etc, and I am not disputing that fact, nor the added front end approach angle protection, but how many people honestly use their vehicles in these conditions & environments that often compared to daily use? Not having a go at people with them, just amazes me how new vehicle owners state a bull bar as being the first accessory.  Wouldn't a second battery or suspension upgrade be better value for money as a first upgrade?

[Andrew_C]

We have a prado 150, and it was not on the priority list until we got held up and had to drive between tamworth and coonabarabran at 8:30 one night, it went to the top after explaining to my wife that if we hit an animal, we would be staying on the side of the road until help arrived. I hit roos every so often on the way to and from work in my work cars but until my wife saw it first hand she could see the 2g being spent on shoes and hand bags as a better investment

[Noughts]

I think the decision is dependant on the use of the vehicle. Yes I agree that there are a lot of people who kit out their rigs in the city and will never see a dusty road therefore a cosmetic addition. For my own rig the bar has saved me a lot of grief with all the wild life on the roads here in southern Tassie


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[Kit_e_kat9]

I agree with Noughts. 

Yes.  And No. 

Genuine 4wd'ers and outback drivers ... Yes!
City folk who never put in in 4wd ... No!

Kit_e

[nbd73]

I agree with Noughts. 

Yes.  And No. 

Genuine 4wd'ers and outback drivers ... Yes!
City folk who never put in in 4wd ... No!

Kit_e

And % breakdown of these categories is my discussion point. I just wonder whether too many new 4wd owners get caught up in the accessory adding trend. Kit e, you are always advising on minimalist spending on stuff you don't need, so just wondering how this item fits in. See stacks of people who only want to go to caravan parks and coastal camp grounds, yet still feel a bullbar is a necessity. Thoughts...

[dazzler]

Sadly it is one of those conversations that quickly goes pear shaped and reality gets thrown out the window. If you want a giggle on a rainy night post the question on 4wd action.   

[evolution]

Kit is spot on, but its not just roos and approach that a bull bar helps with.
tight turning and using the banks as a guide, trees and rocks. But for the majority an alloy Bar will suffice.

Cheers
Evo

[Kit_e_kat9]

And % breakdown of these categories is my discussion point. I just wonder whether too many new 4wd owners get caught up in the accessory adding trend. Kit e, you are always advising on minimalist spending on stuff you don't need, so just wondering how this item fits in. See stacks of people who only want to go to caravan parks and coastal camp grounds, yet still feel a bullbar is a necessity. Thoughts...

It's a great place to hang towels over the weekend.   

But seriously.  They hold a winch well and it can save you from serious front end damage.  And you do get Kanga-bouncies in towns on occassion.  I'd suggest most have them for looks.  It's usually the sides of the vehicle that cop any damage, wear and tear.

The BF has one, and we've needed the winch it holds on more than one occassion ... the real reason behind the bullbar.  He doesn't have roll bars, fancy steps or the likes.  But please keep in mind that we don't live together, or control each others spending ... he wanted a bullbar - so he got one.  I'm glad he also invested in the winch.

Love minimal camping.  Gets you back to nature and away from the frustratingly technical world we live in.  Brings out your Inner Puppy.

Kit_e

[nbd73]

Sadly it is one of those conversations that quickly goes pear shaped and reality gets thrown out the window. If you want a giggle on a rainy night post the question on 4wd action.   

Such was not my intention. Was actually going to post a reply to another recent thread on someone buying a new vehicle & speccing a bar, but thought it was getting off track questioning it, so thought I might ask for a general opinion. It appears as though my attitude is out of line with the general consensus, I guess that ARB, TJM etc are catering to a market, I just wondered whether the market has been created rather than needed. Many, many discussions on here suggest that is the case with regards to other products, DC-DC chargers for example. Maybe the topic is irrelevant.

[muzza01]

I reckon nbd73 is right.  Walk through any car park at a shopping centre and a good 50% of 4B's fitted with bull bars don't even have a scratch on their bar and the paintwork on their car is immaculate.  They are usually fitted with factory alloy side steps that also look brand new.  You know the ones that would be bent in half or ripped off the side of the car at the first sign of a real 4B track.
I haven't hit any wildlife with this cruza but the  bullbar on the previous troopy saved us.
 I certainly wouldn't want to remove my bullbar but I do tend to agree it is probably unnecessary on a lot of cars.  Commodore utes is another one.  The chassis is that thin that the first very minor impact would result on the bullbar bending across the front of their lovely commodore smashing the grill, lights, bonnets etc.

[McGirr]

Mine came with the cruiser. They are great to lean on with a beer while talking bull Shite to your mates.

You try doing that leaning on a hot bonnet 

Mark

[Fozzle]

In my situation, Yes.  They have saved me more times than I can count on the open road (not just on my current vehicle).  Last roo I hit did 10K damage and didnt even dent the bullbar. I hate to think what it would of done if it wasnt there.

On the average shopping trolley that goes to the shops and to get the kids from school No. But that being said I also drive my 4wd to work every day and the shops etc so maybe I look like a poser when doing so..?

[CRW]

Mine came with the cruiser. They are great to lean on with a beer while talking bull ****e to your mates.

You try doing that leaning on a hot bonnet 

Mark

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[jk]

We have gone away from the normal steel ARB style bar this time and gone for an alloy bumper bar type set up instead.

Our last 4x4 had all the bits, ARB steel bar, scrub bars and sliders.......but in 30 years of off roading I never hit anything, now that's not to say it'll never happen but the 4B is sooo much lighter to steer with the new setup it's not funny. We still have somewhere to mount spotlights/led light bars/winches/CB aerials/fog lights and anderson plugs but don't pay the large weight penalty .

I think everyone will have different needs, but for us it's Alloy Bar and less weight !

In answer to the question..............yes, they are necessary, all the accessories need to be bolted to something weather it's a steel/alloy bullbar or a bumper type of set up.
There that's my two bobs worth 

[Watty2975]

We have always added a bullbar to our 4WD's and are looking at it on a new one. Not for looks but because of the travel we do. Lots of hwy klms and bush travel. As Murphy's law would have it while waiting for the dealer to get the bullbar for our current car we hit a kangaroo while traveling in western QLD.

I guess it is horses for courses like any accessory, suspension for towing and articulation etc etc.

I do agree that too many cars have them for no reason and that only fuels the do gooders wanting to ban 4WD's in cities etc. but that is a whole other debate.

Personally I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road in the middle of no where.

[macca]

Mine has saved the front of my 4wd, one day I might learn how to post/link a video from my dash camera, all you see is the poor buggers head popup above the bar just to the left of centre and then bang. Result not so good for the roo but no damage to the car or bar

Couple of years ago, going to Bathurst we hit one in a mates brand new Commodore ute, $5500.00 damage

[SteveandViv]

Good sense being made here. We need one up here as not only the Roos running out in front of us which now number 11 hits now, but also cattle. Not that any bar will save you if you hit one of them but you have a fighting chance.

Not sure what the point is for those that never go away and as Kit_e says they do hold spot lights and a winch.

[nbd73]

Mine came with the cruiser. They are great to lean on with a beer while talking bull ****e to your mates.

You try doing that leaning on a hot bonnet 

Mark

I used to do that with my old series 3 LR, but then the damn thing never ran hot, never ran into anything, in fact very rarely ran. Hardly relevant to my OP, but having expunged those virtues of a BB in my 20's I feel secure about debating the merits of said accessory from a more mellow (read aged) stage in life.
All good, but still think the majority (who will never read this) buy unnecessarily. Decent suspension will win for me any day of the week. Having had OME fitted to previous vehicle, cannot wait to upgrade the 200. But that also is irrelevant to the question I posed. Appreciate the other points of view, they are just so costly for what they are, compared to other items. Was thinking of an ARB Sahara bar, but almost same price as full BB. Bugger.

[PeaBrainPete]

One other thing to consider for town users - cars are designed to minimise damage to pedestrians, cyclists who inadvertently decide to become a hood ornament. Bull bar - no chance. If the bull bar is for decoration and not going to be used in the bush - then any advantage given to saving life's in an accident is worthwhile.
If roos are most likely accident - get a bar.
Driving round town - no bar.

[alnjan]

Like any modification you make.  Know why you are doing it.  For my I like 4wding and along with a bull bar, side bars etc etc lockers are just as important for me.  For others they don't need any of these things.  Know why you are adding or modifying before you do it.

[GeoffA]

One dark night, a few years ago, we hit a cow with our Paj. It was at Wandong, 50km north of Melbourne, on the Hume Freeway. We were doing 110km/h at the time. Bull bar did it's job........we managed to drive home, shaken but not stirred.

Experiences like that tend to colour your view a bit.........

Six weeks prior, we had a Falcon wagon.........

[macca]

One dark night, a few years ago, we hit a cow with our Paj. It was at Wandong, 50km north of Melbourne, on the Hume Freeway. We were doing 110km/h at the time. Bull bar did it's job........we managed to drive home, shaken but not stirred.

Experiences like that tend to colour your view a bit.........

Six weeks prior, we had a Falcon wagon.........

Yep,  I reckon it would have coloured your undies too 

[nbd73]

One dark night, a few years ago, we hit a cow with our Paj. It was at Wandong, 50km north of Melbourne, on the Hume Freeway. We were doing 110km/h at the time. Bull bar did it's job........we managed to drive home, shaken but not stirred.

Experiences like that tend to colour your view a bit.........

Six weeks prior, we had a Falcon wagon.........

Fair point.

[shanegtr]

Im sure we will all agree there is certainly a fair share of 4wders out there who not only have unnessacary bullbars on, but several other bolt on accessories as well that they could really do without
I think the requirement for a bull bar depends a lot on what you use your 4wd for. So me I like to have one. Provides good protection from roos when travelling at night (which we tend to do on quite a few holiday trips - making the most of the bitumen runs we often stop around 11-12pm), also good low speed off road protection for the front end from rocks, logs etc.. Plus a place to bolt the spot lights too

[Bunyip]

If it was easy to do I would remove my BB when not going somewhere I may need it, but with the lights attached (and soon to be arials) this would be a pain in the rear end (front end actually  ).

I do not drive near school zones when I can avoid it, I have seen way too many kids running out between cars and not looking.