Smart bar on LC 200 series

I don' t think they make one for the 200 Series.

The answer is nobody has because they don't make one for the 200series.

I fitted my own steel ARB deluxe winch bar (no winch), so just a couple of facts you might not be aware of:
- You'll add 85kgs of bar and hardware and remove about 15kgs of stuff, so you'll add 70kgs to the front end.
- with the extra weight, your front suspension will drop 7-10mm so if you're offroading, the clearance becomes inadequate and you'll definitely need to upgrade the springs.
- In the 15kgs of stuff you remove is a large aluminium brace that runs almost full width and protects the radiator etc - the brace is a strong bit of gear, so if you decide to do nothing, you still have a fair bit of protection behind the standard bumper bar.
- The bullbar will cost you some fuel - the aerodynamics get stuffed up considerably - by the two front tyres being mostly exposed and by the bar work.
- You need to cut some of the plastic that guides air to the power steering cooler and the autotrans cooler - I have heard of someone with a 200series having power steering problems due to overheating fluid but can't remember the details. I'm guessing that air circulation to the alternator might be affected too.
- If you have an altitude/VX/sahara, the factory fog lights get ditched and you'll have the option of fitting some aftermarket ones. In my case, foglights are useless, and I'm thinking of some daylight driving lights in their place.

So on the whole, given my time again, I might have skipped the bullbar.
But when I'm driving the highways and the roos are around or worse still, the unfenced cows on the stuart highway, then I'm very happy I have one. It also gives me a spot to mount a sandflag and aerial and put a cup of coffee while having morning tea!

Cheers
Phil

Hugh,
I have had first hand experience with smart bars in extreme use. I have witnessed the amount of damage to both vehicles and to the bars in heavy low speed contact.

The smart bar wins hands down against the steel bar.

For those who are going to bag this, just run your vehicle into a rock wall in the centre or side of the bar at 40kph and see what wins. That is why where I worked they changed to smart bars, there was less damage so the vehicle could get back to work.

Now, if you want to hit a bull with a bit of speed with a big bullbar, then best of luck. The bar may look reasonable but I can assure you the vehicle will be destroyed behind that bar.

Smart bars are well made and the only reason I don't have one on my vehicle was the availability at the time.

Some people think they are the same as the old plastic bars that were around in the 80's, they are nothing like them at all.

Yes ours at work were winch bars but they were on 70 series utes and wagons.

No affiliation with them just first hand experience.