Smart bar on new shape 200
Submitted: Tuesday, Oct 11, 2016 at 07:27
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Member - Boobook
I have my new 200 and starting to fit it out.
I am deciding what to do with a Bull Bar. I love going to the high country, and while I'm less into difficult tracks, a winch is nice as insurance if it rains. I also do a few touring trips.
I *think* I want a winch again.
I do want to improve the approach angle.
I was never happy with the ARB delux bar on my old 200. It wobbled and was so heavy it made the front "boat" on sand scollops even though I beefed up the
suspension. ( Yeah, I know ARB say it is the chassis moving not the bullbar). ARB say it is 80KG but it is more like 105kg plus the winch.
I don't generally drive at dusk or night.
I am looking for a solution that weighs less.
Smart bar are releasing a 200 bullbar. which doesn't look too bad.
Smart bar for 200
I have read a few of the old Plastic vs Steel arguments here and elsewhere but has anyone used them and had an incident?
I am currently considering an alternative like an ARB sahara bar which would presumably offer less protection.
This is pretty impressive. Any thoughts?
This is from Smart Bar, but here are Aluminium, Steel and plastic in a crash
test from about 1:10min. ( Note how the Steel bar wobbles pre impact even on a flat
test bed)
Now that all bullbars have the crumble zone mounts, maybe steel ones can do more damage than the Smart Bars because they are all designed to fold at some point. It looks that way in this video.
Any other alternatives that save weight ( besides aluminium.)
I would love a detachable winch if it was available too.
Reply By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Tuesday, Oct 11, 2016 at 20:56
Tuesday, Oct 11, 2016 at 20:56
I've had a Smart Bar on two vehicles over 250 000km, hit 3 roos colliding at estimated 60-80km/hr after some braking, albeit not big ones, but one centre on.
In all cases Smart Bar did it's job, no damage to the vehicle
Had a friend who lives west of Goondi where roos are really thick. He was the one who put me onto them, he said he'd never go back to steel bars.
No doubt Tuff bars with their side rails give superior protection.
I've never seen any comments from owners who state they didn't do their job, read plenty of claims from those "who know someone who said they didn't save their vehicle"
I really can't imagine a roo pushing smart bar back far enough to hit the radiator, at least on my Pajero.
As to whether they are ugly or not Boobook, that "old saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?
To me the current 200 series is just plain ugly but Toyota sure do sell a lot of them!
AnswerID:
605055
Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Wednesday, Oct 12, 2016 at 08:33
Wednesday, Oct 12, 2016 at 08:33
Thanks Mark, I have been doing some online research and your comments are typical of what I read.
Non owners have lots of reasons why they may or may not work, but every owner comment that I've found has been along similar lines. They would never go back to a steel bar.
FollowupID:
874847
Reply By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Oct 12, 2016 at 09:27
Wednesday, Oct 12, 2016 at 09:27
BHP commissioned Crashlab to undertake an ANCAP
test on a HiLux with a steel triple loop bar.
The result was worse than without. A hole was punched into the footwell and the pedals were crossed over.
As a result BHP restrict 4WDs on their
mine sites to those with ANCAP 5.
Last time I went digging there were only two vehicles with bars and ANCAP 5 - both Rangers; one with an ARB steel bar and one with a SmartBar. Of course the gong is only given on destructive testing and the maker needs to be big to afford it.
But the point remains: if you retrofit a bar you don't know what safety level your vehicle now has. Quite possibly it's worse. Every star drop in the ANCAP system means approximately 10% higher fatalities.
Bar work is a big industry - selling pigs in pokes, with just a few exceptions.
AnswerID:
605062