Bullbars - Alloy or Steel?

go with the steel, easier to repair and modify, you can always find someone with a stick welder to get you out of trouble . cheers

I agree with the above, steel is best especially if you want to install a winch at a later date. I sold my AL bar for $38 to a scrap metal merchant at the top of the Mining boom, probably would be lucky to get $5 now.

But the weight could be significant when you add in all your other gear. For legal reasons would check this out before you make the decision to purchase.

Peter

Hi Tony,

I have a steel one on my 100 Series. Together with the Kmac rear wheel carrier bar, I have a huge additional weight to lug around.

When I get a new 200 Series, I will be definitely getting an alloy bar because legally they can bugger all extra weight. I would rather use what weight margin I have left, to put in a long range tank. If it gets dinged I will get it fixed - it's not the end of the world.

Try lifting a steel one off the floor then go lift an alloy one the difference is huge.

Willie.

PS
I have hit roos previously ( and a sheep ) with alloy bars without any damage - I guess I was a bit lucky there.

I had an alloy bar on my 60 series and at different times hit 2 roos, Small dint in bar but basically stayed straight. My son hit a roo last month with his brand new Ironman steel bar and it twisted to the extent that insurance wrote it off.
I guess it is luck where you hit them but alloy is lighter and will generally do the job.

If you want a pretty front bar that blends into the body shape ... get a steel one.

Despite the weight disadvantage ...............

When you hit something with it - it wont flex and absorb a lot of the impact like aluminium - before transferring the impact to the vehicle mounting points - so from the outside, your vehicle panels will normally still look good.

The flex in aluminium bars requires reasonable spacing from the components its meant to protect ... Steel ones "should" also have this but require less .... Its fairly pointless having tow away panel damage caused by the bullbar after a roo strike ... when the bar is meant to protect the vehicle.

Quality aluminium bars are every bit as durable as the steel ones and if winch fitting is required - its simply a matter of a winch mount plate being fitted in behind the aluminium bar.

IMHO what you see in most 4x4 shops are bars designed to meet legislation ... The amount of actual vehicle protection they provide outside of built up area speed limits is of a secondary nature.

Its also important to make a decision on why a bar is needed e.g winch mount .. or .. winch mount and roo protection .. Something to mount a winch on will be quite a bit cheaper than a full frontal protection bar.

Google search for australian made bullbars and you will find also ... that there are more than 3 and also some actual "substantial" ones.

I always favoured steel b/bars over alloy, but a panel beater pionted out to me that a steel bar is more likley to result in a bent chassis as it does not absorb the impact as much. I think this would apply more to medium duty 4wds.
Hit a small roo with the alloy doing 80 no damage, hit a med roo at 30 with a steel bar a few years ago, and had to get a panel beater to straighten it.
Cheers Pete

Tony

Maybe I'm just lucky but since 1993 when I got my first Pajero, to which I fitted a steel bar, I've never hit anything. Actually, I've never hit anything since I started driving in 1965.

While my mate was diving the LX470 we hit a roo at 0200 in the morning. The Lexus had an ECB nudge bar. No damage to vehicle but PIAA spots were trashed.

So over the last 6 years I've saved the weight and gone barless.

I rarely drive in the bush after dark (so as to avoid roos and stock). I no longer run spotties for that reason.

So I'd question why you'd make a bar such a high priority.

Bob

I had a powdercoated alloy bar on my 1995 Jackaroo (ARB no longer sold a suitable bar and all the other steel ones "weren't sympathetic" to the shape of the vehicle). I was always a bit dubious about its strength until I bumped a gate post while being towed (~40-50km/h). It hit on the top corner of the top tube and held up much better than I expected (sorry I'm not a member so I can't post a pic). It was replaced with an identical bar and I'd consider an alloy bar for my next car. It came from Aussie Bullbars and they added driving light and antenna brackets for me.

I think it was also lighter than the factory fitted bumper that we removed to fit it! The only thing I'm not sure of is that my driving lights were destroyed on the GRR/Mitchell Falls Rd due to corrugations - not sure they were shaking around due to chassis flex or perhaps the alloy bars flex more?

On last months DVD put out by 4wd action magazine they removed an alloy bar from an 80 series cruiser and refitted with a steel one. The weight difference was 20 kg. Not sure if this will help in deciding which way to go. I put steel on the old prado, alloy to me is as good as a nudge bar, which is currently on the new prado I have bought...WHG

Thank you everyone for some good arguments for and against both alloy and steel. Bob of Kaos made an excellent point, if i am not driving at night, why the need for a bullbar. Well, i wont be doing much if any night driving when touring, however i do tend to head up to Queensland on "flying visits" on the odd occasion and always take the New England Hwy as a rule, and i always overnight it, so there is an argument there for one. I don't intend this to be a fashion accessory, it needs to have form and function. Also, it isn't high on the list of priorities, but i have pretty much sourced or researched most other things i require for the trip, but this one was puzzling me.

The argument for steel is a good one, strength! However, the added weight worries me a little ( i want to keep fuel consumption down as much as possible) and the risk of chassis damage in the event of a happening is a concern.

On saying that if i am to go Alloy, i need to ensure the structural integrity of the bar, make sure the engineering is right on it. Food for thought guys, thanks again.

Tony

All right. I'll bite.

Plastic.... Smartbar.

I'd always thought there would be some damage after hitting a roo - but at least a bar (even alloy) could protect the vitals (eg. radiator, etc.) enough that it would be the difference between driving and walking home. But it seems that from many replies, the steel bars are generally undamaged, unless it's a big roo.

Can anyone comment on the steel bars on airbag equipped vehicles (which probably includes the D-Max? Airbag bars are mounted on shock absorbing zig-zag folded steel to reduce the 'jarring' that would otherwise trigger an airbag in a small impact - surely these mounts must require replacement after any substantial impact on the bar?