SmartBars

"Roll up the bonnet" and do this. I think that I would prefer the others as well.

"Among the serious 4wd community they area source of amusement"

Geez that's a bit rough Bantam when you read what some others have said here in a positive light. Sounds like we're not serious 4wdrivers - does the same go for Pajero/Prado/Navaras etc? Or do we need a Cruiser with a steel bar to be considered amongst the "serious 4wd community"?

I have a steel ARB bar on my old Triton and like it a lot but it was on the vehicle when I bought it. But when it was my choice to buy one for our Prado before our 6 month trip with trailer and kids in tow, I went for the Smartbar, personal choice for reasons I've stated below - certainly it wasn't because I didn't want one!

Cheers,

Mark.

Not a bit rough at all a plain and straight forward statement of fact.

They are nowhere near as viable platform for mounting of accessories such as driving lights, aerials and particularly winches.
Mounting of accessories is one of the important functions of a bullbar.

Yeh I know that you can get winch versions, but see the next point, modifications are often needed to fit winches or access their controlls

The do not lend themselves to being repaired or modified, almost every vehicle that has a bodylift has had the bullbar modified accordingly.

Most of the low slung road going SUV type stationwaggons like the prado & the non70 series landcruser waggons need a body lift to be considered "serious off road contenders".


The clue to the whole intent of the smart bar is the fact that a large portion of the range offered are not for 4wds, but for pasenger cars, light vans and light trucks.

Of course anybody that baught a smart bar is going to defend its purchase otherwise they would have to admit making a mistake.

In a market where people generally turn their noses up at an alloy bar, of course a plastic one is going to be a source of amusement.

No they are a bullbar for those who don't want a bullbar or who feel guilty about fitting one.

I think that should stur things along sufficiently.

cheers

Geez, Bantam. Not heard such a load of codswollop in ages. Crawl back in ya burrow...

OK come arround to my place and well see how we go welding a few brackets onto your smart bar or cutting off the mountings and moving them down 50mm.

How about fitting a large pair of spotlights not the pissy little ones claimed as "compatable".

Its a matter of choices.

Either address the issues or stop throwing insults.


OH...here is one for the greenies.

Ya steel or alloy bullbar is 100% easily recyclable and most probably will be at the end of its life, ya smart bar is made of oil bassed plastic composite and most likley to end up in land fit at the end of its life.

see endless amusement.

BTW bantams don't live in burrows.

cheers

Bantam,

Our bars at work come with side rail attachment points and a winch can be fitted. Yes they make winch bars.

It is easy to attach driving lights or ariels if required.

As for the oil base after you have burnt a mega litre of fuel in the vehicle do you really think a plastic bar is going to make a difference. Maybe you could look at the dash of your vehicle and ask if it could be made out of steel with green coal melting and forming the steel.

If you haven't used one you should. You might be surprised how good they are.

RA.

Sounds like your more at home with the cow catchers that we commonly see on the front of the B&S utes that cruise into town around Eka time, the very thing that makes all the do-gooders rave on about banning bullbars and indeed 4Bs in general.

There's no need for anyone to have "large spotlights" anymore. HID lights mean that even a 100mm light will outperform any "bull light" you care to name, and will still fit on a Smartbar. Even LED lightbars are more efficient.

Have a look at the HIC (Head injury criterion) of your steel bullbars. Another reason why the world is moving on an fitting safer bars.

Most modern 4Bs are not compatible with body lifts. Once you have a car with ESP style braking systems (most modern ones) then you can't legally change the ride height as it affects the braking/handling.

"Most of the low slung road going SUV type stationwaggons" simply cannot have a body lift. Suspension lift yes, body lift no.

And PLEASE dont try to tell me that the only "serious off road contenders" are 70 series landcruiser...

Take the time to watch the video posted below...

Yeh throw the bay out with the bath water.
There are plenty of bullbars out there that are not cow catchers, in fact these days most of them.

And no matter what you say, for light beam quality there is no substitute for a large lense and reflector regardless of light source used.

Of couse there is the whole pedestrian safety thing......look at the figures the number of people killed and injured as a result of the bullbars currently fitted is statisticaly insignificant.

Figures on animal impacts are not gattered or reported which is a pitty, because in many areas the danger to humans is far greater from animal impacts on vehicle than from pedestrian impacts with vehicles.

Ask anybody who does a lot of driving away from the cities and they will tell you animal impacts are a regular thing, but hitting pedestrians is very very rare indeed.

I've never hit a pedestrian how about you.

Besides the most likley head injury impact on a non raised vehicle is with the bonnet, shape of the bullbar is more important than the material it is made of.

If we keep making the bullbars lower in profile, less agressive and closer to the body work they will be useless, as it stands most current front bars do little to prevent the animal comming over the bonnet and thu the windscreen.

We keep comming back to the bullbar you have when you are feeling guilty about having a bullbar.

As for the smart bar video...pointless realy.....Hills Industries....are not going to publish anything that does not show their product in a good light......lets see what happens when the bar is on a real vehicle and hits a real animal at real speeds.

cheers

Bantam,
I have travelled this country in trucks and 4wd's.

Yes there is a case for large bullbars used to stop roo strike but lets not get to emotive about it.

I have seen an SAR Kenny destroyed by 2 bulls and no bar was going to protect it.

Most don't need the big bars as they travel during good daylight hours, seldom in the country and are protected by their airbags.

I still state that the smart bars are a great piece of equipment and are a great move into the future.

Forget about all the hype and emotions horses for courses is the go and that stupid plastic bar is one great unit or would you like to bring your 200 series with it's big bar out for a try where I work day in day out.

I am still living in the past as I love my old 4200 transtar but hell you gotta move into the next century.

RA.

OK lets forget the hype and emotions.

So it's not a smart bar, it has no intelect, its a plastic bar, but that don't sound so good...the mojority of the sales spiel is emotional

It does not protect pedestrians because existing bullbars are statisticaly insignificant in pedestrian casualties.

Looks don't matter..thats emotions..good thing because I think they are uggly.

Plastic bull bars are the future..well we will see....the polly tube bars from the 80's were touted as the future, but they did not last long.

New and heavily marketed don't make it better.

As for my 200 series..I don't have a 200 series, that is why I am not concerned with my suspension sagging just because I but a metal bull bar on the front.

I supose they have a place, on the front of cars that are soo soft they sag with addition of a metal bullbar.

cheers

Thanks for the laugh bantam, I haven't read such load of rubbish for a while. You said to address the issues but some background first.

My 60 Series Cruiser had a steel ARB bar.
My Subie wagon had a steel bar, unknown brand.
My 2 door Rangie had a steel ARB bar.
My Triton has a steel ARB bar.

Do I feel guilty about having bull bars, umm let me think about that statement...

I live in the country which is currently infested with roos and quite a few deer and I'm pretty comfortable with the protection it gives us and the great light given to me by my Lightforce 240's...they fit perfectly so how big do I need to go before they're not classified as pissy little ones? Funny thing I can only fit small driving lights on my steel Triton bar, the 240's won't fit?!

Love your statement of facts, didn't realise you wrote the 4wd bible, keep it coming this just gets better!

Cheers,

Mark.

Bantam,

UNTIL YOU HAVE TRIED ONE DON'T GO TELLING ME HOW THEY ARE PIECES OF CRAP.

SOFTLY, SOFTLY .
RA.

Well who is getting imotional now.

Not once have I said they are a piece of crap, I have simply drawn attention to some of the negative points.

Hell some of you guys must have a real bad case of post purchase angsiety.

As for the lightforce 240s...I supose plastic lights on a plastic bar is a fair thing.

BTW are they completely behind the frontal profile of the bulbar?

Go on admit it, you realy want a piece of nice solid steel out the front.

cheers

Plastic lights now! Profile? Mate they are pretty much flush.

You must a polished wooden floor in your rig or is all checker plate? Couldn't imagine you'd have vinyl cause that's sort of that pussy plastic stuff that might end up in land fill?

This has to be the last post doesn't it, I can't think of anything else you can go fishing for, you have entertained me though so I almost feel like saying thanks?

Barry we fitted one to our Prado and it's interesting the negative comments come from people who've never had them!

*We have hit a medium roo at 80km/hr, no damage, can't even tell where it hit.
*The light weight meant I didn't have to upgrade to HD springs.
* They come pre-fitted with mounts for aerials and lights and I also installed a bracket for a 2nd aerial, easy to do.

Ours sits out from the bonnet but I have seen some new designs where they are close to the bonnet and I could see them bending back and causing damage but then I have also seen metal bars hugging the bonnet too.

Pros and cons, no right or wrong, as with everything it's personal choice.

Cheers,

Mark.

Barry,
from someone who works in a harsh environment and as I am also a harsh critic of some products. I give these bars a big thumbs up. No affiliation with the product.

You choice,
RA.