MM alloy/steel bull bar vs ARB etc

[Fritter]

Alloy bars suitable for winching -NO!!!

They are not made for serious off-road winching! They are more for looks and fashion vs function!

Alloy bars have a tendency to distort upon impact or winching stresses, sometimes disabling the vehicle, if radiators are contacted.

Any large animal eg roo, pig or wombat will destroy an alloy bar if impacted directly at highway speed. A steel bar will normally deflect the impact and enable the vehicle to survive and remain roadworthy- except if you decide to pick on a scrub bull or buffalo!! They can rip the front wheel off a road train and will destroy a 4x4, if hit head on, at speed!

After 60 years in Northern Australia and numerous encounters with things that go bump in the night, I would never recommend anything but an aftermarket steel bar, winch and two very strong spotties. Touch wood, I have never had a vehicle totally immobilised by a collision with a beast but have hit several bulls, boars & buffs - luckily at lower speeds.

[Dazza.]

Alloy bars have a tendency to distort upon impact or winching stresses, sometimes disabling the vehicle, if radiators are contacted.

Any large animal eg roo, pig or wombat will destroy an alloy bar if impacted directly at highway speed.

Same happens to steel bars. I bent a steel bar which in turned pierced the radiator and rolled back onto both front wheels of my old work Triton - completely immobilising it.

Wasn't a bull, buffalo, pig etc - was just a kangaroo. Nothing is perfect and/or 100% effective.

On the flip side I've seen smartbars after really heavy impacts with large kangaroo's etc and they appear to have fared better than steel bars in similar cirumstances. Mechanical inspections afterwards confirmed no hidden damage behind the bars and/or chassis.

[Fritter]

Bull bar damage

The problem wasn't the bar it was that it was a Triton!

[Tokenmint]

Hi fellow NT owners
I have the same factory bullbar fitted and they look great.
I was recently in an accident where a vehicle hit the right hand side of the bull bar and the alloy bar bumper did deform by 10 cms whilst writing off the silly Hyundai excel that ran into it at 40klm/hr.
The car was repaired quickly and there wasn't any structural damage to the chasis rail as the bar deformed to take the impact. I did ask the panel shop who did advise a more Solid bar may not deform as needed and would have moved some chassis mounting points.
Btw the geniune full bar costs $1946 Inc GST for part only and they surely give a bling factor which some ppl may want if they use mostly for urban travel.

[markpeh]

Same happens to steel bars. I bent a steel bar which in turned pierced the radiator and rolled back onto both front wheels of my old work Triton - completely immobilising it.

Wasn't a bull, buffalo, pig etc - was just a kangaroo. Nothing is perfect and/or 100% effective.

On the flip side I've seen smartbars after really heavy impacts with large kangaroo's etc and they appear to have fared better than steel bars in similar cirumstances. Mechanical inspections afterwards confirmed no hidden damage behind the bars and/or chassis.

Every type of bar can fail depending on the hit. I recently hit two roos with my ARB steel bar at between 80-100 and the only damge being a bent number plate (bushskins did the job as well).
I have also recently seen an arb bar on a hilux that hit a very large roo at speed. Driver had whiplash and seatbelt bruise but car was drivable. the bar had been pushed back on the bonnet but other than the mount points it was not noticanble damaged. I have also seen a smartbar pushed back into a bonnet of a vehicle.
Makes me think that the points at which the bar is mounted to the vehicle is more important that the materials. I do agree tho that alloy if for show and does not offer great protection.

[Gus]

I have an alloy bar on mine, I wouldn't recommend fitting a winch directly to the bar but this is the 2nd 4WD that I've had a winch fitted to a separate steel winch adapter kit which is mounted to the chassis & had no problems at all. As far as animal strikes, touch wood, I don't ever have to find out although I have hit 2 roos at low speed without damage to the Bar.

Gus.