Bullbar

[fxst06]

Isn't the deluxe the exact same base just with top loops welded on rather than the alloy loop?

yeah thats right the sahara bar looks better but the deluxe bar is my choice

 

[ants_oz]

unless they have changed thier range recently but the arb bar on my d40 d/c work ute is identical to the nissan bar and it moves up and down about an inch and squeaks quite badly and this is suppose to be the chassis mounts ive been a mechanic for ten years and worked for nissan for four of those and have never seen this optical illusion

Not going to get into a p!ssing content with you mate. I'm a qualified mechanic too - started my trade about 25 years ago - nice to see other spanners on the site.

I'm merely stating what I have seen and what I have experienced.

Since completing my trade, I have owned quite a number of 4wd vehicles - most of them body on frame designs. And those body on frame designs use soft mounts to mount the body to the frame. Yet when mounting a bullbar, use rigid mounts to mount the bullbar to the frame. The optical illusion comes from the natural movement differential that happens when the relatively stiff bullbar doesn't move, and the relatively soft body does move.

If the bullbar does move so much, riddle me this.....travelling up a corrugated road at night. The bullbar appears to "shimmy" in comparison to the front guards. But the driving lights (mounted to the bullbar) don't budge... If the bullbar was moving around, then the lights would be flickering all over the place, yet they don't.

The design of the ARB bar has never changed. They have changed they indicators and foglights, but nothing else. The steel nissan bar for the d40 has not changed in it's look since release.

The Nissan bar has a centre loop, the ARB bar does not. The ARB bar has one continuous loop of tube that runs from one side of the bar to the other. (Actually, depending on the bar, it is either one continuous piece, or several pieces of steel - but you probably already knew that didn't you.) The Nissan bar has a "lowered" centre section in the middle of the bumper area. The ARB bar does not. The Nissan bar uses small rectangular black plastic surrounds around the indicator/parking lights that ARB have never used on the D40 bar. Indeed, I don't recall ARB using that design on any bar design... Anyway, whether you agree or not - the bars are not the same. End of lesson.

Sounds to me like there could be quite a simple explanation for the movement - the mounts need some work. There are shims that are supposed to be installed in the ARB bar mounts - not sure about the Nissan bar mounts - and if these are missing, then it could explain the movement you are talking about. Similarly, if any of the mounts are loose, then it could explain the movement. But then not having seen it myself, not having checked any of that, I don't know myself. There are a LOT of bolts on the ARB mounts - from memory, something like 8 or 10 each side??? That is just to mount the "mount" to the chassis rail. Then you install the bar to the "mount" with another (from memory) 3 big bolts each side, align the bar carefully, then you need to carefully drill 4 "pinning" holes. Once pinned in place, there is no static movement between the bar and the mounts. None. Zero. Which is why I raised the point about the mounts perhaps being the problem.

All I do know is, that on my D40, with an ARB deluxe bar installed (myself) according to specification, there is no static movement - yes, a small amount when underway as I would expect with the frame and body on soft mount design of the D40. Same as the rodeo I once owned, same as the patrol I owned, same as the wrangler....the list goes on.

As for price of deluxe bars - shop around. I was offered one for a shade over $1300 (black powdercoat) from the sydney ARB place near the airport. One of the big problems with colour coding at the moment is that ARB have approx a 3 week backlog in their paint shop...

With regard to the Sahara bars - this is hearsay so happy to be corrected. I believe the centre loop is bolted in place, not welded. If this is true, the bar would be of limited protection value. Good for winch mounting, but the bolt-on centre loop is nowhere near as strong as a welded section. And there is no real protection for wings obviously, but that might be not what you need. Obviously everyone has different needs.

 

[Leprechaun]

I have a TJM on my KingCab, not as good looking as the Sahara bar, but was $300 cheaper from memory.
Only grudge is they welded the aerial bracket on the piss, any attempt to straighten it will probably crack the powder coating, so I'll just have to live with it.

And also it was a bitch to fit!

 

[Matt76]

One of the big problems with colour coding at the moment is that ARB have approx a 3 week backlog in their paint shop...

I got mine through UV4X4 in brisbane, they got it painted locally, so maybe going through a different outlet may give different results on the lead time, just an option.

With regard to the Sahara bars - this is hearsay so happy to be corrected. I believe the centre loop is bolted in place, not welded. If this is true, the bar would be of limited protection value. Good for winch mounting, but the bolt-on centre loop is nowhere near as strong as a welded section. And there is no real protection for wings obviously, but that might be not what you need. Obviously everyone has different needs.

Yep spot on, it is a steel bar with alloy centre loop bolted on, so from the top of the bar up will certainly not be as well protected as the deluxe, from the top of the bar down should be exactly the same.

 

[ants_oz]

I have a TJM on my KingCab, not as good looking as the Sahara bar, but was $300 cheaper from memory.
Only grudge is they welded the aerial bracket on the piss, any attempt to straighten it will probably crack the powder coating, so I'll just have to live with it.

And also it was a bitch to fit!

If you have enough spare thread on your aerial, grab some (for example) plastic chopping board. Take to it with a hole saw - cut a nice small piece - small enough to form a small block that can chock up your aerial. Now......slick through the side of the chock at an angle. You now have two chocks - you remove the aerial, insert the chocks (cut a small slice through the thinnest part to place over the aerial cable) and you can manipulate the chocks until the aerial sits level. Similar technique is used in many different applications. You can actually buy these kinds of chocks in all kinds of materials - stainless, plastic, alloy - but the plastic ones you make yourself out of a piece of cheap cutting board from coles (and cheapo cutting board is real handy stuff to have around) won't harm the powdercoat on your bar.

Hope the info helps mate.

 

[MPH70]

I myself have the ironman steel bullbar which is a hell of a lot cheaper than the arb model and looks just as good in my opinion.

 

[tkingcab]

I cant say ive had any trouble hitting roos at 120 with my alloy bar apart from smashing driving lights no dents at all definately to my amazement but a true testament to the ecb bar

 

[blue boy]

if your after protection and not looks (looks is just a bonus).. and lets face it thats what you get frontal protection for. PROTECTION. than i cant see how you can compare bolt together bars to fully welded 1's it's just not apples and apples.

i looked at the ironman bar, both the tjm and the arb range. i chose arb...

definitely more expensive than the rest but if a roo jumps out at 110, i know she's not gonna budge. the last thing you'd want is for that pretty little shiney piece of metal on top of the steel to be bent back into your bonnet..to save a few $$$ in the short term would come back to bite you on the ass in the long run. Unless you only drive it around town.

As far as the tjm bars go i thought they looked a bit agricultural. and i heard somewhere that the arb bars are made out of thicker steel in area's. could be wrong.

personal preferance i spose but i'm more than happy with mine.

kingcab, i had an ecb alloy bar on my rodeo and i too can vouch for their strength.many a stupid roo got in the rode of it and i never had a drama with mine..
only problem is that if ya get bogged ya cant jack off them
R.I.P skippy

 

[Eug]

so which bars are airbag compliant? ironman? arb? tjm? ecb?

 

[ants_oz]

I can tell you for fact that the ARB deluxe bar is airbag compliant on a D40. If you really really need me to, I can post a picture of the label that says so. It's up to the owner of the vehicle to which the bullbar is attached to prove that the bullbar is airbag compliant, which is why responsible manufacturers (like ARB, TJM etc) put the stickers on them.

 

[Eug]

thanks antsoz, a photo won't be necessary.
from your last statement; all the manufacturers are airbag compliant?

 

[ants_oz]

Sorry mate, can't say whether all the manufacturers are airbag compliant or not. "All" is a pretty big statement to make.

It would be worth your while to contact any of the companies whose products you are interested in, and see if their bullbars come with a plate etc stating their compliance with relevant legislation etc for airbag activation.

 

[justdrinkbeer]

Hi all, drove into a tree last night while talking on the phone causing another little dent (was parking).
Ordered an ARB Sahara bar today, can't wait, haven't seen one on a king cab before.

 

[4.8GU]

They look pretty sweet mate. Had one in the shop the other week.

Did they give you a time frame on getting the bar and is it getting colour coded?
Have been waiting over a month and a half for my bar already and still don't have it! Apparently it was in stock in melbourne too!

 

[justdrinkbeer]

Bugger!
Didn't get a delivery time, ordered through a mates business. When I talked to ARB they said 3wks & they'd colour code the new front bar (before they chop it in half to fit the bull bar) for me.

 

[justdrinkbeer]

Sahara Bar now at ARB, been ordered 2months, was thinking they had forgotten.
Excitd to hav it done, car been looking a tad shabby for a while now.
Impeccable timing, we complete on the purchase of a house this friday & have 4weeks of rennovations to do, cash gone now.
Suppose it will be getting fit next week at some point, will put pics up when its done

 

[4.8GU]

you did well mate I waited just shy of 3 months for mine! So happy with it though it looks heaps better than the bumper.

I am sure you will be stoked with yours.

Good luck with renno's I hope ya relationship is strong!! lol