|
The University of Adelaide’s Centre of
Automotive Research (CARS) found in a study in
July 2006 that metal bull bars fitted to
vehicles increased the risk of serious injury to
pedestrians. The study was on thirteen bull
bars and five models of 4WD vehicles but there
was no comparison of any bull bars or nudge bars
on say station wagons or family sedans.
 When
selecting a bull bar consideration should be
given to what you want to use it for, whether
you wish to add a winch later and if the bull
bar is air bag compatible. The bull bars
normally have integrated indicator light and CB
or UHF aerial and driving lights fitments.
Bear in mind all these accessories add weight to
your vehicle and along with dual battery systems
and long range fuel tanks can get you close to
the GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass)
See
article on GVM
Steel bull bars
- are heavier than the alloy or polyethylene
bars and plastic bars are lighter still. Steel
bull bars can be powder coated to match the
vehicle. Weight may be an issue with the
addition of winches and lights and a steel bull
bar will handle the weight of a winch more than
an alloy bar. Winches cannot be mounted to a
polyethylene bar.
Polished
alloy bull bars can require a lot of polishing
to maintain their bright sheen. Another
issue with alloy bull bars is they can reflect
light back from the driving lights so you may
need to place black tape on the rear of the bull
bar to prevent this or have it powder coated.
On the plus side, alloy bars and polyethylene
bull bars don’t rust whereas steel bull bars may
if the paint is damaged.
For the family sedan or station wagon a steel
bull bar may not be suitable due to its weight
so a polymer bull bar or nudge bar may be just
what you need.
Polymer bull bars or nudge bars
– these are like a plastic bull bar made from
materials such as polyethylene and are designed
to act like a spring and deflect thereby making
them more ‘pedestrian friendly’ with studies
showing they ‘may’ offer a pedestrian some
degree of protection.
The plastic or polymer is more deformable
through careful design utilising low-modulus
plastics combined with energy-absorbing polymer
foams that are generally injected into the
tubes. However, for the 4WD off-road enthusiast
who wants a winch they are unsuitable as winches
cannot be mounted to a polyethylene bar.
 Nudge
Bars
.jpg) Nudge
bars can be made of aluminium, polycarbonate or
steel tubing. They are often used on sedans,
city based 4WD’s or soft off-roaders.
Opposite Lock supply ‘Smart Bars’ which they
state -
‘Smart Bar offers excellent protection for your
vehicle from both animal strikes and other
"around town" bumps and scratches. The unique
moulded design has a "memory‘ such that even
after most bigger impacts it will return to
shape. Smart Bar is certified as being fully
compatible with all Air Bag systems’.
 |
|
Related Articles:
Best Tow Vehicle
What vehicle do you need to tow with?
Diesel? Petrol? Gas? Manual? Automatic?
Upgrading your Tow
Vehicle's Suspension
4WD vehicle suspension upgrade to improve
performance when towing an rv, caravan or
trailer.
Cargo Barriers
Why should you have a cargo barrier in your
4WD/SUV? . What features should you look for.
Bicycle Racks / Bicycle Carriers
Discussing the
best bicycle carrier or bike rack options for
taking your bike on tour with you.
Storage Solutions for your
Gear
Vehicle interior and exterior storage solutions
such as roof-racks, roof-rack storage pods, dash
pods, overhead roof consoles, spare wheel
storage packs, seat and cargo barrier
organisers.
Dual Battery Systems
Easy to
understand information on vehicle dual-battery
system, isolators, solenoid, battery management
system, starting battery, auxiliary battery and
different types of batteries.
Vehicle Side Steps and
Rear Wheel Carriers
Side steps and
side fender bars are often referred to as "bar
work". They protect your vehicle from accidental
damage. Rear wheel carriers / jerry can holders
can be added to enable underbody space to be
used for long range fuel tanks.
|
