Thread: Value of bull bars on a D3/4

I went for the OL steel bar for the strength and also the look.
All alloy bars I have seen so far are bloody ugly and bulky in comparison.
Cheers, Craig

I never hit a Roo for 20 years of driving.

Last 6 years I've averaged 20+ strikes a year

I wouldn't be without bar work... Ever!

I hit a 6ft+ roo with the ARB bar on my D3 at 110kph. It bent the top rail and I got a new bar under insurance. Without the bar the car would have probably been undriveable.

Originally Posted by buz01

I was informed at the 4x4 show in Brisbane last weekend that the ARB bar will not fit the D4 HSE. can anybody advise otherwise?

What bars are available for the D4 HSE?

The ECB bar is alloy and they make a winch bar to suit the D4 HSE, is it strong enough to use as a winch bar?

ECB use a steel cage within the alloy bar to hold the winch. I doubt there is any issue with strength.

i have been driving for 33 years and only hit my 1st roo/wallaby a couple of months ago. i have an ARB steel bar on my D1, no damage it was in a spot i have seen roos there before but this was around 11pm and not expecting it same as RMP, 2 steps the last one into oblivion at 80km.
i have been out at Leyburn on the Darling Downs which is thick with roos would not go with out one

I have a D1 with ARB Sahara bar.
Hit a Maxima when they cut out in front of me in the wet.
Slid straight into the back corner of it.
Completely destroyed the Maxima! They had a serious case of negative camber on their rear wheel..........(amongst other issues!)
I drove away with a broken indicator. Plus some deep scratches on by bar.
Got home tightened the bar, spent $30 on a new/used indicator. All good.
Have also hit a roo.
No damage to the Disco! Except the smell..........!

Would like to hear about the damage caused when a bullbar wasn't fitted (which might have been prevented).

eg. animal strike, off road, on road

On my previous D3 V8, a Hilux managed to run into the front of me (I'd just slid to a stop when he hit). His bullbar hit me at about 20km/hr. I don't know what the total repair bill was, as his insurer paid, but just parts alone was over $16k. I ended up getting a bullbar+winch for free as it cost his insurer less less than the OEM bumper assembly.

Alas, I don't have a bullbar on my D4 as I installed the winch before there were bullbars available - just a hidden winch mount instead. May be that after hitting a roo I get one installed by my insurer, but until then the D4 has a naked chin.