Thread: Bull bar

Originally Posted by simo2420

Patience is that still available today, or is that only a old farts thing (thats me)

cheers

I was young once an can recall thinking that Patience was something that only hospitals had

Originally Posted by Sol

Indeed, and I am seriously considering the Rhino bar. Got to look at one close up and it's pretty robust, and IMHO not bad looking either. Integrates well into the front of the Defender. I'm also keen to have the bar to mount a winch. I know there is discussion elsewhere about the Warn being developed specifically for the L663 but does anyone know if there are issues fitting other winches? FYI - see attached for cost, including Runva winch and fitting.


Attachment 178923

I do like the look of the Rhino bar, especially the lower side protection from wombats on the intercoolers. The winch install price seems low, but I guess this is absorbed in the bar cost if fitted at the same time. I fitted a Warn Evo 12S to a bar/cradle supplied by New Defender Mods and although it took me 2 1/2 days I am very pleased with the result. I saved a lot of money this way and for a total of about $1800 I have an IP68 rated Warn winch with a wireless remote that I can also plug in a cable if the remote battery is flat, and with a Blue Seas 500A magnetic latching switch that I can switch on/off from inside my vehicle, (switch is in the glovebox), I don't have the worry of live 450A wiring to the front of my vehicle every time the ignition is on, with the added bonus that if I do need to use the winch when I am stuck in a deep boghole, I can activate it without opening the door to lift the bonnet. If you read the landrover instructions on the install, you'll see that they have a current overload interrupt on the positive lead, and the electrician needs to run a bunch of cables from near the winch itself up to the ignition. The instructions tell you to cut a spool to splice into the ignition and cranking signal. DO NOT CUT any spools, use a piggyback fuse instead. Also the reason for the cranking signal is cut supply to the winch in the very unlikely event that someone is trying to start the engine and winching at the same time as this will draw up to 1000 amps and cook your wiring under the seat. Actually, the battery only provides about 650 CCA so it probably wouldn't even crank over if the engine stalled and you tried winching under load while starting the car simultaneously. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend trying it. As mentioned above, the official install scenario provides 12V (up to 450A fused) power whenever the ignition is on as you won't be able to reach the button on the Warn Platinum Zeon once you put everything back together. I didn't want that so I fitted a remote (with manual override) switching isolator up near the terminal box. I also fused this lead with a 450A inline fuse, and conduited and wrapped in electrical tape both the positive and negative leads from the winch to the terminals. The official instructions are a good guide for routing, but you shouldn't need to remove the headlight. On my install, the only leads running to the winch tray are the two heavy gauge red and black (conduited and sealed in tape) leads and the only time these are live is when the ignition is on AND I have activated the switch. The remote switch gets its 12V from the ignition fuse (piggybacked) and the wiring is insulated and cable tied neatly in the channel duct from the bonnet fusebox through the open vent, under the cabin air filter and into the glovebox. If you shine a light into the fully opened glovebox you can squeeze a route around the cabin air filter that will not affect the sealing flap when the recirc button is switched on. No drilling or cutting required!
If you are undecided on a winch model, you can fit it at a later stage, however there is a lot to take off the front and some cutting of plastic. I considered a variety of winch makes and models instead of the recommended Zeon Platinum 10S and I settled on the Warn Evo 12S for the following reasons:
1) It's still a WARN
2) Wireless remote with wired cable option to plug in on right side of control box, same side as the clutch
3) IP68 rating
4) It doesn't have a switch on the control box
5) Dimensions - it's slightly smaller than the Platinum Zeon and fits better into the cradle
6) I sometimes tow a camper, for which 10000lb may not be enough
6) Reasonably priced

Some photos below.

20220221_180128.jpg20220223_113301.jpg20220221_180118.jpg20220223_164855.jpg20220223_164831.jpg20220223_164822.jpgInked20220501_145126_LI.jpg

Originally Posted by trout1105

That thing from rhino is pretty much useless, Waiting for the ARB version with hopefully more "meat" on the bar is probably a better option l

These guys now have the best BB for Defenders.

New Defender Accessories
– New Defender Mods

AU Spec Winch Bullbar/Brushbar

Regular price[COLOR=var(--color-body-text)]$3,125.00

[/COLOR]

Originally Posted by SKL

These guys now have the best BB for Defenders.

New Defender Accessories
– New Defender Mods

AU Spec Winch Bullbar/Brushbar

Regular price[COLOR=var(--color-body-text)]$3,125.00

[/COLOR]

IMO with a few exceptions if your not replacing the whole front bumper your just adding a brush or nudgebar to the vehicle. Withought the side bars that bar has no horizontal support for the hoops around the headlights and they would most likely bend at the slightest nudge, they should call it winchbar/brushbar not bullbar/brushbar. It does look nice though, reminds of the factory brushbars of the earlier discos.
Cheers

[QUOTE=LRJim;3152521]IMO with a few exceptions if your not replacing the whole front bumper your just adding a brush or nudgebar to the vehicle. Withought the side bars that bar has no horizontal support for the hoops around the headlights and they would most likely bend at the slightest nudge, they should call it winchbar/brushbar not bullbar/brushbar. It does look nice though, reminds of the factory brushbars of the earlier discos.
Cheers[/

Evidently it is the real deal.
This fantastic looking, high quality Bullbar is the only one that has been safety tested by Landrover, making it the best choice for you & your New Defender.

Originally Posted by SKL

Evidently it is the real deal.
This fantastic looking, high quality Bullbar is the only one that has been safety tested by Landrover, making it the best choice for you & your New Defender.

Tested at your local Coles maybe, it offers no lower protection in front of either of the wheels the factory bumper is completely exposed to animal strikes or offroad mishaps. It's also skinnier than the fenders so if you do hit an animal on the side of the bar it will most likely end up buckling the fender also (if the bar dosnt bend back causing more damage) you get better protection from one of those "roobars" fitted to VE commodores. Yes it looks great and yes I'm sure it's high quality but one thing it's not is a bull bar.

Originally Posted by LRJim

Tested at your local Coles maybe, it offers no lower protection in front of either of the wheels the factory bumper is completely exposed to animal strikes or offroad mishaps. It's also skinnier than the fenders so if you do hit an animal on the side of the bar it will most likely end up buckling the fender also (if the bar dosnt bend back causing more damage) you get better protection from one of those "roobars" fitted to VE commodores. Yes it looks great and yes I'm sure it's high quality but one thing it's not is a bull bar.

The failure in this bar and most comments is that the defenders have the intercoolers on the left and right hand guards below the lights..so it must have a solid bar and hoop integration..as per the new 300 cruiser TJM bars. the intercoolers are in identical locations to the defenders and TJM has made the bars work..

Originally Posted by SKL

These guys now have the best BB for Defenders.

New Defender Accessories
– New Defender Mods

AU Spec Winch Bullbar/Brushbar

Regular price[COLOR=var(--color-body-text)]$3,125.00

[/COLOR]

It’s just the factory offering… nothing spectacular there.