[Xtreme]

I am going to knock up a front bar similar to the Xrock style bar and also to hold a winch. I had a look at some 40mm steel tube but I think it will all be too heavy with the wall thickness I can get. Anyone have any better suggestions? Not really wanting large diameter tube like nudge bars.

[alien]

my front bar is 40ish mm tube, roughly 3mm wall thickness... its strong enough that ive hit things and its not bent at all. The whole thing probably weighs about 12kg? (this is all just a guess, its been on the sierra for nearly 6 years now).

[tanshi]

i use 32NB usually

[Xtreme]

alien wrote:

my front bar is 40ish mm tube, roughly 3mm wall thickness... its strong enough that ive hit things and its not bent at all. The whole thing probably weighs about 12kg? (this is all just a guess, its been on the sierra for nearly 6 years now).

Do you have a pic of your bar? 40mm and 3mm was what I was looking at but I figured it might end up too heavy. My other option is Steel 50od x 1.6mm - I think it may turn out slightly lighter but Im not sure. 12kg is not too much for a bar though, but I will also have a bash plate on it (as well as the winch)

Otherwise 50od x 3mm alloy I was looking at also but would have to get someone else to weld it for me

[Xtreme]

tanshi wrote:

i use 32NB usually

Hi, whats the 32NB? I am not familiar with the different materials sorry

[tanshi]

32mm inside, about 3-4mm wall

[alien]

pics of mine in my build thread, theres one or two of the bar being built i think???

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22354&hilit=the+ufo

[jonno_racing]

Cro-mo or titanium would be ideal!
Med wall 40nb is what I use tho

[upgarage]

tanshi wrote:

32mm inside, about 3-4mm wall

Not true
32nb is always 42.2mm od
Only the id changes based on what schedule you choose

I used 5mm laser cut plates for the brackets
50x50x4mm shs as the square profile is very easy to work with and its what i had on hand at the time

[upgarage]

Pic below

[alien]

just watch how you position the "wings" - that if they take a hit and bend backwards they don't smoosh into the bodywork and do the damage the bar was supposed to avoid =)

[Fatzook]

upgarage wrote:

Pic below

Did you put some flat bar down the leading edge of your mounting plates? If not, that bar is illegal. No forward facing component of the bar can have less than a 5mm radius.

[upgarage]

No i havent

Thanks for the info

The arb bar i used to have has protruding recovery points too

[tanshi]

think the arb ones are more than 5mm thick though

[Fatzook]

tanshi wrote:

think the arb ones are more than 5mm thick though

No they aren't.

But they are behind the leading edge of the bar......

[upgarage]

Yep
Mine are also back from the leading edge
Wouldnt that make it legal

[douglasgiersch]

IMO tube bars can be easily over done much like a "comp tray" on every gutlux and pootrol, a bit longer time with a grinder and 1mm cutting disk with a big pile of 3mm flat bar would land you a much neater looking bar and alot less attention from rta rms dot whoever it may be. Have a look at gwagensteves build along with jimmy and even take a look at tsor bars, would be simply enough to make a cardboard template and repeat in steel.

[Fatzook]

douglasgiersch wrote:

IMO tube bars can be easily over done much like a "comp tray" on every gutlux and pootrol, a bit longer time with a grinder and 1mm cutting disk with a big pile of 3mm flat bar would land you a much neater looking bar and alot less attention from rta rms dot whoever it may be. Have a look at gwagensteves build along with jimmy and even take a look at tsor bars, would be simply enough to make a cardboard template and repeat in steel.

Horses for courses I guess. Personally I'm not a fan of tube bars. All too often they don't suit the shape of the vehicle they are mounted to. (IMO X-rox is the perfect example of this)

Having said that, I've made plenty of them, and even have one on my vit.

You are correct about people over-complicating them. I saw a GU the otherday that looked like it ran into a carnival ride. Artistic....yes. Aestheticly appealing..... NO!!

But back to the OP.

Do you have access to a pipe/tube bender? If yes, the dies available to you may dictate the size of the tube you use, so maybe come up with a rough design first. Use some pool noodles to help you visualize your design if necessary, and move to the 'how' later.

[Gwagensteve]

^ this.

[atari4x4]

Fatzook wrote:

Use some pool noodles to help you visualize your design if necessary, and move to the 'how' later.

like this

[Fatzook]

In record time too!

[Xtreme]

Dont have a tube bender yet was going to get one for the project, otherwise i will buy mandrel bends and weld them or get the bending done by someone else then weld it.

[larry]

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=39048

i just remounted my winch bar onto my vit, pretty simple design inspired by xrox bar
used 4mm plate for the cradle and 32nb medium pipe for the wings
i crashed into the back of a hyundai suv thing and did 6.5k worth of damage, the bar had 0 damage and is now mounted on my new vitara

if i made one for a sierra it would be pretty much the same but wouldnt wrap around the corners

[alien]

my corners are "wrapped" to the angle of the flares off the body, it completes the bar - too many people chop it short and it looks odd.

[hooki]

just make one like this

[Matthew]

I think that may actually be the ugliest bar I have ever seen.