[buzbox]

YAY poll time

Do you like the look / practicality of:
A low tube bar that doesn't have hoops that go up and around the headlights?
An all out comp style tube bar with a big zombie killing spike (bee sting) at the front
The over priced yet practical ARB bar
Or the lower "bumper" style that JML & TSOR have to offer.
standard custom = A standard bullbar intended for another make and model, but modified to fit the zook.


Personally I do like the design of the TSOR bar, but I'd love it if it had the hoops around the headlights. The main reason being is if I was going down an embankment, big rut or scrape past a tree, the front top corner or side of the headlight will get munted. I'd hate to buy a brand new bar and modify/bastardise it, also it's not winch capable. I think having the hoops around the headlights also opens up to allow you to run side brush bars.
fatzook, hint hint..

[Gwagensteve]

If you need headlight protection - ARB.
If you don't need headlight protection - ARB with the hoops cut off.

I've never really seen a tube bar I liked, all that much, including the ones I've built. I think they are popular because they are cheap and easy to make.

Is this a serious poll about what you want to do, because if so, modifying a bar from something else to fit a sierra is really hard - it's very close in effort to starting from scratch.

I'm not sure Pete is really making anything commercially any more?

I like the idea of the JML (Uneek 4X4) bar, but there's something slightly odd about where it sits on the car, like it's too far forward or something. I also don't like the round indicator/parker lights, but that's just me. It's a well made bar, competitively priced, and the fact it can work with a BL without modification is awesome.

Steve.

[buzbox]

I agree with the JML bar, It just doesn't look quite right. It's definitely well thought out but I think there's too much going on in the middle, too angular or something.

Tube bars are a hit and miss affair, there are 1 or 2 that I like because they are basic, clean looking, but seeing ones to incorporate a winch, I havn't seen one I like.

On my blue SWB, it has a standard custom. I didn't do it so I don't know what it's off but I think it looks ok.

[Reubs]

As the thread title reads "bullbar" not bumper that narrows down the field a bit. If used as a bullbar or roobar than most tube bars aren't any better than a standard bumper at protecting the front end. I voted for the ARB bar. I haven't seen a JML bar in person so can't comment, but I do own both Sierra and Vitara ARB bars.

[buzbox]

I understand the commonly used term of bullbar as frontal protection, unless it's used to herd cattle or kill animals I know it's incorrect but the 4wd industry seem to love it and is what most people call them. A bit like how people refer to suspension dampers as shock absorbers, when it's the springs that absorb the shock, but lets not get off topic shall we.

I also added it in the title so it's easier to find for other's when or if they hit the search button and type in bullbar.. anyways... bull bar, bumper, roo bar, getthefuckoutofmyway bar, call it what you will, you get my drift.

I just saw on uNeek4x4 they are offering top hoops on the JML bar. It would be interesting to see how it looks.

[31zook]

The redesign on Uneek4x4's bar is on the money I rekon.

That or take some time and build your own version your happy with and can lay claim to building it yourself. Im never happy with what ive built but I think thats the builders curse.

[joel]

xrox

[missmyljdaze]

where is the option of "farm gate", or "ruddy great railway sleeper"

stephen

[Xr6_matt]

I prefer the TSOR bar, I have one on mine and i love it.

[sideways]

I tend to quite dislike tube bars. As much as anything it's because most of them have the primary intention of making the car look fuly hektik sik bru over increasing approach angle or actually protecting anything. However here's one I really like, Highway-Stars bar on Anita.

It's simple, it actually improves approach angle (excluding shackles/leafs) over the stock bumper, it increases clearance as much as possible in front of the tyres, it would be very light, the winch fair lead is neatly tucked out of the way, the ends of the tube are neatly closed and the plate over the little uprights (which are also recovery points) and wraps around the tube is a lovely neatening touch. I guess you could say it's neat. You really couldn't make that bar much better from a pure hardcore 4WDing perspective. Obviously Aaron would be pretty screwed if he hit a roo and there's no where to mount a UHF antenna or driving lights (let alone a licence plate!), but that's not the purpose of the car.



Here's another I like, Graham Cahills bar on his shorty. It provides excellent protection, about as good of an approach angle as you can get on a winch equipped GQ (and you certainly need a winch on a GQ ) and it has some well angled plates to make the most of that overhang. I don't think it looks great but it doesn't look like arse either. For Grahams use it's prefect.



Then there's things like this. It's just a giant, approach angle killing plow. It offers little protection, it interferes with tyre clearance, they obviously put absolutely no thought into how they were going to mount their indicators, the number plate appears to be tek screwed on and all that for no winch mount? It doesn't even have recovery points FFS. It offers nothing over the standard bar aside from looking fuly hektik.



I really like the look of the ARB bars, especially on Sierras. They nailed the look there IMO. It's incredibly practical too. As an aside, the original ARB bar for a Ranger Rover looks like a less sophisticated and uglier version of the "kangaroo grater" fitted to Australian Military series Land Rovers. I'l get a pic when I'm back down south in a few weeks. They've sure some a long way.....

I agree with the comments on the JML bar, it sticks out to much and it's doesn't really suit the style of a Sierra. That sort of design suits modern cars a lot more. I think it looks really good but quite out of place, like someone stuck the bar from a Jeep on a Sierra.

I like the look of the TSOR bar aside from the indicators. I'm not really sure what the point is though, aside from having recovery points and looking nicer there's not really anything it offers over the stock front bar.

I reckon TJM Sierra bars look pretty good too.



One of the shitty things about owning an LJ is the that no one sells any aftermarket parts for them, including bullbars. Also, because the lights are so close together it's impossible to make a bar with full protection that doesn't look weird, especially if you want to fit spotlights in there somewhere.

[Marko_SJ]

sideways wrote:

I tend to quite dislike tube bars. As much as anything it's because most of them have the primary intention of making the car look fuly hektik sik bru over increasing approach angle or actually protecting anything. However here's one I really like, Highway-Stars bar on Anita.

[Graham Cahill's Patrol]

Here's another I like, Graham Cahills bar on his shorty. It provides excellent protection, about as good of an approach angle as you can get on a winch equipped GQ (and you certainly need a winch on a GQ ) and it has some well angled plates to make the most of that overhang. I don't think it looks great but it doesn't look like arse either. For Grahams use it's prefect.

One of the shitty things about owning an LJ is the that no one sells any aftermarket parts for them, including bullbars. Also, because the lights are so close together it's impossible to make a bar with full protection that doesn't look weird, especially if you want to fit spotlights in there somewhere.

Just a useless bit of info. That GQ bar isn't custom, its made by a bunch called "Millweld"

They are very popular, made in WA. (if you didn't already know all this)

The fronts of LJ's look good without, but you definitely don't want difficult to find panels stoved in by a stray animal.

Double edit: damn apple auto correct

[Gwagensteve]

Er, unless there's two Millwelds, I reckon they're made in Mansfield, Victoria.

http://www.millweld.com

I too like Anita's front bar.

[Red89]

The_Amateur wrote:

Just a useless bit of info. That GQ bar isn't custom, its made by a bunch called "Millweld"

They are very popular, made in WA. (if you didn't already know all this)

XLR8 Fabrications is popular and made in WA, Millweld is in Vic.

[Marko_SJ]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Er, unless there's two Millwelds, I reckon they're made in Mansfield, Victoria.

http://www.millweld.com

I too like Anita's front bar.

Proven that I was wrong my bad.

I must have remembered the wrong place when I checked em out.

I still like them them best out of all the toob bars, and they are popular from what I've seen in build threads.

Derp.

[Highway-Star]

sideways wrote:

I tend to quite dislike tube bars. As much as anything it's because most of them have the primary intention of making the car look fuly hektik sik bru over increasing approach angle or actually protecting anything. However here's one I really like, Highway-Stars bar on Anita.

It's simple, it actually improves approach angle (excluding shackles/leafs) over the stock bumper, it increases clearance as much as possible in front of the tyres, it would be very light, the winch fair lead is neatly tucked out of the way, the ends of the tube are neatly closed and the plate over the little uprights (which are also recovery points) and wraps around the tube is a lovely neatening touch. I guess you could say it's neat. You really couldn't make that bar much better from a pure hardcore 4WDing perspective. Obviously Aaron would be pretty screwed if he hit a roo and there's no where to mount a UHF antenna or driving lights (let alone a licence plate!), but that's not the purpose of the car.

That bar was built mainly for the reasons Hayden has said, its light, its cheap, it was uber simple and quick to build, and my approach angle nearly matches an LJ with no bumper. I didn't view it so much as a bumper when making it, more or less a bottom border for the front panel, and a legal requirement. It became allot better with the tube guards too, before they existed it could catch on things (mainly in reverse), and the sides of the front panel were more prone than a turkey in a rifle range.

One more reason for its existence though.... I'm incredibly vain, and LJ's are one of those cars that are very very hard to get to look right with a full on "bullbar". On the flip side, that same bar would look hideous on a Sierra IMO (hence way back when I built a bar for my Sierra, it was a pseudo-ARB style thing). If I get bored later this year, I might build a front bar for my Discovery... and no way in hell will it be a tube bar, because they look terrible on such bulky cars! Point is, different cars suit different barwork.

Lastly.... I paid for having a light on bar earlier this year when some genius backed into Anita and took out the bonnet and cracked the grill... but still I'm not prepared to change the car for such things, I'm both stubborn and vain!

[boostedbrick]

I guess it depends on the look you want. I went with a cut down ARB.. it suited the car. And still protected the guards well enough...

[pezz]

i like the arb bar, but i have a booty fab black pipe bar, it works, but its ugly

[Zookrider]

I've got an 80's hilux standard steel bullbar, cut around 200mm out of the centre and rejoined it.
The squat shape of the hilux bar scales well onto a sierra.