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Land Cruiser Bull Bar – Buyers Guide
Land Cruiser Bull Bar – Buyers Guide
Everything you need to know about choosing the right Land Cruiser bull bar.
- Bull Bars
A good Land Cruiser bull bar or brushbar as they are sometimes referred to, is not necessarily the most essential accessory in the upgrading of your Land Cruiser, but it certainly is pretty high on the list of “desirables”. While they do lend themselves to the aesthetic appeal in the appearance of the vehicle, there is the undeniable added value in the robustness and durability of your pride and joy in the added protection they offer.
Much more consideration should be applied to this purchase than just the rugged appearance of the finished product. The pricing for one varies quite considerably, as does the quality, functionality, and weight of the bar. Without discounting your dreams of where your vehicle will be used, decide beforehand what your primary function will be. Decide “what do I realistically want from this product?”. Once your budget has been established you can then apply your mind to where you can source your Land Cruiser bull bar from the most affordable and or convenient supplier. This process should very often be concluded in the privacy of your study or your office. The reason being, wives (also sometimes referred to as ‘she who must be obeyed’ – ‘SWAMBO’) very often fail to view the finished product with the same enthusiasm as their aspirant “Camel Adventure “ husbands.
What is a Bull Bar?
Simply put, a Land Cruiser’s bull bar is there to protect your Land Cruiser from obstacles in your path, be they stationary, as most trees and rocks tend to be. Or perhaps having been endowed with four legs (or occasionally two) and being somewhat unpredictable in their thought processes, as they tend to change direction seemingly without any fear of consequence. When that bony cow stands gazing at you as you negotiate that dusty bend in the lower reaches of Zambia, your three choices are left, right, or straight and they need to be addressed with alacrity. Not even the use of battleship style air horns seem to have any bearing on the bovine belligerence being portrayed.
While safety and functionality are the primary function of bull bars they also allow for the accommodation of a myriad of other accessories. From spotlights, to winches, and radio antenna, and they have been known to accommodate various types of horns which once would have been proudly bourn by one or other beast.
Bull Bar Materials
Bull bars are primarily made from steel, which tend to be the stronger and more resilient option, but do however carry “literally” a weight penalty. This would often lead to a suspension upgrade which we’ll discuss in a bit. Another very popular choice of material is aluminium, which substantially reduces the weight, but not the price. Unfortunately these aluminium bars generally make up for weight loss in increased price. And then while we have not see many of these yet, some bull bars are also made of a sort of highly impact resistant plastic or composite material, which to our conventional old school thinking does not inspire confidence.
As far as styles of bull bars go, this is always very subjective and often leads to lively and sometimes heated debate, particularly around the campfire.
Types of Bull Bars For Your Land Cruiser
There are really just two types of bull bar, and this a single type design or a multi-post design. There are many variations of these, especially if you start venturing into the US and Aussie markets, however for the most part, they are based off the same concept.
Multi-Post
Multi-post designs use tubular steel bars above the main bumper plate to protect the lights and grille, while thick metal protects the lower half of the front of the vehicle, including the lower parts of the radiator.
Single-Post
The single design bull bars have traditionally been for the most part the same as the multi-post designs, minus the tubular steel bars protecting the lights and top half of the radiator. Nowadays, however, single/ bikini bumpers are becoming more increasingly popular due to their sleek designs and lighter weight, while still offering high levels of lower-body protection.
Modular bull bars are the latest thing to hit the 4×4 bull bar market and offer the benefit of having individually replaceable components, so that if you damage only a section of the bar, just that section can be replaced.
What To Consider When Buying A Land Cruiser Bull Bar
The design of any bull bar greatly affects what your Land Cruiser is going to be able to do or not be able to do. So there are a few things you should consider before taking the jump. Things like airflow through the radiator is vital. Spotlight size and placement also need to be very carefully considered, as impaired airflow could lead to overheating of your engine. Ultimately this is a very expensive, nevermind inconvenient exercise.
Overall look and feel, and build quality
As we mentioned earlier, a lot of your decision is going to come down to looks and personal preference. You essentially want to choose the bull bar that is going to compliment your Cruiser. However, don’t forget to consider the build quality as well. The bull bar you are selecting should be made from high quality materials and feature perfect welds and bends.
You essentially want to choose the bull bar that is going compliment your vehicle.
High-lift jack and recovery points
Further considerations on any bar application would be both hi-lift jacking points and recovery points. There are those that have been stuck and those that will be. If you are in any way utilizing your vehicle for its intended purpose, you will inevitably need to be recovered from a tricky or sticky situation. Conversely you may need to assist someone else who exceeded the bounds of common sense or ability.
The large majority of bull bars do come with high-lift jack points. But again, it’s always a good idea to check this with the manufacturer before making your decision, as not all bull bars include these nifty little additions.
Recovery points, also known as tow rated points, are arguably the best addition to any bull bar. If a bull bar has a rated recovery point it means that the manufacturer is essentially doing things properly. They have sought the necessary engineering advice and got sign-off from them that their product is up to scratch. If you’re at a bit of a standoff between your two final choices and one of them has recovery points and the other doesn’t, choose the bull bar with the rated recovery points. You can thank us later.
Does a bull bar's weight affect the handling of my Land Cruiser?
You may notice a small drop (approximately 15-20mm) on the front suspension depending on the vehicle and what suspension you have in there. The front of your Land Cruiser will feel a little softer, and unfortunately one of the down sides of most bull bars is a decrease in handling and braking, and in general just a decrease in driving performance.
This can however be countered in the form of heavier duty shock absorbers, springs, or leaf springs, depending on which vehicle you might be modifying to accommodate this extra load.
What is ADR compliant and should I care?
ADR stands for Australian Design Rules and they serve as international standards for vehicle safety, anti-theft, and emissions, and in short, Yes, you should care about this.
An ADR compliant bull bar has more to do with pedestrian safety than anything else, and really what you need to know is that if your bull bar has an ADR certificate, you are ‘doing it right’.
– A bull bar must not tilt forward more that 100mm from its base.
– The bull bar must have rounded corners and edges with chamfered or rounded flanges.
– Bull bars must flow with the shape of the front of the vehicle, bending around its curvature.
– Brackets must not be exposed as to cause injury in an impact with a pedestrian.
– A ‘step’ in the bumper’s height must not exceed 100mm.
– The bull bar must not exceed the width of the vehicle, including its mirrors.
– Driving lights must not be obscured, and if indicators are obscured, an auxiliary set must be fitted into the bumper.
– The number plate must not be obscured.
– A person of average height sitting in the driver’s seat with the seat pushed all the way back must be able to see the road at least 11m in front of the vehicle.
– A bull bar must have more than 100mm of ground clearance.
After all that, In South Africa, our authorities are quite laid back when it comes to bull bars regulations. So as long as the mounting point for your number plate is unobstructed and secured, you’re safe. And if you have a winch fitted, it’s not a bad idea to secure your number plate in front of the fairlead with cable ties, so that it is easily removable. An obstructed number plate could land you with a fine of a couple hundred bucks.
How safe are bull bars in a crash?
Newer 4x4s are designed with safety as the main priority. Which is why you see plastic bumpers of rugged machines like Land Cruisers, and their somewhat related counterparts, the Jeep Wrangler. This is also one of the reasons the Defender went through such a major makeover. Safety is a big concern, and adding a massive chunk of metal to the front of your Land Cruiser seems to understandably send pedestrian-safety standards up in arms. Because bull bars are rigid, and mounted directly to a vehicle’s chassis, it’s standard crumple zones are somewhat made redundant. To get around this problem, the better bull bar manufacturers have included crumple zones in their designs, reaching a compromise between crash safety and outright rigidity. However, this can also have an effect on airbag deployment, leading to the next important point, the compatibility of airbags.
Depending on the type of terrain driven, airbags have been known to deploy in non critical encounters with objects offering resistance. The reverse being of greater concern is the non-deployment of airbags when they are required. It is always advisable to check with both the supplier of your product of choice as well as the vehicle manufacturer, to establish the most suitable combination on your vehicle. The indiscriminate fitting of certain accessories could also nullify your manufacturer’s warranty on the vehicle, so careful consideration should be applied.
Does a bull bar need to work with my Land Cruiser’s electronics and engine bay?
For the most part, yes. However, it’s pretty uncommon that a bull bar manufacturer will make their product to be incompatible with Land Cruiser electronics. However on older models of Cruiser and older bull bars, this should still be checked.
In terms of moving components around in the engine bay, this is never a major, the biggest issue sometimes just being that you may have to relocate a windscreen washer water bottle.
Bull Bar Brands Suitable For A Land Cruiser
The design of any bull bar greatly affects what your Land Cruiser is going to be able to do or not be able to do. So there are a few things you should consider before taking the jump. Things like airflow through the radiator is vital. Spotlight size and placement also need to be very carefully considered, as impaired airflow could lead to overheating of your engine. Ultimately this is a very expensive, nevermind inconvenient exercise.
Our 2 Cents
Ultimately the considerations to keep in mind are a combination of budget, certainty on application, aesthetic value (it does need to look the part as well), safety and warranty.
So after all, there is a bit more to it then seeing how many man points you can add to your Land Cruiser. Once you’ve narrowed down the style and the material, then it becomes much simpler. And while many bull bars may look identical in many ways, knowing to look for those subtle differences in styling, build quality, tow points, jack points, safety rating, and just weight in general, could save you heaps of ‘snot en trane’ down the line.
One final thought to keep in mind is that you need to be confident in the bull bar you are buying based on all the above factors. If the bull bar you are looking at doesn’t inspire confidence, leave it. Find another one. It will be worth it.
