Adding a bar on top of an ARB bullbar (1 Viewer)

[theferg]

Anybody added another bar on the top of you bull bar? I know of atleast one guy on here's whose done it and I have some pics, but they don't quite show it quite well enough (they're showing off the new lowered SOA). I like my bull bar, but think i want to add an extra bar on top. And I guess the answer to the question of what purpose it would serve is that it would help aid in protecting the radiator in the case of a rollover. I don't really plan on rolling over, nor do I know whether or not it would ultimately even help at all. But I kinda like it none-the-less. Maybe I'm just crazy and want to add tubing all over everything...

It would block the top two light tabs from being utilized without modification, but I don't really plan on runnin' lights on the upper ones anyway, and if I did, the uppers could easily be modified.

Anyway here's a couple pics. First is my talented photochopping and the other is the one that I've seen it done on. (Exiled, any more pics showing it a little bit better?)

-Ferg-

 

[mixmaster]

I've thought of that for the 80, I think it would be pretty cool. Come on dude, you can't fool anyone into thinking you ever wheel by talking about saving your radiator in a roll. Everyone knows you're a poser and accepts the fact that it would look cool at the mall.

 

[theferg]

So you want one too then? I already roped Proffitt in for it for an excellent price. In fact I'll buy yours for ya and you can weld yours on at the same time your weldin' mine on for me... (You know I'm gonna hook ya up right... )

-Ferg-

 

[VTCruiser]

I have thought about doing the same if i ever got an ARB. Looks better in my opinion, follows the lines of the hood better.

DO IT TO IT

 

[Landpimp]

I like it also. Only downside is its one more thing to work around when working under the hood, it already a PITA on a SOA cruiser to get up into the engine bay

 

[Doc]

Also a good tie down point for a canoe on the roof!

I do like the look better, but would you just re-paint or re-powder?

 

[theferg]

I've got me a nice foldable step from Checker that goes on top of my tires--so reachin' in the engine bay isn't too bad... But I hear ya about getting there from the front...

As for painting or powder-coating. Mine's brand new so I don't wanna pay to get the whole thing re-powder-coated. And I'm not sure how well spray paint will match. But, I bought this stuff called Chasis Coat. The guy that sold it used to be on here and would pimp it all the time. I bought the stuff and used it on my rear axle when I cleaned it all up and I love it so far. It has a look similar to powder-coat I think and so I'm gonna try it on a few spots on the bull bar (where the fender bars are going to attach I have to weld a small piece on) and see how it looks.

-Ferg-

 

[lowtideride]

thats sweet. Post some pics when ya get it welded up. I just jump over my arb and stand on it to work on the engine bay, its just pain to get back down and get a diff tool.

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

Ferg baby, those to tabs arent for llights. Those top tabs are for your CD antenna. They started putting them on EACH side to cover right OR left hand steering.

If you roll that sucker I dont think you'll be worrying to much about the rad bro.

Then there's the powder coating to think of. You're going to have to scratch enough of it away to weld that bar on there. Then how are you going to pain the residual?

Just thoughts.




TB

 

[theferg]

Ferg baby, those to tabs arent for llights. Those top tabs are for your CD antenna. They started putting them on EACH side to cover right OR left hand steering.

Not for lights eh... tell that to Al...

If you roll that sucker I dont think you'll be worrying to much about the rad bro.

Ya, I know, I just had to kinda throw that in there so it wasn't a dead give away that I just think the extra bar is sexy...

Then there's the powder coating to think of. You're going to have to scratch enough of it away to weld that bar on there. Then how are you going to pain the residual?

I thought of that, see my last post above. I don't think it will be that big of a deal...

Just thoughts.


TB

Keep 'em comin'. You know I love to hear everyone's thought on things like this...

-Ferg-

 

[lowtideride]

Haha, I like them up there bastid.

 

[Benji]

My old ARB doesn't have the new cb antenna mounts on top .

Hey ferg, I would go for it. I think it would compliment the hood curves great.

Don't worry about the powder coat. You will soon be spraying that thing with rustoleum all the time to cover up all the nicks and scratches. I repainted my whole bumper as it was rusted as hell when I bought it. I sanded all the rust pits out and it looks new now with some primer and rustoleum semi-gloss.

 

[CTiger]

that will look awesome

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

FWIW, Rustoleum Gloss Enamel(black obviously) matches ARB powdercoat REALLY FREAKING WELL. I had an ARB on my Cherokee and scratched the lower panels on a regular basis. I would mask off one panel at a time, clean up all the rust, beat out the little dents, and paint the whole panel w/ the rustoleum. When I took off the masking tape you couldn't tell what was paint and what was powdercoat. I think if you were to add the bar(which I agree looks really good) that you could lightly sand the whole thick tube and paint it w/ the rustoleum. I would stop the paint at the welds since there is already a joint there and your eye won't pick up any slight differences in the color(in case ARB or rustoleum changed something slightly in the make-up of their coatings).

Hope that helps.

Ary

 

[Exiled]

I guess I'll step in since it's my truck and it was my idea!

I did it for two reasons. One was simply aesthethics. I bought an ARB bullbar before they became OEM on all 60's (at least it looks like it), and although I've always been happy with it, I wanted to change it a bit, make it more unique. The second reason, a more practical one, was that at 6' even and sitting on the OEM seats, I couldn't see the horizontal bars on the ARB. With the addition, I can now tell where the bar is, and it's a lot easier to maneuver the truck in tight spaces.

My truck is SOA so the added bar didn't do anything to the already difficult access to the engine compartment from the front. An unintended side effect, however, is that it's now more comfortable to sit up on the ARB, between the hood and the new bar.

I didn't care about the powdercoating because my bullbar, after almost nine years and a lot of heavy use, is pretty hammered. I'd already welded hi-lift jacking points to each corner, so the powdercoating wasn't "virgin".

The next step, which I'm getting ready to do, is to cut the overhang mount for the roller fairlead off (going to poly rope with a hawse fairlead), weld up a better mount for the shovel and axe mount, replace the wimpy d-ring mounts with some nice machined ones I got, add two antenna mounts (mine's the old version, didn't have *any* of the permanent antenna mounts), then repowdercoat. Toying with the idea of a different color powdercoating, too.

 

[theferg]

Thanks for stoppin' in Henry. Any chance you've got some more pics of it? Closer up? From the side, top....etc.

EDIT: I guess officially, I'm just trying to figure out all the angles and measurements of yours 'cause it looks so perfect. Does it have any bends in it to try and follow the top bars of the bull bar? Or is it just straight accross? Also, in that pic, it looks like it just barely passes over the top of the two vertical supports...how much distance is actually between them? Or between the top original bar and the new bar? Is it angled forward or backward at all? What diameter tubing is it? Is it the same as the lower horizontal bars? The reason I'm asking is that I'm gonna try and have it bent up without the bender having access to a bull bar. It's not that complicated of a piece, so I think it will work

Funny you should mention about not being able to see the top bar. I too am unable to see the bar. If I sit forward a bit, I can see the very top of the two middle main verticle supports...

-Ferg-

 

[Benji]

I agree. I can't see the bar either, and it would be nice to have a top reference point, i.e. bar on top of the ARB.

 

[fogblanket]

what a small world this is on deck form me to do this week end when I head over to my fab guy to start the front axle swap. Main reason I am going to add the bar is with the new 1" body lift I can't see the bumper at all anymore, and the hood is very exposed now. I am also trying to figure out how to change /raise the bottom up some but that will have to wait for another visit or I get a welder.
anyway i will take pictures of how it goes on.

 

[lowtideride]

haha, I can see my bar, it even lights up.

 

[Exiled]

Thanks for stoppin' in Henry. Any chance you've got some more pics of it? Closer up? From the side, top....etc.

EDIT: I guess officially, I'm just trying to figure out all the angles and measurements of yours 'cause it looks so perfect. Does it have any bends in it to try and follow the top bars of the bull bar? Or is it just straight accross? Also, in that pic, it looks like it just barely passes over the top of the two vertical supports...how much distance is actually between them? Or between the top original bar and the new bar? Is it angled forward or backward at all? What diameter tubing is it? Is it the same as the lower horizontal bars? The reason I'm asking is that I'm gonna try and have it bent up without the bender having access to a bull bar. It's not that complicated of a piece, so I think it will work

Funny you should mention about not being able to see the top bar. I too am unable to see the bar. If I sit forward a bit, I can see the very top of the two middle main verticle supports...

-Ferg-

Ferg, it's 1.5" tubing 'cause that's what we had handy. It's pretty close to the vertical supports, and is just straight across. I'll snap some shots in the daylight this weekend and send them out.