Bull bar indecision.... (1 Viewer)

[MrCWineMan]

I am going with a bull bar brush guard for several reasons.

None of them are antennas, I like to put antennas on the roof with fold down 90 degree clamps. That way the have the roof plane for signal.
Just this weekend, pre-bull bar, I had to driver over a bunch of bushes turning around. So the bar protects paint and hood lights and rad from that.
I did clock a deer the other year and it was winter, minus 26 middle of nowhere at 2am .. and if I didn't have one it would have took out the light and the rad.
I does stick out a bit, but that also give that added protection.

If I was to just do a steel bumper the rhino is the best I've seen. Looks like it has a better approach for rocks also.

I like the roof plane idea, one of my buddies is an RF engineer and he was saying the same thing. I mean all I want to do is hit the repeater on top of the mountain near by, but I don’t want to have to face my car that way too!

 

[HoffCruiser]

Another thought here: I’m looking to purchase a used lc200. One has a bullbar and one does not. Is handling and economy noticeably different with a steel bar? Would I need to help out the front suspension to support the bar and what is the best way to cancel out the droop?

Thanks!

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Another thought here: I’m looking to purchase a used lc200. One has a bullbar and one does not. Is handling and economy noticeably different with a steel bar? Would I need to help out the front suspension to support the bar and what is the best way to cancel out the droop?

Thanks!

A couple hundred pounds of steel hanging on the front will make a difference on any vehicle, but whether it'll be a good or bad thing for you is something only you can decide. A bigger issue, IMO, is affecting the crumple zones; might not be a problem for deer strikes or other "light" encounters, but in a serious accident... who knows.

People typically install stiffer front springs when installing such bumpers, so the LC with the bumper may already have upgraded front suspension.

 

[HoffCruiser]

A couple hundred pounds of steel hanging on the front will make a difference on any vehicle, but whether it'll be a good or bad thing for you is something only you can decide. A bigger issue, IMO, is affecting the crumple zones; might not be a problem for deer strikes or other "light" encounters, but in a serious accident... who knows.

People typically install stiffer front springs when installing such bumpers, so the LC with the bumper may already have upgraded front suspension.

Yeah, that’s the thing. I don’t go off roading and I think it looks cool and protecting against animal strikes in Arkansas is nice for peace of mind, but other than that I would have no use for it. I’d much prefer handling and less stress on the stock components. The suspension hasn’t been upgraded or modified at all.

 

[Willie G]

Yeah, that’s the thing. I don’t go off roading and I think it looks cool and protecting against animal strikes in Arkansas is nice for peace of mind, but other than that I would have no use for it. I’d much prefer handling and less stress on the stock components. The suspension hasn’t been upgraded or modified at all.

Do you drive 2-lane roads after dark in rural areas? That was prime time for deer back 100 years ago when I was in school in Fayetteville.

Here in Colorado the risk is 24/7 urban & rural - damn forest rats are everywhere!

OTOH, a deer strike does offer an opportunity to upgrade your sheet metal/grille....

 

[HoffCruiser]

Do you drive 2-lane roads after dark in rural areas? That was prime time for deer back 100 years ago when I was in school in Fayetteville.

Here in Colorado the risk is 24/7 urban & rural - damn forest rats are everywhere!

OTOH, a deer strike does offer an opportunity to upgrade your sheet metal/grille....

We’re in fort smith where everything is less than 5min away. The only time I think about it is when we’re driving to and from XNA.

 

[kcjaz]

Another thought here: I’m looking to purchase a used lc200. One has a bullbar and one does not. Is handling and economy noticeably different with a steel bar? Would I need to help out the front suspension to support the bar and what is the best way to cancel out the droop?

Thanks!

I added a TJM T13 (after a deer strike) to my otherwise stock 200. The stock suspension had 125k miles and the the bumper made the front end nose dive pretty bad. Added new BP51 and handling improve dramatically.

 

[achillar30]

Since this thread is current again, figured it’s worth asking here. Does anyone have photos of a bull bar with a stock front bumper? I haven’t been able to find a single full bar for my 2016 LX.

I’ve seen the earlier LCs and 4Runners from the 90’s and the 2000’s with them on stock bumpers and they look

 

[tbisaacs]

Since this thread is current again, figured it’s worth asking here. Does anyone have photos of a bull bar with a stock front bumper? I haven’t been able to find a single full bar for my 2016 LX.

I’ve seen the earlier LCs and 4Runners from the 90’s and the 2000’s with them on stock bumpers and they look

Are you talking about those nudge bars? If so don’t bother.

 

[achillar30]

Are you talking about those nudge bars? If so don’t bother.

Those actually look pretty good for the post facelift with aftermarket bumpers...the second one reminds me of @1world1love 's build, which is probably one of my favorite rigs on here. But I was thinking of something like this. I don't wheel that hard and would just want it to protect the front from scratches and nicks. And it just looks so elegant to me.

 

[tbisaacs]

Those actually look pretty good for the post facelift with aftermarket bumpers...the second one reminds me of @1world1love 's build, which is probably one of my favorite rigs on here. But I was thinking of something like this. I don't wheel that hard and would just want it to protect the front from scratches and nicks. And it just looks so elegant to me.

These things are damage multipliers