Bullbars, Is There A Smarter Alternative?
I own a jeep. I've always owned jeeps. From the old 70s CJ models to the newer, way more comfy (or so my wife tells me) cherokees. I don't know why I do, but I've always loved them.
Recently on an outback excursion I hit a kangaroo. I was only doing about 10km/h so the damage was minimal, but this incident got me thinking about frontal protection. So I called my mates at All Vehicle Accessories in Melbourne to have a chat about bullbars.
So I rang the guys at All Vehicle Accessories in Melbourne to get a bullbar installed. While chatting, they told me about these new pastic bullbars. Intrigued (as I'd never heard about them before) I jumped onto Google to do some research. Smartbars vs bullbars, what would protect us the best. Initially I found a lot of opinion and little fact, but digging a little deeper, a pretty clear picture emerged.
There are 3 things a bullbar (or frontal protection device) is supposed to protect. These are the vehicle, the passengers in the vehicle, and the object being struck in a collision.
Just to make it perfectly clear when we are comparing performance in this regard, we are only comparing performance at speeds up to and including fatal impact, not exceeding it. We aren't really interested in the opinions that at 150kms/h, the pedestrian dies no matter what device you are using. Its a ridiculous argument. However we are interested in seeing how bullbars and smartbars protect our vehicle, passengers and pedestrians, at speeds where there is a chance for survival.
The two frontal protection devices perform differently as they have been designed to do different things. Bullbars have been designed to be the "unbreakable barrier". They are intended to form a barrier between your vehicle and the collision that nothing can get through. Smartbars on the other hand have been designed, through their hollow polymer construction, to absorb, cushion and decelerate the forces of impact. Ie. To be a "frontal airbag" if you like, albeit for your car. When you look at the independent tests, there really is no escaping it. The fact is that up to the point of fatal impact, smartbars protect your vehicle, your passengers and pedestrians better than bullbars do.
To paint a picture though of how this works, imagine the pain caused if you fell and bumped your head on a metal telephone pole. It would hurt right? Now imagine in the same fall, it was one of those big plastic wheelie bins that you hit and your head impacted in the middle of the bin where it had most give. It would not nearly be so painful. Thats how the smartbars work. The impact that smartbars absorb, is impact that is not transferred to your vehicle, you or your passengers, or the pedestrian you just hit.
If you enjoy your vehicle, performance will always be a topic on your mind. The cost of fuel, tyre wear, suspension wear, handling in extreme weather. They are all issues for regular drivers. One thing that no-one questions, is that smartbars are significantly lighter than bullbars. Do you know what this means? Better fuel efficiency, longer tyre and suspension wear, easier and safer handling. Smartbars by their lighter composition allow your vehicle to perform better. Simple.
And I have one final point to make on the subject. I love taking the jeep out bush but I'm pretty lazy about it when I come home. I don't want to spend hours polishing, buffing or scrubbing my bullbar because its rusting a bit (especially after those ocean fishing trips) or has lost its shine. A quick wipedown with a soapy sponge is all the smartbar takes to clean. Which means I can spend my time planning the next trip.
This is a simple presentation of the facts which I've found in my research, when looking at viable frontal protection products for my jeep. As always, do your own research and make the best decisions you can. I'm sure if you do do some research and make your decision on the facts rather than someone elses "tuff man" image, the decision won't be that hard at all. - 20759
Recently on an outback excursion I hit a kangaroo. I was only doing about 10km/h so the damage was minimal, but this incident got me thinking about frontal protection. So I called my mates at All Vehicle Accessories in Melbourne to have a chat about bullbars.
So I rang the guys at All Vehicle Accessories in Melbourne to get a bullbar installed. While chatting, they told me about these new pastic bullbars. Intrigued (as I'd never heard about them before) I jumped onto Google to do some research. Smartbars vs bullbars, what would protect us the best. Initially I found a lot of opinion and little fact, but digging a little deeper, a pretty clear picture emerged.
There are 3 things a bullbar (or frontal protection device) is supposed to protect. These are the vehicle, the passengers in the vehicle, and the object being struck in a collision.
Just to make it perfectly clear when we are comparing performance in this regard, we are only comparing performance at speeds up to and including fatal impact, not exceeding it. We aren't really interested in the opinions that at 150kms/h, the pedestrian dies no matter what device you are using. Its a ridiculous argument. However we are interested in seeing how bullbars and smartbars protect our vehicle, passengers and pedestrians, at speeds where there is a chance for survival.
The two frontal protection devices perform differently as they have been designed to do different things. Bullbars have been designed to be the "unbreakable barrier". They are intended to form a barrier between your vehicle and the collision that nothing can get through. Smartbars on the other hand have been designed, through their hollow polymer construction, to absorb, cushion and decelerate the forces of impact. Ie. To be a "frontal airbag" if you like, albeit for your car. When you look at the independent tests, there really is no escaping it. The fact is that up to the point of fatal impact, smartbars protect your vehicle, your passengers and pedestrians better than bullbars do.
To paint a picture though of how this works, imagine the pain caused if you fell and bumped your head on a metal telephone pole. It would hurt right? Now imagine in the same fall, it was one of those big plastic wheelie bins that you hit and your head impacted in the middle of the bin where it had most give. It would not nearly be so painful. Thats how the smartbars work. The impact that smartbars absorb, is impact that is not transferred to your vehicle, you or your passengers, or the pedestrian you just hit.
If you enjoy your vehicle, performance will always be a topic on your mind. The cost of fuel, tyre wear, suspension wear, handling in extreme weather. They are all issues for regular drivers. One thing that no-one questions, is that smartbars are significantly lighter than bullbars. Do you know what this means? Better fuel efficiency, longer tyre and suspension wear, easier and safer handling. Smartbars by their lighter composition allow your vehicle to perform better. Simple.
And I have one final point to make on the subject. I love taking the jeep out bush but I'm pretty lazy about it when I come home. I don't want to spend hours polishing, buffing or scrubbing my bullbar because its rusting a bit (especially after those ocean fishing trips) or has lost its shine. A quick wipedown with a soapy sponge is all the smartbar takes to clean. Which means I can spend my time planning the next trip.
This is a simple presentation of the facts which I've found in my research, when looking at viable frontal protection products for my jeep. As always, do your own research and make the best decisions you can. I'm sure if you do do some research and make your decision on the facts rather than someone elses "tuff man" image, the decision won't be that hard at all. - 20759
About the Author:
Damian Papworth is a 4WD buff. It makes sense he turned to All Vehicle Accessories when looking for advice on frontal protection for his Jeep
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