Why you should choose an ARB over Soverign bar

[jayden82 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jayden82]

I thought airbags will only deploy in a real crash situation. ie taking into account braking response time, speed at impact, and multiple sensor points having impacted.

[jaysea007 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jaysea007]

On a simular line what are people's views in relation to hitting a roo with a tjm t3 or arb Sahara bar? I like the look of these better and thinking getting some quotes but wonder if I am paying money for a bull bar but not getting full protection it is not value for money. Will the T3/Sahara protect the main front but if the roo hits the corner (which they often do) it is still likely to do some hefty damage?

[nigelh Member Find all posts View Profile Close nigelh]

I have chosen sovereign bar
I think the other big factor when buying the right bullbars are not just hitting animals but what if you have a major accident i dont think i would care if i damaged the front end just as long as the people inside survive. You can always buy a new car so until arb can come up with crash testing that will be conclusive i think i will stick with the soveriegn bar.
You can replace a car but you can not replace family and friends.
I know there is pics of a sovereign bar hit by a roo maybe we need some statistics which bar has more injuries in a crash test and a crash test comparison because i know that would sway me more than how much my bullbar is dented.
I know we all love our prados but maybe we need to get our priorities right i can replace steel and plastic.

Thanks
gclarke

I think the main point your missing is bullbar s are not made as so called crumple zones. They are designed for protecting against a substantial collision mainly in remote areas where help is a long way and enables you to continue to drive home. Durran from ARB in morphette vale in SA has sold me 2 steel bars over the years. When I bought my first one I asked the very question of will they take a roo hit... He answered that he has hit no less than 7 in his time with no real damage. He's a genuine bloke and I believe that it's not a sales pitch. Also if you have ever driven at night in the NT... you'll know that Roos are not the biggest animal on the roads. I've had near misses with cows and sheep and seen 2 car collisions where the 4wd was unscathed. Now I wouldn't wish bad apon anyone un fortunate enough to have collided with me in peak hour traffic but I sure as hell would like to drive my pride and joys away with just the paint of some Volvo on my bullbar only and still make it home to watch the news.
Ill be getting rid of my stock sov bar as soon I can afford it.

[raydes Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close raydes]

Hi was the roo standing in front of a TREE

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

I think the main point your missing is bullbar s are not made as so called crumple zones.

I think you might want to do a tour of a bulbar factory. All airbag compliant bars have mounts designed as crush tubes to ensure the airbags deploy as per factory spec.

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

I've nailed a lot of wildlife with my arb bar and she's relatively good still. Mounts maybe slightly bent and the under guards have a few kangaroo imprints but overall she's sweet.

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Whitey1

You are asking the wrong question. It should be "why shouldn't I get a smart bar?"!!!!!! NTP will provide you a link to a thread he absolutely loves on the topic. I hear NTP is a big fan of the smart bar and will answer any questions you may have under his pseudonym name

mlc- excretia agitator.

[Bazza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bazza]

I think luck and specific situations have a lot to do with the damage on steel or aluminium bars. Three years ago I nearly wrote off a small Nissan hatchback after hitting it from behind in my previous 120 with an alloy bar. I was only doing about 40 - 50 Ks and I totalled the back of that car and only deeply scratched the bar and bent two of the mounting brackets. Yet 30 years ago I was a passenger in a mate's old Landy with a steel bar when we hit a BIG red out west. That bar was stuffed and so was the Landy. It was towed home. So I think it comes down to personal choice and I think that both steel and alloy bars do what they were designed to do, take the impact and collapse.
Bazza.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

both steel and alloy bars do what they were designed to do, take the impact and collapse.

Im with MLC, smart bars dont collapse they bounce back to their original state. Plus they're safer to any living creature you hit apparently...

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

I cracked a bar last night and i thought i was pretty smart...
So you could say that i have a smart bar in my pants!!!

[Fronty Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fronty]

I'm not to convinced I need to switch to a steel bar after all. I think the sovereign bar will do just fine.

My mate had a minor collision in his Jackaroo which was fitted with a steel ARB bar. He hit a sedan on the left front (who did a U-turn in front of him) at around 40km/h and the shock was transferred through to the chassis rails and ultimately wrote the car off.

But that ally bar crumpled the way its designed, and appears as though just the bar was a write off with minimal body repairs. Obviously, this depends on what you hit and how fast your travelling.

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

I cracked a bar last night and i thought i was pretty smart...
So you could say that i have a smart bar in my pants!!!

Shame it cracked

[pete8205 Member Find all posts View Profile Close pete8205]

Both steel and aloy bars have pros and cons steel is heavy and stronger while alloy is lighter.
Then throw into into the mix how well they are made the well made bars usually come with a larger price tag.
for example the soverign bar would be a sufficeint bar especially with the winch cradle fitted and thearb is somewhat proven but will still suffer from an impact if you are after a bar that will survive a roo strike without damage you need to be looking at the 5 post style bullbar like all the country utes have, a mate of mine had one made by sw platt in orange it was a large 5 post alloy bar and had it fitted to his WB ute he hit a roo at 120kms (i was following behind him and he didn't brake) there was no damage to the bar or the ute just alot of roo spread every where.
when you compare this bar to an arb bar on price this bar cost between $2000 and $2500 and worth every cent after seeing that.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Except it will cost extra in seeing eye dogs after you gouge your eyes out so you don't have to look at it.

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

Except it will cost extra in seeing eye dogs after you gouge your eyes out so you don't have to look at it.

some of us actually choose things for function over form.