Bullbar choice

[skip02 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close skip02]

I have recently bought my first prado 04 v6 so don't know much , have previously owned 75 series landcruisers and patrols etc that have no airbag so the bullbars seem to be a bit of a different design I am after a bar that can take a hit if need be .
I have priced TJM $2100,ARB$2050,OL$1899,IRONMAN$1495.
The prices were for black steel winch bar fitted
Are there any other brands I should consider?
I have heard good things about the TJM and its what im leaning towards at the moment
The ironman seems very cheap, is there a reason for this ie not as strong
Is it worth getting a second hand sovereign bar and fitting myself?

[cfryback Find all posts View Profile Close cfryback]

It depends what you mean by "taking a hit"...

[skip02 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close skip02]

It depends what you mean by "taking a hit"...

kangaroo ,goat and emu etc

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

Have the ARB bar, love it!
Some months ago, I managed to hit the largest roo I have ever hit. I nearly needed new undies LOL
I thought for sure that things would be messy - all it did was clean the bug guts off the drivers side of the bar :-)
I had, just three days previous, had to replace the black pllastic insert around the fog light/indicator on the RHS, and was positive that it would all be busted again, but it was mickey mouse (YAY) It was a fox that bust it in the first place :-(
Apart from that I can't fault it. I would happily buy one again.
FWIW I got mine colour coded, I think it looks better on a white vehicle than a black bar.

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

My TJM bar is serving me well, taken a couple of hits nothing major.

Hutch- Prado 2012 petrol with the TJM Catologue.

[The Alberto Member Find all posts View Profile Close The Alberto]

I can second the ARB a mate has one on an SR5 and up the cape last year it was tough as nails. Hit more than one embankment with no probs.

I can also vouch for the TJM T3 bar (similar to ARB Sahara) - I just put one on the Prado and so far it is great. Only disappointment is that LED Parker's are an additional cost option with TJM. Hit a roo (not huge but big enough) about a month ago heading up to stanage bay, uckily i got him right on the support but still not one bit of damage. Prado 1 - roo 0.

Not everyone agrees, but I had 2 Ironman Protector bars on a 2010 Triton (first was replaced under warranty due to rust). I did not like it. In direct comparison to the ARB and the TJM it seemed much weaker in construction, the design and the approach clearance under the wings was too low and it used a chassis extension mounting system to attach it. No matter how hard we tried or how many times it went back, we could never get the bolts tight enough to prevent it tilting forward on rough tracks and winching. Heaps of people love them though and I was told the way they attach to a Toyota is different to the Triton? I hit the same embankments as previously mentioned and broke 2 mounting bolts and badly bent another 1 in the chassis extensions. Main problem with this was that the bolts were "part" of the mounting bracket so could not just pull them out and replace, the entire bar needed to come off. The bloke at Seisa motors made up a support bracket to mount on the side to brace it up to get home, but no winching all the way back was a bit of a worry.



Hope this helps

[skip02 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close skip02]

Thanks for the replies it the kind of info I was after still agonizing over ARB V TJM they seem to be the best

[cfryback Find all posts View Profile Close cfryback]

I'm biased for TJM kit....

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

agonizing over ARB V TJM

HEADS - ARB
TAILS - TJM

Hope this helps

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

HEADS - ARB
TAILS - TJM

Hope this helps

How does this help if he's flipping a $2 coin...

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

How does this help if he's flipping a $2 coin...

Oki doki...

QUEEN-ARB
ABORIGINE-TJM

Covered all bases now

[baggs71 Inactive member. Find all posts View Profile Close baggs71]

Ironman deluxe fitted straight up for me....ive hit emus etc with no damage....not sure how hard an emu is but it was hit at speed and just went straight under and POP!
No signs of paint cracking or chipping and its now 30000klm old and has three outback trips and numerous others under its belt...possibly ironman fixed weening issues earlier on....

So far all good
Hope this helps you have options...good luck

[jamieprado Member Find all posts View Profile Close jamieprado]

You can quite easily get 10% off your ARB bar, if your local store won't do it try another.

Goodluck

[SGS Member Find all posts View Profile Close SGS]

I would not have anything other than an ARB - They have proven their worth to me many times over.

[Roadster30 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Roadster30]

Yer, I would rather an ARB bar, and some ARB under body bash plates to as well. Anyone using ARB under body plates?