New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

Thanks Dirttracker. Love the colour now: can't think what the fuss was all about now when I agonised over it.... My only lingering doubt is visibility for other drivers (I've always thought dark grey vehicles are difficult to see, particularly in dull conditions). This is one of the reasons I'm hum-ing & ha-ing over my bull bar purchase: I understand all of the advantages of the ARB Deluxe bar (strength / repairability of steel, approach angle, potential for fittings etc.) but still feel the "shine" of the Toyota / Sovereign alloy bar just might provide that contrast & quick visual pick-up for other drivers on the road.

Cheers,
Sunday

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

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

Sunday,
Do not stress over the shine of the Alloy Bar, it won't last long!! Everyone gives up polishing in the end as the bars at the top are chromed but the main section is not. It settles into a dull alloy colour and improves with some polishing even so often. The loops come up easily. One issue with the bar is the approach angle and the strength of the bar itself. Having just completed a Simpson crossing in July, I found that I hit the bar in sharp dips that came up without notice and bent the number plate. I have a 50mm lift on it as well! When we got home I found that I have put a slight curve in the section between the upright supports in an upward direction. It almost impossible to see but I know. Others who had ARB bars didn't have the problem and one stood the vehicle on it's nose going over Big Red. Many owners have the genuine bar and I am sure that most are very happy. I am, but if I break it (prang!) I will look to replace it with an ARB.

Martin

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

Dirttracker: yes, I'm definately leaning towards the ARB bar more & more, particularly as the genuine bars quickly lose their shine & thus visibility (& strength is seemingly an issue anyway). I saw a couple of Charcoal Grey 120s today with ARB bars and they certainly look smart & very off-road capable!

Your experience of your genuine bar bottoming out even with a 50 mm lift is interesting feedback: I was wondering just how significant the approach angle issue was, seems a deal breaker to me.

Cheers,
Sunday

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

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

From someone that has the Toyota bar, Go the ARB.

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

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

Sunday,
We were travelling from West to East on the WAA line. On the approach to many dunes the sand was chopped up and soft so we had to get up to some pace. Secondly, when others had seen this it seems that many put the foot down and spun the wheels digging in. The dips were sharp and wheel deep and covered by shifting sand. At other times the wind over the dunes created a small second dune lower down the slope and as the wind travelled from left to right it created a sharp drop off, or going our way, a sharp rise. Irrespective of how it was created, as the shone brightly, the effect was a hidden dip or rise and a surprise for us. My Prado is lifted 50 mm but I have always found the front soft when compared to the rear. There is one caveat here, I have a 3.0TD, the others were d4ds x2 and v6. They had enough power to take it easy and then put the boot in when necessary. I got stuck when I tried that. On BIg Red I could not get up the difficult route in low locked as the limit is 40kph. I threw caution to the wind and did it in high locked at 60 kph at the bottom, successfully. My video on the GTG tread shows me on the edge, bucking and jumping! When we do another crossing I will have put a new exhaust on for that extra punch.

regards
Martin

[nickchap Member Find all posts View Profile Close nickchap]

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

Sunday,

You can't go wrong with a auto and being grey makes it just about perfect!

It just needs some serious additions 8) Lift , bar etc

On Bars -I have an alloy sovereign- the aerial mount broke off it with only the first length of a sand flag on it.
The ARB seem more solid.

In the sand the auto is great. As Dirttracker posted Big Red no problem in high range.

I hit it in high range "D" and just powered up with the box changing down as it needed to.

My number plate was busted in the Simpsom also. Must be something about where it hangs. :roll:

Look forward to your additions



Nick

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: New Rig: Out With The Old In With The New

Thanks Nick, I'll definately go with the ARB Deluxe. I'm holding off just a little bit so I can get the OME lift at the same time.

Cheers,
Sunday