Aftermarket front recovery points for 150 Series

[Anth120playdo]

Is this another smart bar thread?

[fido666]

Bruce just wants to know how long it takes to fit the recovery points Jasen, not the whole bar.

[fido666]

I can't comment on installation on an ARB bar but we spent about 1hr test-fitting on the TJM bar earlier this week. That included time to grind the point to clear the washer that was in the way and time to remove wing guards on the underside of the bullbar. As I understand it getting the nut plates into the chassis rail is the most fiddly part, that may take longer then the rest of the install.

[bfranzen]

Can anyone approximate the install time for a set of front recovery points on a 150 Kakadu with an ARB BB? cheers

[fido666]

I did let the guy at Roadsafe know there were a few of us on the forum waiting on the results of the re-design, hopefully the wait won't be too long. They now have my points as they need the trimmed one to make a new template; I'll be going back for the replacements just as soon as they are available.

[Ages]

Great work mate. Please post when you catch wind that the new points are available as I want a set.

Cheers
Louie

x2 mate,
Good to see they went part way to compensate you for your efforts. i will make sure i get the roadsafe ones when they come available.

[craigm]

unfortunately some clubs and training providers insist on the recovery points being stamped with a SWL which is also in my opinion a reasonable request and is the norm in most industries for safety.

.

That's the issue for 120's with ARB bars as there is no rated recovery point that seems to fit (ARB cant even provide for their own bar...)

[gxllouie]

OK guys, just back from my trip to Roadsafe this morning and I have some good news! The only modification required to the points is on the passenger side where the point overlaps the washer on the outermost top edge of the bullbar mount like here :-



The point was able to be mounted with a little grinding applied to the lower edge at the top of the point in that area circled in the photo. The points will now be re-designed to incorporate that dip into the design, that may also mean a bit of re-shaping of the end to make up for the metal removed. Both points will end up looking the same once these changes are applied since they use the same template left and right. The points will have to be re-tested for the load rating following that re-design.

The point could have been fitted "as is" by spacing it out with washers between the recovery point and bullbar mount however since that isn't ideal a re-design was considered the best option.

The point on the driver's side could be fitted just by slipping it in behind the washer bottle assembly, the 2 outermost bolt holes line up correctly as in MJ's install pics.

So now I'm just waiting on the design changes to be made and new stock produced and I will go back for another fitting session. That may take a few weeks so stay tuned!

I have also suggested to them that the plates on the nut and wire gizmos be made a little smaller, from memory they wouldn't fit through the hole in the chassis rail without trimming.

So while I don't yet have any front points fitted I did score a rear tow hitch recovery point for my trouble. As I have the factory tow bar which is mounted to the chassis at 3 points it's a safe option for rear recovery.

Great work mate. Please post when you catch wind that the new points are available as I want a set.

Cheers
Louie

[JPH]

Well done for persevering with it Fido, I'm glad you got an outcome that will no doubt benefit yourself and others in the future. Good to see they looked after you, Rhino did the same for me with my pioneer platform when I pointed out one of the crossbars was mounted in the wrong place and didn't line up with their instructions.

Josh

[SOL]

OK guys, just back from my trip to Roadsafe this morning and I have some good news! The only modification required to the points is on the passenger side where the point overlaps the washer on the outermost top edge of the bullbar mount like here :-

The point was able to be mounted with a little grinding applied to the lower edge at the top of the point in that area circled in the photo. The points will now be re-designed to incorporate that dip into the design, that may also mean a bit of re-shaping of the end to make up for the metal removed. Both points will end up looking the same once these changes are applied since they use the same template left and right. The points will have to be re-tested for the load rating following that re-design.

The point could have been fitted "as is" by spacing it out with washers between the recovery point and bullbar mount however since that isn't ideal a re-design was considered the best option.

The point on the driver's side could be fitted just by slipping it in behind the washer bottle assembly, the 2 outermost bolt holes line up correctly as in MJ's install pics.

So now I'm just waiting on the design changes to be made and new stock produced and I will go back for another fitting session. That may take a few weeks so stay tuned!

I have also suggested to them that the plates on the nut and wire gizmos be made a little smaller, from memory they wouldn't fit through the hole in the chassis rail without trimming.

So while I don't yet have any front points fitted I did score a rear tow hitch recovery point for my trouble. As I have the factory tow bar which is mounted to the chassis at 3 points it's a safe option for rear recovery.

Fido, Good news for once. Well done. Good out come.

SOL.

[fido666]

OK guys, just back from my trip to Roadsafe this morning and I have some good news! The only modification required to the points is on the passenger side where the point overlaps the washer on the outermost top edge of the bullbar mount like here :-



The point was able to be mounted with a little grinding applied to the lower edge at the top of the point in that area circled in the photo. The points will now be re-designed to incorporate that dip into the design, that may also mean a bit of re-shaping of the end to make up for the metal removed. Both points will end up looking the same once these changes are applied since they use the same template left and right. The points will have to be re-tested for the load rating following that re-design.

The point could have been fitted "as is" by spacing it out with washers between the recovery point and bullbar mount however since that isn't ideal a re-design was considered the best option.

The point on the driver's side could be fitted just by slipping it in behind the washer bottle assembly, the 2 outermost bolt holes line up correctly as in MJ's install pics.

So now I'm just waiting on the design changes to be made and new stock produced and I will go back for another fitting session. That may take a few weeks so stay tuned!

I have also suggested to them that the plates on the nut and wire gizmos be made a little smaller, from memory they wouldn't fit through the hole in the chassis rail without trimming.

So while I don't yet have any front points fitted I did score a rear tow hitch recovery point for my trouble. As I have the factory tow bar which is mounted to the chassis at 3 points it's a safe option for rear recovery.

[ko762]

G'day Ken, no the photos were taken post smartbar install.

Mine is not a winch bar so there are no brackets to contend with.

Off topic question, did you fit the sonar kit to your bar? I bought the kit but saw it fitted on another car and thought it looked terrible. Jasen

No, I didnt fit the sonar kit, mines a GXL so it was going to be an extra. Personally, I find that its much easier to know where the front of the vehicle is once it has a bull bar on it so I didnt bother with front park assist.

Interesting to see the difference with a winch mount smartbar. Mine has the small crumple sections on the front of the chassis rail removed and the substantial bracketry mounts on to it, to house the winch. It also mounts to the lower bolt holes like the steel bull bars..... which is why I had to pack out the recovery points.

Ken

[fido666]

I was just going on what the TJM guys told me, I'm no engineer. I'll ask Roadsafe about that when I pay them a visit next week.

[mjrandom]

Fido packing out the recovery shouldn't be an issue as long as the plates are straight and the bolts are tensioned correctly.

[ko762]

So is there any sort of gap between the points and the chassis rail? I was told this could cause the points to shear off at the bolt and that's why packing out with washers was not recommended.

Yes there is a small gap between points and chassis rail. I would suggest that there is similar amount of sheer force on the bolt whether the points sit flush or not as long as the bolts are tight. Its certainly better than having the recovery point on an angle to the chassis rail.

The guys at Mannell Motors also suggested that I use a washer behind it too when I purchased it from them.

In the end, I didn't really see any other practical option when fitting these in my situation with the smart bar bracket going to the lower mount point.

Ken