Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

[Grinch Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Grinch]

Hi

I couldn't find another thread with what I am asking, I apologise if this has been done before.

I am heading off on a 3 month trip with my family in 7 weeks, we will be leaving Sydney and going over to WA via the Nullabor. I will be towing a caravan and am curious on others thoughts in regards to Bullbars and their worth.

I know alot of people have bullbars, snorkels, lifts, etc but given I will be driving during the day and hopefully not too early or late I don't want to spend the money on something I would not get benefit from.

So may I ask for some guidance in this area, I am not cash flush but can afford to do the mods if they are warranted.

I priced an ARB Sahara bar, 2" ARB sports lift, and snorkel today at the Penrith (NSW) camping, 4WD, and caravan show and I got a price tag of $4147.00 for the three items.

My understanding is that the suspension lift will stop the cracking in the guards/firewall when a bar is fitted. So even forgetting the snorkel, I still need to spend $3500 approx to have the bar fitted and not do damage to my car.

I read a review from 4x4 Action that stated snorkels could save upto 9.5% in fuel so that is why I included it. I would be glad to hear your thoughts on that as well.

My main off road fun is usually in the form of fire trails and beach driving. I don't do very rough stuff as it upsets my relationship with the better half and tin lids. Both of which are old enough to do damage to me. :lol: :lol:

I will look forward to your expertise as I have none in this area.

Cheers and thanks

Anthony

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

I met a fellow Prado driver on the Oodnadatta track. He had the same tyres as myself, BFG AT, but stock suspension, he'd had a couple of punctures and I had none. On the high speed rough stuff the stock suspension will stop working very quickly and then it's up to the tyre to absorb the impacts placing more stress on the tyre. End result more punctures due to tyre fatigue.

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

For the trip you describe I'd suggest the only modification you need is a set of polyairs in the rear to level up the ride with the caravan connected.
There is no real advantage in fitting a snorkle if your not planning on river crossings or driving in dusty conditions.
The three main reasons for fitting a bullbar are protection from animal strikes, improved approach angle and winch mounting, none of which you really need if your only driving on sealed roads in daylight hours. If your your not planning on leaving the black top and haven't fitted a bullbar/winch etc. then the standard suspension will be fine - with the addition of some airbags as suggested above.
Of course if you decide to start venturing off road this all changes.

Leachy

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

Your probably travelling very similar to many other caravaners. Daylight hours, on the main tracks, not getting too far off road.

For your WA trip, Im not going to try and convince you either way about Bullbars, but heres a few considerations.

Most Prados in the WA regional areas have bull bars. Probably the main reasons are the size of Kangas in the SW, and straying stock once you get in the Pastrol areas heading North or East.

The roos down South can be 6ft and very solid, but you dont see many after sunrise. Once you get further North, the roos get smaller, but then you encounter more other critters such as sheep, cows, goats, and the odd Camel.

I have never had a 4x4 without a bullbar. I have done my share of dodging roos, but I am much higher risk, as I drive at night, early mornings, and in back block regional areas. That said, I have also done quite a few all night drives up North where I was expecting to cop a roo or a goat, but never had a problem.

I think the good thing about our roads in WA are the very wide verges, where you can see far and wide, thru corners etc, with a good chance of avoiding issues well in advance, particularly on the main roads.

I havent seen a Prado that has hit a large animal without a bull bar. I dont know much of a show stopper a medium size roo is. I just have a Sovereign bar and feel confident that it will do the job.

I am also on stock suspension, running BFGs, which has taken me on my beach access tracks, and thru the Pilbara tracks, and no problems yet, but will upgrade if I decide to keep this car

Hope this helps

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

My understanding is that the suspension lift will stop the cracking in the guards/firewall when a bar is fitted.

My understanding is that inner guard/firewall cracking issue was due to a dual battery setup mounted on the driver's side with a non-Toyota bullbar. I don't think it has anything to do with aftermarket suspension circumventing this issue.

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

The guard cracking issue was fixed in the more recent models. What year model do you have? Can anyone confirm this?

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

Put me down as a vote in the no category,

I agree with Leachy 100%. If you are using the Prado as a road going tow vehicle why wear the extra cost of mods that you are not going to use?

Will

[ozwapet2 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close ozwapet2]

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

I did 3 months trip April - June this year in a stock standard Prado, (except for an upgrade to BFG AT tyres.)
I thought i would try to get away without suspension upgrade. I did, but it would have been better with it.
We were not towing anything but loaded with camping gear.

On my return I took the plunge and had a suspension kit, bullbar, suspension and snorkel fitted ( I think it was a fair bit less than what you have been quoted.) and now feel much more confident with the vehicle.

For what you indicate you will be doing, you would probably get away with suspension kit or rear airbags.

BUT - if you think you'll want to do that bit more remote stuff off the main roads, then you'll wish you invested in those things.

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

I don't think you need the extra gear for that trip. I don't think a snorkel will save you 9.5% fuel either.

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

I think a bullbar is a worthwhile mod for this trip. Although the likelihood of an animal strike (which I assume is your greatest concern in contemplating a bullbar) is diminshed by driving during the day, it is not totally out of the question. And while none of us plan on hitting a roo or the like, it does happen. The other issue is that while we all wish we can remain at our most alert all the time while driving, fatigue does creep in and often roos do just come out of no where. The other issue is, although you may plan on doing all your driving during the day, this may not always work out. Some days you may be running slightly behind on your travel plans and require to driving during dusk/early morning, when animal strikes are most common.

Suspension mods - well this is a tough one - I would again say it is worthwhile and you may even wish to consider an upgrade with no lift as it will improve the ride as well as handling and braking abilities, especially with a caravan.

And although not mentioned, other mods I would consider near the top of my list (instead of or at least ahead of a snorkel) would be:
Tyres
Spotlights

My 2 cents...

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

Just to add another opinion. If it were me and I was going to tow during daylight hours and not go offroad, I'd probably go standard with airbags.

I agree that the chance of animal strike is low during daylight, but I came within a whisker of collecting a decent sixed roo on the bitumen at 3PM last weekend so there will always be a chance.

Michael

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

The other issue is, although you may plan on doing all your driving during the day, this may not always work out. Some days you may be running slightly behind on your travel plans and require to driving during dusk/early morning, when animal strikes are most common.

I would have to agree on this one. We left Sydney a little late for Hay when we picked up our Prado to drive down to Adelaide. Forgot that it was winter and we were driving in the dark for about 2 hours on the approach to Hay. It was risky but we didn't see any animals. The trip however highlighted how important driving lights were as we didn't have any.

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

When you cross into WA and travel along the Eyre Highway from Eucla towards Madura, get the kids to wave at the 'roos.

Unlike their educated eastern states cousins, ours don't wear wrist-watches and hence cannot tell the time!

I was stationary about 150km west of Eucla when, at about 9:00am, a herd of 'roos hopped across the highway at speed and one of them crashed into the front guard of my car!

Keep a lookout also for the camels, sheep, goats, emus, cattle, dogs, dingos, feral cats, wedge-tailed eagles (who won't get out of your way), brumbies and hitch-hikers. And all this before you even get to Norseman.

Also remember that roadside services and emergency repairs out along our regional highways is pretty scarce. Damage your radiator and you are looking at a very expensive tow.

[IRON-PAWW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close IRON-PAWW]

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

Well I'll add my opinion.

I think a bullbar is a very worthwhile addition, even for a trip like this. Most certainly, a bullbar is not essential for a trip across the Nullarbor in any way at all. It's true that you may fit a bullbar and not even see any wildlife, and wind up thinking you've wasted money. I've seen the damage even a modestly sized kangaroo can do to a vehicle, obviously hit at the full 110kmh. I will always be fitting a bullbar to my vehicles. Always. For me it's a consideration of safety. Yes I may never need the bullbar, and I honestly hope I never actually do. But for me the increased protection is worth the cost. Necessary no, good idea yes. Just my opinion though.

Suspension upgrade? It really depends on where you think you'll be driving, and I know that's difficult because you really don't know that until you get there. The above suggestion of polyair's or equivalent is a good idea as they will certainly help with keeping a loaded vehicle sitting right. With careful driving and knowing when to turn back you will not need upgraded suspension. If you never plan to go off the bitumen or good gravel roads then you certainly don't need to upgrade. For me though, I can now stop worrying about my suspension, and am more confident to try rougher tracks because it's plain to see it improves terrain handling. It's no super-charge if I can put it that way, but certainly will improve the ride of the vehicle, particularly if you find yourself up against nasty corrugations. There's no black and white with this issue as it really comes down to your own personal ideas about what you want out of your trip. Personally, I wouldn't be without upgraded suspension, but that's just me.

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

Re: Are bullbars, suspension lifts necessary?

Just a quick note:
From my experience the folk on this forum will all give you as honest an answer as they can (as represented by the comments already made), but just remember, you would be hard pressed to find a stock standard Prado on this forum! And if it is stock standard, it is bound to have a wishlist of mods as long as your arm.

Just don't be confused into thinking that this means a stock standard Prado is not a very capable vehicle.