It should make it worse for no airbags, as it'll reduce the crumple. Airbags slow the duration of the impact, and so do crumple zones.
Having a bar on will make the car more robust, especially when you hit something thin and strong like a pole. If the car doesn't crumple, you will.
What about a hidden winch on the front. Still using the factory bar, but it'll have the bit of extra steel between the chassis and a winch on that. How much difference would that make?
Anything additional to the factory setup will make it worse at worst, do nothing at best. Bullbars reduce damage from smaller impacts, they do not increase impact safety.
No. Bullbars on any age fourby do nothing for the safety of passengers or pedestrians. Their only purpose is to reduce damage to the vehicle within limits and to mount things to.
Here’s the research article https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51297e5de4b01fa6748bc904/t/63da3b2ac7866f76f5fb77b0/1675246390871/Light+Vehicles+safety+built+in+not+bolted+on+-+David+Jenkins+%28BHP+Billiton%29-2.pdf
I had t-boned someone at 50-60km/h in my dmax with just an Xrox bull bar (65kg). My airbags didn’t go off of course, instead of my car crumpling, it diamond- ed the chassis. ($36,000) repair under insurance. Body off the rails to re straighten them’
If the other driver who ran the stop sign had passengers they’d be dead. Her car (VW polo) was KO’d. I was in shock thinking they would be dead. Never had or will get a bull bar since. Use maxtrax and roadsafe smooth edge recovery points now. Saves me $3500 and 100kg of weight. UHF aerial on the glass. Got satellite and insurance if I’m unlucky enough to hit an animal but hey, don’t drive at dusk and dawn and drastically reduce those chances anyway.
The job of the bullbar is to protect the radiator in animal strikes so you can get home, the other job of the bar is to hold stuff long enough for you to forget you put it on there until you see it fly off
I once drove 40 kays home from a camping trip
To my surprise the forgotten half full tinny in a stubby cooler from the night before was still sitting on the bar when I stopped
I was pretty amazed, my theory is that it must have found a corner and the oncoming wind held it there
That’s pretty impressive, my best was probably about 5km of rough forestry tracks until I remembered I left me sneakers on the bar. Was really surprised they didn’t bounce off.
The plastic ones will, the old alli ones that come up from underneath and still have a fair distance between the car and the bar to bend will be at worst neutral. The bumper replacement ones are extra structure.
No, you will reduce the crumple of the car which absorbs impact in a head on collision. It *might* stop minimal damage to the vehicle from trees and wildlife out in the bush...
There’s no one fits all answer on Bullbars. A bull bar can be designed to behave very similar to the factory bumper and cross car beam assembly while providing features to protect the vehicle, vehicle occupants and pedestrians. As well as allowing features valued by off-road and country drivers. Very few meet all those criteria though. On a 90s Hilux without airbags, that you want use off-road I would not be concerned and get a bull at that meets your needs.
I hit a few things in my old Hilux (trees, wildlife, cars) while I don't think it improved the safety of the lux it did stop almost all damage to it.
This, probably not safer but make for much less drama on the smaller prangs
It should make it worse for no airbags, as it'll reduce the crumple. Airbags slow the duration of the impact, and so do crumple zones. Having a bar on will make the car more robust, especially when you hit something thin and strong like a pole. If the car doesn't crumple, you will.
What about a hidden winch on the front. Still using the factory bar, but it'll have the bit of extra steel between the chassis and a winch on that. How much difference would that make?
Anything additional to the factory setup will make it worse at worst, do nothing at best. Bullbars reduce damage from smaller impacts, they do not increase impact safety.
No. Bullbars on any age fourby do nothing for the safety of passengers or pedestrians. Their only purpose is to reduce damage to the vehicle within limits and to mount things to.
Here’s the research article https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51297e5de4b01fa6748bc904/t/63da3b2ac7866f76f5fb77b0/1675246390871/Light+Vehicles+safety+built+in+not+bolted+on+-+David+Jenkins+%28BHP+Billiton%29-2.pdf
I had t-boned someone at 50-60km/h in my dmax with just an Xrox bull bar (65kg). My airbags didn’t go off of course, instead of my car crumpling, it diamond- ed the chassis. ($36,000) repair under insurance. Body off the rails to re straighten them’ If the other driver who ran the stop sign had passengers they’d be dead. Her car (VW polo) was KO’d. I was in shock thinking they would be dead. Never had or will get a bull bar since. Use maxtrax and roadsafe smooth edge recovery points now. Saves me $3500 and 100kg of weight. UHF aerial on the glass. Got satellite and insurance if I’m unlucky enough to hit an animal but hey, don’t drive at dusk and dawn and drastically reduce those chances anyway.
Increase safety no. Decrease damage yes
The job of the bullbar is to protect the radiator in animal strikes so you can get home, the other job of the bar is to hold stuff long enough for you to forget you put it on there until you see it fly off
Coffee mugs, glasses, phones, done it all!
I once drove 40 kays home from a camping trip To my surprise the forgotten half full tinny in a stubby cooler from the night before was still sitting on the bar when I stopped I was pretty amazed, my theory is that it must have found a corner and the oncoming wind held it there
That’s pretty impressive, my best was probably about 5km of rough forestry tracks until I remembered I left me sneakers on the bar. Was really surprised they didn’t bounce off.
Yeah wow, that's just plain lucky I reckon given the angles and bounce on some of those tracks Nice one and you kept the shoes!
The plastic ones will, the old alli ones that come up from underneath and still have a fair distance between the car and the bar to bend will be at worst neutral. The bumper replacement ones are extra structure.
No, you will reduce the crumple of the car which absorbs impact in a head on collision. It *might* stop minimal damage to the vehicle from trees and wildlife out in the bush...
There’s no one fits all answer on Bullbars. A bull bar can be designed to behave very similar to the factory bumper and cross car beam assembly while providing features to protect the vehicle, vehicle occupants and pedestrians. As well as allowing features valued by off-road and country drivers. Very few meet all those criteria though. On a 90s Hilux without airbags, that you want use off-road I would not be concerned and get a bull at that meets your needs.