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Reinforce Bull Bar?

6K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  IM1RU  
#1 · (Edited)
I searched but found nothing.

Is there a way to reinforce a bull bar so if it gets hit it actually protects your bumper rather than cause more damage? I want to mount a couple lights on my bumper and on the bull bar that's already there would be easiest. I'm not super worried about the approach angle as I don't really plan on climbing rocks or anything. I just can't afford a $1000 bumper

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Thanks guys!
 
#3 ·
Every bull bar I've seen has been approximately 3 inch tubing with extremely thin walls. No amount of bracing or added brackets is going to make it something it isn't. There are a couple threads out there about how to add lights into the grill or making a very simple mounting solution behind the bumper.

With that said. I had a bull bar that was hit in a parking lot and it dented the center tube but it didn't move or damage the bumper. Who can say it protected anything or just perfect circumstances where it gave first but the impact stopped there. Either way they are cheap and the Hunter one looks great on the X. My take, its the low bumper portion your worrying about with a bull bar, not head lights or the grill like with a grill guard, so in a collision its toast most likely either way.
 
#10 ·
A true bull bar is stout, but the term gets thrown around on brush guards, which are more for looks than real protection.

Sort of like how sometimes people will call side steps sliders, when you know they wouldn't hold up to anything.