Bull bars, steel vs alloy vs plastic

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What is black steel?
Black steel pipe is made of steel that has not been galvanized. Its name comes from the scaly, dark-colored iron oxide coating on its surface. It's used in applications that don't require galvanized steel. Steel pipes.

Black steel pipe's strength makes it ideal for transporting water and gas in rural and urban areas and for conduits that protect electrical wiring and for delivering high pressure steam and air. The oil and petroleum industries use black steel pipe for moving large quantities of oil through remote areas. This is beneficial, since black steel pipe requires very little maintenance. Other uses for black steel pipes include gas distribution inside and outside homes, water wells and sewage systems. Black steel pipes are never used for transporting potable water.
 
Black steel is basically G350 grade raw steel, untreated. plate, pipe flat bar,angle channel etc. Normal carbon grade steel used with fabrication of bull bars etc.
 
With any bull/winch bar these days you will have to add a bash plate to save the bottom end of your radiator. Hit a small roo at about 90kmh only had a nudge bar at the time long story short the roo went under and totalled the plastic base of the radiator :mad:.
 
And I am who I am...

I have had/used raw steel / black steel/ powder coated ( black and currently white (ppita to keep white clean) / alloy (also a PITA) / and home made nudge bars / scrub bashes made from any thing we could get our hands on.. The color was what it was and yes even left over bits from oil pipe lines... Black steel and it is fun to machine/weld.

I know...
 
RM Outback said:
With any bull/winch bar these days you will have to add a bash plate to save the bottom end of your radiator. Hit a small roo at about 90kmh only had a nudge bar at the time long story short the roo went under and totalled the plastic base of the radiator :mad:.

Pigs and wombats go under...Love to stuff up all the linkages in the older cars.

Emus and big roos and Camels go over and nothing worse that an Emu in side the car...
 
I live out west qld and every vehical has a bullbar fitted some steel most alloy and a couple plastic the steel ones can handle a hit but all depends what you hit the alloy ones are not to bad the 120 prado standard alloy bar can really take a hit from roos and emus but wont win up against a pig or a cow horses and camels you just break their legs and push them over the bonnet but a number of alloys are for show and a joey will almost right the bar off I was very surprised with the plastic bars after hitting roos and so on you get out the car thinking the front is smashed but you can hardly tell you hit anything I think all bull bars have their place all depends on the application in which you use it :Y:
 
A mate hit a big hare outside Dubbo in a new Camry. $5000 :bomb: would of put a cherry in the old HQ bumber bar!
 
ECB alloy bar on my Jeep. Was reversed into by some jerk in Coles carpark with a tow bar, which bashed in the underside and drove off. The car alarm was ringing when I got to it. Would have KO'd the lower radiator if not there, so I was still mobile. It's a symmetrical bash, so I leave it - it looks cool. A great bull bar for me.
 
I have a very solid WA custom alloy bar (guy before me had it made) on my 95 Pajero, & is less than half the weight of a steel bar.
Its as much for holding lights as hitting animals, but the chassis rails run to the front on this wagon & provide a strong connection point.
Having extremely good lights means I often see roos on the roadside before I reach them, so avoid collisions.
I have run over 3 small to mid sized roos at around 100kph, 2 went under & 1 was spat out the side. The bar has only a slight bow in it.
Moral is, I know if I hit a Big Red in the north, or cow etc, its gunna be :skull: :poop: but while a steel bar might fair better, it may not save it either.
Its a calculated risk
 
Modern vehicles are made to crumple , so big impacts will be game over no matter on bar type,
The dealer that fitted my bar raved on and on and on and about the ARB premiums strength and in the end to shut him up i said " so my ute will be written off and i should only have to touch the paint up"
 

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