Bull Bars for $119!!!

[pmrowczynski]

A seller on eBay (truckgeardirect w/ 21154 feedback) has stainless bull bars on eBay for $159. Not only that, but when I asked, they have a web site and sell the powder coated black version for $119.

This includes shipping

Direct link http://truckgeardirect.com/?ITEMID=VT-809 to the one I'm looking at. If anything, I can etch-prime, prime and paint it to match my 4runner!

 

[inshore4runner]

thanks man! 129 for a black bull bar for the 3rd gen! and 269 for a full brush guard.... decisionnsss!

 

[HNTMUP]

They are a good deal, however they are pretty much cosmetic only - not for any heavy lifting.

I bought the black for my black 02 and was a little disappointed because it blended in with the grey plastic part of the bumper. About a month ago my wife managed to drive into a guard rail trashing the bull bar but for the most part saving a lot of damage to the bumper.

I replace it with the chrome (with their new faux skidplate) and it looks much nicer and really makes the front of my truck come alive. Now for the PIAA 520's - look out.

Good product - good price - good service. You really can't go wrong with their products.

 

[dum8ss1236]

Does anyone know how hunter compares to westin?

 

[HNTMUP]

Does anyone know how hunter compares to westin?

Westin was my first call. I found out that they no longer make bars for Gen 3's (which is what I have). I think you will find that Westin maks bull bars for the current modles, only.

 

[dum8ss1236]

i have a 4th gen with a westin stainless version (for sale in classified) and recently decided to black out the truck. for more than half the price i'm really considering the hunter. i wouldn't use the westin skid plate anyway. just wasn't sure if the quality was comparable

 

[HNTMUP]

The skidplate on the Hunter is strictly cosmetic. Probably would not be too difficult to have a serious plate made and attached to the Hunter though. (Humm.... now I am thinking about it!!!!)

 

[pmrowczynski]

Got them, and attached them.

Shipping was fast, as they used FedEx and it was here within 3 days.

It came with the two mounting brackets and the bar itself, all powder coated steel. The additional nuts and bolts were inclued (wound up with an extra couple pairs of washers). Didn't want the polished stainless as it would have been the only piece of stainless on my 4Runner.

The mounting brackets attached to the bumper bolts themselves: bottom two on each side which need to be re-torqued to 65 ft/lbs requring a strong socket wrench and me lying on the ground pushing with my feet to break them loose.

There are actually two mounting tabs on the bar for adding accessories such as lights (e.g. $39.99 including shipping for Hella 500's are now available).

Strength? Well, it can easily support 200+ lbs both vertically and horizontally without a problem. Looking at the design, an offcenter hit will push the bar into the bumper (the mounting brackets are 1/8th or 1/4th inch steel). A solid front hit will require more force to push it into the bumper but then the bumper takes over in either case.

For $119, you get a little more protection, and a place to mount lights.

Will see if I can get the pictures on later today (snow in Tahoe last week, and work this week).

 

[HNTMUP]

You sound like a happy camper! For the money they are very hard to beat. Like I said, good product, good service and good value.

Had lunch today with a buddy and he has a Westin on his full size Tahoe. The skid plate on the Westin is probably 2x as thick as that on the Hunter but I would consider the Westin pretty much cosmetic. However he and I both believe that I could have a piece of steel cut and bent to replace the one on the Hunter and which would extend back further for not a lot of $$$.

 

[dum8ss1236]

I would love to see some pics

 

[pmrowczynski]

Lets see if this works:

Angled Front/Top shot

Straight Front shot

Side angle

Front unmounted

Rear unmounted (can see the screws for the mounting tabs and how the mounting hardware attaches to the bar)

Mounting Hardware consists of a few thick brackets and the required bolts & washers

What it looks like attached to the mounting brackets

Angled view of the bar attached to the mounting brackets

 

[dum8ss1236]

thanks for the picks it looks great! are the foglight brackets removable?

 

[HNTMUP]

Yes. In fact the bars come shipped without them mounted. They are in the package though.

 

[Kwik8608]

I have that bar in Westin and love it. It's the same exact bar, same mounting and everything. The only difference is mine has a Westin sticker on it. W/ the bar and mounting pieces it came out to like $160. And no I couldn't imagine it giving me any front end protection. It bolts into the same spot where the bumper bolts to the frame; just for looks.

 

[dum8ss1236]

seems as if the shapes are a little different??? also does the westin bar have a shinier look?

 

[Kwik8608]

It looks like the Westin one is black, and the other one is just Powder Coated

 

[pmrowczynski]

Well, mine were dirty when I took the picture A few hundred miles of snow, salt and dirt did it. When it was clean, it was a semi-gloss black.

Oh, the tabs actually did come mounted, but I wouldn't call the screws tight. It was great if you wanted to remove them, but if you mount anything to them, be sure to check & tighten.

So... Good for looks, good for mounting additional lights. Probably good if you live in a city and people "bump park". But wouldn't expect this to survive much over a 5MPH impact (though every little bit of mass helps).

Ultimately, if you're looking for protection, a bumper upgrade would be warranted.

 

[adventureman73]

I too have the Westin version; it's a matte finish and looks pretty sharp. I know it's mostly cosmetic, but I appreciate it for the parking lots around here (college town...) and as a little deterrent on the road...people see anything hanging off the front of a 4x4 and they give you a little more room. Or at least, that's my experience.

 

[4Runner8]

does anyone know how much this weighs???? and can u still mount a factory toyota skid plate???

 

[pmrowczynski]

does anyone know how much this weighs???? and can u still mount a factory toyota skid plate???

20 pounds? They're pretty light and sound nice scraping against rocks. I have not had to adjust or modifying anything except for some sand paper to get a good grounding point for my lights. This includes the skid plate as these guys mount to the frame/bumper reinforcement.