Cutting through the bull on bull bars

• FRANCOIS LOTTERING

WHEN it comes to equipping your offroad vehicle with 4×4 accessories, there are many factors to consider.

There are many accessories and types of equipment to either make your trip one to remember or to forget.

This is where professional supply and fitment centres play a vital role in ensuring the correct information is available to any prospective buyer to avoid overspending on the wrong gear.

Apart from accessories like roof racks, tow bars and roll bars, the bull bar is one of the most impressive accessories to be fitted on your 4×4.

Before investing in fitting a bull bar, there are some factors to consider, says Christoffel Moolman from Accessory Fitment Centre in Windhoek.

'Wannabe' adventurers often walk in and want to fit their vehicle with a bull bar as they want to go off the beaten track and explore the unknown.

“A bull bar weighs between 50 and 60kg and puts a lot of extra weight on the front of the vehicle, and it is important to take note the extra weight would have a negative impact on your vehicle's suspension.” Moolman says.

The weight of the bull bar can increase further as many owners opt to instal winches and spotlights.

This is where information from your dealer becomes important.

Moolman advises any off-roader to gather information from the dealer before installing a bull bar or any other 4×4 accessory.

“We will calculate the correct rating according to the suspension and vehicle to ensure your car remains safe with no negative implications on the vehicle's dynamics on or off road, as it would be able to handle the extra weight better,” he says.

Clients often request stronger shock absorbers to compensate for the extra weight in front, he says.

This is not the solution either, as shocks are meant to keep tyres on the road surface, he says.

“Here the rest of the suspension, consisting of coil and leaf springs, will do the job – not only by means of replacing the shock absorbers,” Moolman says.

“We qualify the client's needs by asking questions to determine what he really needs, and what he wants to use the vehicle for, only then we can give a cost,” he says.

Regarding the safety of installing after-market products like bull bars and tow bars, Moolman says their products are tested intensively before being approved by manufacturers, so that in case of an accident, the airbags would still deploy to protect occupants.

Some bull bars and rear bumpers are equipped with factory-fitted parking sensors to ensure the vehicle's safety rating is not affected.

Moolman also advises potential 4×4 enthusiasts to rather opt for accredited fitment centres for installation to avoid any damage or warranties not being honoured.

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