A-Bars / Bullbars

A report from the Association of Protector Bar Manufacturers has come up with some intersting findings on bull bars. It states that there is not one single proven pedestrian fatality in the UK due to the bull bar. The anti bull bar campaign in the UK is not founded on accident figures. The Department of Transport personal injuries and accidents have said that statistics show that drivers of bull bar equipped vehicles are less likley to be involved in an accident. Also bull bars could save money by reducing the effects of minor bumps and knocks. Bull bars have not been banned in the UK and are perfectly legal so if you want some go and get them!!!

Bullbars and A-Bars greatly improve the look of a 4wd, and in my opinion a 4wd never looks right without bullbars. There are 2 types of bars that you can have have your Sportrak and they are a bullbar or an A-bar.

The difference between a bullbar and an A-bar is that a Bullbar goes across the full length of the front of your vehicle, protecting the grille, bumper, and lights. An A-Bar however only protects the middle of the front of your vehicle which is the grille and the middle part of the bumper. As they don't have bits coming off the protect the lights they look like an A which is where they get their name.

The question is which one to choose. This all depends mainly on personal preference. I personally have a Stainless Steel A-bar as I thought it would suit my Sportrak best. But other people might think a Black Bullbar would look best. You can currently get A-bars for the Sportrak in black or Stainless Steel, or you can get Black Bullbars. The stainless Steel Bullbars are no longer made by any company from looking about, but you might be very lucky and find one secondhand somewhere.

Once you have a Bullbar on your Sportrak it is often a good idea to put on a couple of spotlights. Bullbars and A-bars usually have brackets built into them already so you just attach them and wire them up. The spotlights come in very handy for night driving as they light up the road even more and also for when you are driving in bad weather

The Prices for a Bullbar or A-Bar vary greatly. This could be from £50 for a Secondhand Bullbar or A-Bar, right upto around £300 for a new Stainless Steel A-bar. Might seem expensive, but for the improvement in looks and the extra protection if something unfortunate does happen then it is worth it.