Angled or hinged bull bars?

[Mock Tender]

About to start building and buying on our new FG. I am curious about the feelings of others in regard to bull bars angled enough to allow for the cab to be tilted without moving them first as opposed to the hinged types. A fixed bumper seems like the best way to go except it would need to be angled pretty far forward and then be in the way?

Mark

 

[java]

I would do tilt. I see them a lot on big rigs, they don't seem to have any issues. It would have to be really angled to allow the cab to tilt I would think

 

[Raker]

I have a fixed bar on my FG 637. Can't see it from drivers seat and I haven't hit anything, best part is 1 less thing to do when lifting the cab, also no risk of forgetting to lower bar first. Down side if you have a winch, not as easy to access.

 

[KMG]

Anyone built a spring assisted tilting bull bar with a cable actuated tilt release (automotive hood latch style) and tied the cable movement into the cab tilt safety release? It would eliminate the issues of the fixed bar protruding and the forgetting to tilt the bar prior to tilting the cab. While I'm at it has anyone built a tilting bull bar that functions as a bull bar in the vertical position and as a cargo platform in the horizontal (tilted) position?

 

[SkiFreak]

I know that I am not the only idiot out there that has forgotten to tilt the bullbar prior to tilting the cab.
When I did it I drove my antenna mounts into both corner panels of the cab. Numerous profanities were uttered and it cost me $300 to have the panels panel beaten and resprayed. Grrrrrrrrrrr!
After putting it all back together I decided that I needed something to "remind me", before doing the same thing again. I used a simple limit switch to detect if the bullbar is up or down and another limit switch to detect if the cab latch mechanism is opened. These are wired to a piezo buzzer that gives me a nice audible alarm if I attempt to do the same thing again.

If anyone is interested, you can get more detail of my setup here...

 

[SkiFreak]

Anyone built a spring assisted tilting bull bar with a cable actuated tilt release (automotive hood latch style) and tied the cable movement into the cab tilt safety release?

I would think that this would be a lot of effort for very little gain.
Bullbars are usually only secured with two large eye bolts. For me it's about 30 seconds work to undo these and lower the bullbar. The KISS principle definitely works here...

 

[Czechsix]

Next week I'll be picking up a fixed front bumper for the FG. A few things that made me go with a design that was fixed - as folks have said, forgetting to hinge it forward and then trying to tilt the cab...yep, I'd do that. Next, I wanted a bull bar that would angle forward, forcing whatever I hit to go under the truck, instead of just plastering against a vertical wall. Third, it gave more room to use the front bumper as a step, for cab maintenance, and access to the roof rack.

 

[SkiFreak]

While I'm at it has anyone built a tilting bull bar that functions as a bull bar in the vertical position and as a cargo platform in the horizontal (tilted) position?

In Australia there should not be a problem doing this (legally), as our rules allow for a front projection of 1.2 metres in front of the headlights.
I have not seen any instances of this, but it's definitely doable. The only concern here would be not adding too much weight over the front axle.

 

[Raker]

Fixed bull bar

This should give you a better idea how fixed bars look.

 

[Mock Tender]

Raker- Thanks- I had already made a note of your bars.

Czechsix- Which ones are you going with?

MArk

 

[Czechsix]

Semi-custom setup from Aluminess. We worked out the angles for the guard portion over a few visits to their factory. Made a few additions to the bumper itself, and then figured out the angled guard, added some antenna mounts and light mounts too.

Test fitting, but it'll give some idea...



Quick comparison shot between FG bumper and (Sprinter? Dodge?) another stock size they do...