Animal strikes and brush bars

[Wilbah]

We’ll my 2019 Expedition with 1000 miles on it took a large 4point buck between the headlights two weeks ago. He came down off a hill at full run opposite side of the road at us at a 45 degree angle basically head on full run. I was doing 35mph hit the brakes and basically stopped just as he hit us at a full run. $13,000 in parts being replaced.
I actually discussed what impact a bull bar would have had with the shop repairing my truck. All three guys unanimously said bent frame instead of bent radiator and smashed soft bits in the front end. I did drive it home radiator wasn’t ruptured and wasn’t pushed far enough to contact the spinning bits on the front of the engine. Fenders were even untouched! The buck basically rolled over the bumper and went under the hood and through the grill. Then took off!! F-cker.... lol

Bull bar would have bent the front ends of my frame.

I'm no autobody guy but I think it would depend on the strength of the bull bar that was installed no? And I'm not arguing with you that they said it, simply wondering if what they typically see is the lightweight "light bar" style bumper guard as opposed to a serious full protection bumper.

I can see a thin metal bumper guard deflecting enough in an animal strike to pull the bumper ends as they described. But (for example- and I have no ties to this company but saw the info on their website) the Ranchhand bumper uses 4" Schedule 40 pipe as its "base". To deflect that enough to pull the frame ends in would seem to me to have to be a biga** animal. 4" Schedule 40 has almost .25" wall thickness.

Again, I'm not saying they didn't tell you that, more wondering if they're referring to the lightweight bumpers that we see all the time that are really nothing more than a platform to mount driving lights and to look cool. Some of the posts right in this thread have suggested that the correct design (meaning heavy enough steel) does provide the protection needed from animal strikes. Just sort of wondering.

 

[calicamper]

Its not the bull bar. Its the lever effect it has on the frame ends when you load it up above the frame. The stiffer the bull bar the more levered load it applies to the frame. Basically unless the top section of the bar has supports angled back through the grill some how missing the radiator and engine and tied to the frame farther back to spread the impact loads and reduce the levered effect ie bottle opener lever applied to the frame ends your looking at bent frame ends. I think if you hit a big animal your looking at big damage regardless

 

[Wilbah]

Its not the bull bar. Its the lever effect it has on the frame ends when you load it up above the frame. The stiffer the bull bar the more levered load it applies to the frame. Basically unless the top section of the bar has supports angled back through the grill some how missing the radiator and engine and tied to the frame farther back to spread the impact loads and reduce the levered effect ie bottle opener lever applied to the frame ends your looking at bent frame ends. I think if you hit a big animal your looking at big damage regardless

I understand what you're saying but from many of the posts in this thread from people who have had heavier duty bumpers such as ARB and Ranch Hand versions that doesnt appear to be the case, at least with those. I do think the "light duty" versions likely do exactly what you were told by your body shop guys. They bend and thus act, as you suggest, as a lever on the frame ends. Take care!

 

[whitenoise]

Far cheaper and more effective, SLOW DOWN at night, and in the third world don't drive at night.

That rule applies to the first, second and fourth worlds too, as far as I'm concerned. Especially for recreational travel where you can make the choice to drive only during daylight hours unless of course there's an emergency..... A set of lights with a broad beam pattern and some self-control over speed is lighter and more effective than a bumper, IMHO.

 

[SnowedIn]

Still haven't hit an animal yet, (knock on wood), but did have my ARB shrug off a tree stump that would have obliterated an OEM bumper. Had to unbolt one side and re-tweak its alignment a bit and it's scuffed up, but otherwise OK.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Even worse in LA is the litter of all this rental scooters, bikes, tricycles, e-bikes....you actually have people walking into the street, while on their phone, to avoid the clutter of rental crap on the sidewalks and the e-rentals downtown in traffic was crazy. They make the city look like an undeveloped country, not a cutting edge social transport system. Don't take me wrong, I love the west coast, it simply has changed in a not positive way.

The scooter/e-bike companies bought off Mayor Garcetti.

 

[SnowedIn]

I am now impressed with the ability of stock JK bumpers to launch coyotes into the next county without taking any visible damage.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

The Aussies don't mess around. I have a friend who commutes at 4am from swing shift. Has lost 4 cars in 10 years to big red roos. That is with good bull bars. Eventually one gets over the bar into the windshield area.

This one never touched the bitumen. Picked itself up and hopped away.
Would have been a very different story if it had come through the windscreen.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[Millses]

I have seen such protection on the machines of specialists in catching wild animals. If they are attached to their cars, then most likely these brush bars help. I once had to call raccoon removal, as I had raccoons in my yard, and they tried to get into my house. After these guys caught all the raccoons, we started talking about wild animals. They began to tell me the whole path of their career, and we touched on the topic of brush bars. As it turned out, these brushes can't always help. It's just that the guys have to stick them to the car for safety reasons.