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Installing a Bull-Bar 2011 Rav 4

10K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Dirt4D2 
#1 ·
I bought a front end "bull-bar" and it literally came with no instructions. It has the bar, some bolts, and brackets. Can anyone help me with instructions? Do I need to take off the bumper? Skid plate?

Thanks, Jax...
 
#8 · (Edited)
Absolutely incorrect. It's cheaper to replace plastic and glass than a twisted unibody and radiator supports, especially when it comes to tweaking the steering and suspension and alignment which might not ever again be corrected to spec after an impact. And it doesn't take much of an impact.
 
#4 ·
you thought wrong.

it takes the impact, and because it is bolted to the front frame rails, it bypasses the foam absorber and impact bar that are designed to absorb and distribute energy.

Then you have them bending back and into the hood and grille, going so far as to take the core support upper tie bar , ac condenser, and radiator in the process.

The same people who tell you that brush bars are good are the same idiots that say leave your draw bar in the trailer hitch.

I have totaled vehicles that would have been easy fixes if the bumper had been hit instead of the hitch acting like a big lever and bending the frame and rear body.

Same thing for brush bars.

There is a reason they are never ever factory installed or a dealer installed add on.


oh did I mention it is not going to play nice with the air bags
 
#5 ·
Bull bars and brush guards on frameless vehicles like RAVs can cause a lot of damage in even slow speed impacts, as mentioned. They can be useful on full frame vehicles such as pickup trucks, especially if the frame part where the guard is mounted has been extensively reinforced. A friend in Australia hit an adult 'roo at 50 kmph with his truck equipped with a guard and had no damage.
 
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