My 4WD HiAce prior to fitting the bullbar at The Lamberts Centre( the geographical centre of Australia); proof that a bullbar is not essential, but I wish I had it at the time.
I wanted upswept wings to enhance approach angles; I didn ' t want to scrape rocks and mounds as I negotiated my way offroad. The barwork needed to have a somewhat aggressive and modern stance, but not Mad Max-style.
The bar had to be winch compatible, include rated recovery points or at least accept bolt-on versions, include hi-lift jacking recesses, have driving light mounts that accommodate decent-sized lights, and include low-mounted fog lights if possible. To be able to accept or include additional underbody protection plates, it must have at least one, preferably two antennae tabs – one for my UHF antennae and the other for the occasions I need a sand flag. This was a must, as I didn’ t want to have to add additional bolt-on tabs if possible.
My newly acquired HiLux with the Rockarmor GT bullbar.
Regarding the fitting of a winch and fairlead, being able to cover that fairlead with a flip-up numberplate holder would be grand, if just for looks.
Of course, any bar that would grace my HiLux would need to be airbag-compatible and ADRapproved; there ' s no point in fitting anything less than legal to stay on the right side of the law and insurance companies.
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