Brush Bars and Side Steps: Crucial Protective Accessories for 4x4s

If you’re serious about safeguarding your 4×4’s front end and you already have a bull bar installed, a set of heavy-duty side steps and brush bars are the perfect bolt-ons to round out your protection package. The only sure way to shield delicately shaped fenders and door skins from flailing branches, muddy ruts, and a host of other off-road obstacles is by putting a barrier between them and your truck, and that’s precisely what side steps and brush bars are.

They’re not designed exclusively for off-road protection, though. Regional and rural roads have their share of hazards too, and anything from inattentive drivers to frightened roos can leave you with expensive flank and frontal damage that could have been prevented simply by having brush bars mounted. That’s why if you’ve been undecided about whether or not they’re worthwhile accessories, now’s a good time to rethink your position.

Protect Your 4×4’s Front End With Practical Side Steps and Brush Bars

Make no mistake: it doesn’t matter where in Oz you do most of your driving through, deciding to invest in a set of high-quality side steps and brush bars for sale is a significant step toward increasing your 4×4’s frontal protection. Yes, they’ll make your vehicle a few centimetres wider and up to 100kg heavier, but the difference they’ll verifiably make in improving your safety and convenience can instantly outweigh any perceived disadvantages.

· Increased driver and passenger protection. In low-level, low-impact collisions, side steps and brush bars can both help to transfer the force of an impact across the vehicle’s frame, limiting the risk of personal injury to you or your passengers.

· Improved vehicle protection. Side steps and brush bars are fundamental to preventing costly and unsightly damage to fenders and doors that are naturally vulnerable to kicked-up debris, as well as dings and scratches from direct hits.

· Greater rooftop access. Not only does the addition of a durable set of side steps give you better access to your 4×4’s cabin, but it also makes it safer and easier for you to access gear on your vehicle’s rooftop.

The truth is, while side steps and brush bars don’t have any problems projecting a sturdy outback look, they’re not fashion accessories. They serve a very genuine, and practical purpose which, when properly installed, can protect you a great deal of unnecessary cost and risk.

Components That are Designed and Built to Be Safe

The fact that side steps, brush bars, and bull bars are designed to work together is no coincidence, and it all comes down to compliance. When mounted together with a compatible bull bar, an ADR (Australian Design Rule) compliant combination of side steps and brush bars are able to provide vital side protection while simultaneously reinforcing the strength of the bull bars.

These combinations start with components that are designed to withstand considerable collisions, and the heaviest-duty side step and brush bar packages are built around features that include:

· Mandrel bent, high-grade steel construction;

· 2.0mm – 2.5mm thick/49mm – 63mm diameter steel tubing; and,

· 2.5mm thick checkered step plates.

ADR compliance, however, requires more than just the use of rigid components. It means that in the event of a collision, they’re engineered not to interfere with the deployment of any of your vehicle’s onboard side, or frontal impact protection systems. It’s a critical design attribute that can’t afford to be overlooked, and the contour-hugging conformity of the brush bar tubing also eliminates any excess gaps between itself and the vehicle where a foreign object could become unintentionally trapped or snagged.

Hardware Made Especially for Your Make and Model of 4×4

Compatibility is an essential part of the side step and brush bar design. Premium quality sets aren’t universally-sized accessories: they’re comprised of components that are made uniquely to fit specific 4×4 makes and models. Fortunately, custom-fitting side step and brush bar sets are available for practically every 4×4 model that’s been sold in Australia over the last 30 years, including:

· Toyota N70 and N80 Hiluxes, and 79, 80, 100, 105, and 200 series Landcruisers;

· Mitsubishi MQ, ML, and MN series Tritons;

· Ford PJ, PK, and PX Rangers, and Couriers;

· Nissan GU Patrols, and D40 Navaras; and,

· Holden RC Colorados, and RA Rodeos.

There’s also a wide assortment of stainless steel clamp and bracket sets available to connect any diameter of 4×4 brush bar to any diameter of bull bar, with the most common sizing sets being:

· 49mm brush bar to 63mm bull bar;

· 49mm brush bar to 49mm bull bar; and,

· 63mm brush bar to 49mm bull bar.

No matter which model of 4×4 you drive, you can be sure that you’ll find the right side step, brush bar, and bracketing hardware to attach them to most bull bars on the market. And when it comes to mounting the side steps and brush bars onto your vehicle, you’ll discover that it’s a lot easier than you could have ordinarily imagined.

Rugged Front-End Protection That Installs With Ease

Top-notch side step and brush bar sets come complete with all the necessary hardware and fasteners that you need to perform your own installation in the afternoon. Your OE mud flaps may need to be trimmed or removed, but there’s no drilling or special tools required. If your vehicle’s equipped with a factory running board, it’s simply a matter of unbolting it, and using the existing chassis mounting points to attach all the new hardware.

The inclusion of stainless steel fasteners helps to ensure that rust and corrosion never become a problem; and just like the actual side step and brush bar components, the brackets and braces are all powder coated to make sure that they maintain their rugged good looks for as long as you own your 4×4.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that side steps, brush bars, and bull bars are all about personal safety, and the safety of your vehicle. If you’re an avid off-roader, or spend a lot of time driving through rural areas, you know that placing the most robust barrier possible around the front of your vehicle is the surest way to prevent unintended damage from occurring.

Committing to installing high-quality side steps and brush bars for sale is a commitment to staying safe wherever you take your 4×4. It’s the right decision to make, and it’s not one that you’re likely to regret making.