Smartbar

Bushbasher · 20-02-2007, 04:59 PM

Just picked up the Smartbar for my S2 wagon I won on Ebay and wondered if anyone else has a Smartbar on their car. If so, has it affected the cars steering and secondly have you actually hit a roo or other substantial wildlife with it; and if so, was there any structural damage behind the bar. I ask because I just got mounting instructions sent from the makers and it appears they bolt on as a straight swap for the original front bar using the existing mounting points.

Bushbasher

Orbit · 20-02-2007, 06:59 PM

they go ok...that is your car is far more likely to be driveable after a strike.

your panels are far more protected. but a big hit will kill it.

**Mechan1k** · 20-02-2007, 07:36 PM

Hmmmm ... Dinner

james22 · 21-02-2007, 08:33 AM

ROFL, kangaroo sausage mmmmmm

Bushbasher · 21-02-2007, 09:40 AM

LOL, that's an excellent pic there Orbit. I hope you were able to drive away from it once you pryed the steaks out of the grill. A couple of questions though, did it bend the mounting points on the front rail and more importantly, did it set off the airbags?
That pic shows a design weakness in the bar I rekon in that it needs a verticle or horizontal divider in that grill hole to stop a roo passing through it. Maybe you should send that pic to the makers so they can change the design a bit.

Cheers
Bushbasher

HLC · 21-02-2007, 09:47 AM

tie me kangaroo down sport :wobbleboard:

Dazza XLT · 21-02-2007, 09:48 AM

I think thats Outbackjacks.

Orbit · 21-02-2007, 10:18 AM

Like darran said i think it's outback jacks, it was the only pic i had handy.
But experience from similar strikes no the air bag didn't go off. Mounting points remained reasonabbly intact except on one occasion where it was a particularly large roo and it bent everything...though the car was just driveable, and wouldn't have been if the bar wasn't there.
the thing about the smart bars is all they do is insure your car is drivable after a "big" strike, greatly reduce damage on a small strike. But doing all this by maintaining the least aerodynamic impact possible. I agree with you about the middle riser needing to be there, i did send an email but like most things they have a mold that works and it costs to change it, further "it doesn't look as good"...

:

Bushbasher · 21-02-2007, 10:32 AM

As an aside, these are the best $4 I ever spent to protect against roos, available at any Cheap As Chips store......

....and I think these type work much better than the single apperture post type as well plus they're low profile and don't look as dicky.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who'll say they don't work but I can tell you from experience that they do. I drive a refrigerated truck and deliver milk to the Eyre Peninsula so am on the road at 4am 4 days a week and since I put 4 of these on the front of my truck I haven't hit anything in over 2 years. That's not to say you still don't have to be on your guard and drive defensively and take evasive action occasionally but before I put them on I used to hit roos at least once a week. Having said all that, our relief driver hit 7 roos in 4 trips while I was on holiday much to my amazement and disgust but I rekon he is either blind and stupid or was actually aiming at them to manage that so I think it comes down to the driver and driving style alot too.

Bushbasher

Orbit · 21-02-2007, 11:16 AM

they are really good until you go somewhere like where i live and everyone has them and the roos are desensitised to the frequency. but better to be safe then sorry.