Choosing the right bull bar
Start with material. Steel bars shrug off heavier animal strikes and are the usual pick for remote touring, but they add real weight over the front axle. Alloy bars, like ECB's polished and Big Tube ranges, are considerably lighter, which matters if your vehicle is close to its GVM or already carrying a winch, driving lights and a second battery.
Fitment is vehicle specific, right down to the build date. A bar made for a MY2014 Prado will not necessarily suit a later update of the same model, and vehicles with tech like adaptive cruise or headlight washers often need a supplementary kit, which is why TJM lists tilt kits, pinchweld kits and headlight washer plumbing kits for particular models. Every bar we sell is designed to be airbag compatible and ADR compliant for its listed vehicle when installed correctly.
If a winch is on your list, buy a winch compatible bar from day one. The winch cradle and mounting points are built into the bar, and retrofitting a winch to a non rated bar is not an option.
Bull bar FAQs
Are bull bars legal in Australia?
Yes, provided the bar meets the relevant Australian Design Rules and is engineered for your exact vehicle. The bars we stock are built for specific makes, models and build dates so airbag timing and crumple zones work as intended. Fitting the correct bar correctly is what keeps it compliant.
Can I add a winch to my bull bar later?
Only if the bar is winch compatible, meaning it has a rated cradle and mounting points built in. Several of our ECB bars for the Ram 1500, F250 and Landcruiser are winch compatible versions. If a winch is even a maybe, choose that version up front.
Do you fit bull bars, and can you ship them?
Both. Our Burwood workshop in Melbourne fits bars in house, including wiring for bumper lights and indicators. If you are outside Melbourne we ship Australia-wide, and each bar comes with the model specific mounting hardware for your installer.