IRONMAN 4X4’S   BLACK OPS BUSH TRUCK

Whether you are banging about in the bush over rough terrain, clambering over rocks up a mountain pass, fording through a rocky water crossing, or travelling on a rural road at night with your eyes peeled for that Kudu that suddenly appears next to the road, it is always good to have the extra peace of mind that comes with having your vehicle protected against rough terrain, ground and animal strikes.

In this second phase of our Ironman 4x4 Bush Truck build, we look at some of the Vehicle Protection Gear that we think is essential for any serious off-road truck that will be going off the beaten track. Damage sustained when off-roading is often mostly cosmetic, even if it is heart wrenching. However, if it is mechanical, such damage can sometimes stop you in your tracks and can often result in very costly recoveries on the back of a low-bed truck, especially when this has to be done over the border.

There are essentially four areas that we see as vulnerable on a typical double-cab bush truck: the front, rear, sides and underneath.

Front end protection

There is really only one option when it comes to proper front-end protection – a full replacement bull bar. While it may look impressive, a nudge bar is definitely not going to cut it, and neither is a wrap-around tube-type bush bar.

For a serious animal strike, you need a purpose-designed and -engineered full replacement bull bar that will take the brunt of the damage and keep your radiator alive. This could mean the difference between getting out of a rural area safely, and being stranded with an immobile vehicle in a potentially life-threatening situation. I think there is no argument about which to choose.

On the Ford Ranger PXII, as with most other popular 4WDs, we offer choices ranging from a plain black Commercial Bull Bar which is our most affordable option, to our top-of-the-range Protector Bull bar which is a gunmetal colour, with stainless steel hoops across the top. In between, we have a Commercial DeLuxe Bull Bar, which has proved to be our most popular choice with serious off-roaders. It is similar in design to the plain Commercial Bull Bar, but it comes with the addition of fitted driving lights which replace the driving lights fitted in the original front bumper of the vehicle.

This is a tough bull bar,