Much to do about Crashbars

[Beach_Bum]

It doesn’t affect the ride or make it more prone to tipping at all. Each bar only weighs a few pounds. They are hollow but it’s thick gauge steel. I removed mine but plan to add aftermarket ones when I see a pair I like. I know 4-wheel parts has a set that is tapered so it slopes away from the tire, giving it more clearance.

The 4WP Stage 1 lift includes the high clearance anti-intrusion bars. From all indication, they are the same as what you get for the Ranger high clearance anti-intrusion bars. I'm not sure why they weren't used on the Sasquatch package from the factory. The same high clearance anti-intrusion bars were listed as a Ford Performance part in the accessories catalog when that was dumped released back this spring.

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[BOLD Renegade93]

Good to know. Appreciate the input. So then it really is just a concern of "how much more safe is it to have them" I tried to find crash test comparison from the IIHS but it looks like they only tested the base w/o sas as far as I can find.

Correct. I figured because the SAS doesn’t have it that I’m fine removing mine until a suitable replacement exists. 93% of the time I’m the only occupant in my Bronco. I don’t know of SAS vs non-SAS crash ratings either.

Oh and the rear crash bars are 1.4lbs each and the fronts are 2.9lbs each so call it 1.5 and 3 for scale error. Attached is a pic of them. Front bar is the larger, angled bar. Front bar is 11 and 5/16ths inches for reference

 

[jm7097]

I get that. But how thick is the gage? Hollow steel and still weigh a decent amount. Have you removed them? Do you know how thick and heavy they are? If you have please share.

Town and Country Ford in Alabama has a YouTube channel. They have a video showing them fitting different size tires to a Bronco. It also shows them removing the crash bars for the larger tires. I too have wondered the point of the crash bars if Ford removes them anyway for the Sas package.

 

[Russ.Gil]

I really don't think they do much in anything but a relatively low speed crash. They will have zero effect on the weight. Of course if you lift a truck and put bigger tires on it, it'll roll over faster than a Ferrari, that's just physics. The higher you go, the higher the center of gravity will be, the easier you'll roll. Unless you go extreme in the wild, that will never happen, but someone t-boning you at good speed will most certainly tip you over. Just the nature of the beast. Or going around corners too fast.

I have zero concerns on my Badsquatch w/o those little stubby bars and doubt Ford's lawyers would allow a release of a dangerous car into the wild.

Do try to at least step into a Sashquatched Bronco somewhere, see if your family can get in. I'm 6'3'' and it's not much of a stretch for me and little kids will probably have fun climbing into the adventure mobile, your partner might have their own ideas there

When I first read that mine won't have "crash bars" I was concerned, once I saw those stubby little things I wasn't. Slow speed crashes are of little concern to me, even if it rolls and at high speeds physics probably won't even notice them missing ;-)

I shuffle my whole family around in it with no concerns.


edit to add: congrats on your little one! Mine are 18 and 14 now, goes as fast as people tell you, enjoy the early years before the eye rolls :-D

Haha yea she's a handful and it's been a wild ride so far. I did drive the WT SAS mannequin my dealer had and liked the height, so did the wife. Just didn't want to she'll out that extra cash for the sas package in my purchase. I appreciate the input man. Sorry you got teenagers haha I'm not looking forward to those years lol

 

[Bradley Thornton]

After seeing this crash test video I just don’t believe a light weight bolted on hollow bar is going to do anything useful at all...

This I think this is why the LCA are aluminum also.

 

[Russ.Gil]

After seeing this crash test video I just don’t believe a light weight bolted on hollow bar is going to do anything useful at all...

That's a fair point.

 

[Russ.Gil]

Yeah, I get it, but cars today are so much safer than cars even 20 years ago it’s unbelievable. The Bronco is safe. Safe that is if used correctly. Big lift, big tires, too fast on the interstate, and just a glance or two at your phone, and we’ll it’s not the vehicles fault anyway.

I’m a lifetime risk taker. Still commute to work on a motorcycle. Land airplanes in the dirt. Drink from the water hose, etc. But that little crash bar is a non issue.If that’s what’s between you and certain injury or death, your already behind the ball. Worry more about good driving skills and bury the phone once you get behind the wheel.

I learned to drive in a 69 MG B GT that I still own sitting in my garage haha yea "safety" isn't really a thing on that car. You do make some good points and honestly I think 35s and 2in level is the absolute most I would do. Appreciate the input though man.

 

[Daktari]

Sorry you got teenagers haha I'm not looking forward to those years lol

haha, they're actually surprisingly fine, must be that generational jump, as I sure was a PITA to my parents at that age, LOL. One is in college in Seattle, the other in high school, neither ever even yelled at me, not sure what I did wrong there ;-)

edit to add, yes, I'll never lift this thing higher either, it's just fine where it sits and I can get into it w/o any steps or drop down electric ladders, would not want to go any higher. I've only ever ridden in mine and a dealer's Wildtrack though, both the same in height.
But my 5ft something daughter and her smaller friend can get in just fine every morning including their backpacks and while my wife would not want this as a daily, she gets in just fine too, so no steps needed here. And you'll be able to create so many fun memories for your little one, I wish I'd had a thing like this when my kids were little, instead of a closed cabin Taco.

 

[IfIHMadeA2021Scout]

I get that. But how thick is the gage? Hollow steel and still weigh a decent amount. Have you removed them? Do you know how thick and heavy they are? If you have please share.

You're over thinking this or don't understand how they work.

It's a steel tube that's less than a foot long. Go under there and look. I think it was a 13mm socket that is needed. The bolts were torqued so take a breaker bar too.

I spent some time looking at them while I was working on a light bracket (the two bolts make a great mounting point by the way) and am impressed with the simplicity of the design. Its not the weight that makes them useful. Their shape, position, bracket mount, diagonal support, etc. is genius.

I watched crash tests (on here someplace) and wondered how the impact energy from a frontal collision would push the car sideways (good thing) to keep the energy from going all the way into the cab. Looking at the entire design shows how they work. Its a series of collapsible sections that would force an intrusion out as they collapse. Its really quite simple.

Good job Ford. I'm keeping mine.

I can also see how a tapered one would be beneficial and still work to some extent if it was clearanced for a larger tire.

 

[King Luis]

from another thread. you can see the difference. looks like they are contain the wheel so it doesn't move too much and jam into the footwell. that being said, rear passengers most likely will not have their safety compromised with the crash bars removed. depending the impact, the driver and front passenger may.

From another thread, this has a good comparison of a 2015 F-150 w & w/o crash bars. The super crew on the left came with them, while the extended cab on the right didn't. A little later you can see the 2016 f-150 extended that has the crash bars and it fairs much better.

 

[colintrax]

If you want the coolest/baddest Bronco in town, take them off.
If you want the safest Bronco for your daughter's sake (completely reasonable seeing how people drive around here) then leave the crash bars in place and run reasonable tires.

At the end of the day the Bronco isn't the safest vehicle on the road anyways. With or without crash bars it's probably safer than most of the popular offroad platforms.

 

[Russ.Gil]

Correct. I figured because the SAS doesn’t have it that I’m fine removing mine until a suitable replacement exists. 93% of the time I’m the only occupant in my Bronco. I don’t know of SAS vs non-SAS crash ratings either.

Oh and the rear crash bars are 1.4lbs each and the fronts are 2.9lbs each so call it 1.5 and 3 for scale error. Attached is a pic of them. Front bar is the larger, angled bar. Front bar is 11 and 5/16ths inches for reference

Correct. I figured because the SAS doesn’t have it that I’m fine removing mine until a suitable replacement exists. 93% of the time I’m the only occupant in my Bronco. I don’t know of SAS vs non-SAS crash ratings either.

Oh and the rear crash bars are 1.4lbs each and the fronts are 2.9lbs each so call it 1.5 and 3 for scale error. Attached is a pic of them. Front bar is the larger, angled bar. Front bar is 11 and 5/16ths inches for reference

Thanks for sharing man that was super helpful and will make me feel a lot more comfortable removing them

 

[Montana Bronco]

…snip….

I want to know my family will be safe if I remove those.

…snip…

Look at the wheels in this photo.

I’m leaving them on.

 

[BOLD Renegade93]

Thanks for sharing man that was super helpful and will make me feel a lot more comfortable removing them

Anytime. I get your perspective. I’ve got 3 daughters myself and wanted to feel good about it before removing the bars. I’ll probably snag aftermarket bars this year. Also, I put 33s on my BD without a lift and had the most rub with the rear bars, especially in reverse. Rubbing with front bar was minimal. Rear bars need to be tapered to avoid rubbing or just get a big enough lift where it doesn’t matter

 

[Smashquatch]

I'll do it without a second thought but I'm more willing to accept risk than most people I know. Seeing as how sasquatch doesn't have them I don't see it being a huge deal.

The older we get death and life in prison is less of a deterrent

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