The Nitty Gritty of Choosing Scrub Bars
If you’re thinking about lifting your HiLux up so it gives you more clearance and handing on rough terrain, then you should probably consider adding extra protection to it’s underside. By lifting it with a suspension or body kit, rocks and other debris will have an easier time getting to the parts placed underneath. In addition, you should get scrub bars to help you get in and out of your vehicle with more ease, and protect your rocker panels from stumps and rocks.
You can easily find accessories like HiLux scrub bars and skid plates online, specifically made for your model, make and year of HiLux, just by simply knowing where, and what you’re looking for. If you’ve decided to install HiLux scrub bars to your vehicle, here are a couple of factors you should take into account to make the best decision possible.
The best scrub bar materials to use are steel and aluminium. These materials are economical and incredibly strong, durable and dent resistant. Aluminium is usually lighter and softer than steel, so if you’re looking for something harder, you can get scrub bars made of alluminium alloy, which comes at an increased cost.
Regardless of the material used, the strength of the scrub bar is also very much dependent on the thickness. Industry standard is 0.120”, and it’s affordable, easy to bend and light. A lot of manufacturers opt to make them with thinner materials to save on weight, which isn’t a problem as long as quality materials like steel and aluminium are used.
Furthermore, you should consider the design of the scrub bar. If you’re going to constantly use them for intense off-road driving and heavy-duty tasks or just for occasional hard use and mostly for looks, you should consider things like their length and tube shape.
They need to provide you with the right amount of rocker protection, meaning they should be full length or the rocker. This isn’t hard to figure out, but you should still consult an experienced mechanic or car enthusiast, because different manufacturers make scrub bars differently. This is important for getting the amount of coverage that you need and want.
Round tubes can’t resist the bending forces as well as square tubes, but they resist torsion forces better. This doesn’t matter much as long as the manufacturers that produce the scrub bars use proven and tested material sizes. Some manufacturers go as far as mixing both tubes, which allows them to combine good looks and strength.
