Are the roll bars, like the one shown in the pic below, of any use in terms of protection? I know that lots of people use them for lights, but will they offer any protection in a flop? I've seen them go for pretty cheap on craigslist, so I was debating getting one. What do you all think?

 

They are esentially useless in a flop. Why? Cause they are merely bolted to the bed. They should be called what they are; light bars.

 

Well, they will offer slight protection, if they are built well.... If you just slowley flopped over, they would probibly help a little...

They look good though

 

I agree...they do look really good. I have a black pickup, so a roll bar would put me that much closer to the classic Marty McFly yota

 

mines just bolted to the bed..and my truck flopped over onto the drive side (previous owner..not me) and it beat the hell out of the side of the cab..right behind the door..the side of the bed..the front fender..all that...but it didnt crush the cab...because of the roll bar...so they do offer slight protection..and they look BAD ASS!!!!!!!

 

my 1985 pickup has a roll bar identicle to that. the truck has been rolled completely over 6 times that i know of, roof is still relatively straight still has front windshield though it quite cracked.

i wouldnt rely on one of those roll bars for protection but in worst case better to have one than not to, i think it just depends on the brand and construction.

 

I would rather roll with one than not.


And yeah they look cool which is the most important thing.

 

I took my light bar off so I could have more clearance on top after running into some tight trails where I barely cleared my light rack.

 

looks mostly

 

For those of you who have them, do you think they take up too much of the valuable bed space? Seems like the could get in the way a bit.

 

It looks like you have a regular cab also. If you plan on taking some off-road trips in the future, your best bet would be to get a locking box for the back where you can keep spare parts, tools, etc. (saves space in the cab and keeps things dry).

I had a light bar with 4 Hella lights facing forward and I also had two smaller Hella lamps on my front bumper. I had better vision at night with the two lights on my bumper than all four lights on the rack. Bottom line is if you want to be more functional don't worry about a roll bar and lights for the bed.

 

Nah, they don't take up much space, I have mine in my bed, and a small tool chest bolted to the floor in the middle between it.. Its nice.. And I have a chain and a lock on my spare ran to my roll bar, so if they want my spare they either gotta cut the roll bar, or the chain.. and the chain ain't gonna work real well

 

Hey get in line buddy! Haha.



From what it looks like, a roll bar won't do much for a side-flop. But in the event of a complete roll-over (which they were designed for), it should definitely help a bit.

-danny

 

Danny, you have one sweet looking truck there. Are you going to paint the chrome to get an even more identical look???

 

Toy89: Thanks! And no, I'm not really a big fan of "fully-painted" cars. My truck obviously isn't an exact replica, but I like it like this.

So's that I don't clog up this thread with off-topics, here's the other thread where I'm whoring myself out for attention:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f5/f...luxing-149481/

-danny

 

Not really, unless you use your bed for very wide cargo..

They give you space to bolt a hi-lift too and strap a spare tire too

 

DannyMcFly, you're tuck is amazing! I just posted on your other thread.

 

they are only attached to the bed, so if you roll hard enough to need it, it may just end up ripping off, although it should add some extra safety, if your really concerned you could proally add some brackets welded to the frame and bolt it onto those...or something like that.

the roll bars to limit space, but it really depends on how big of cargo you haul, if its small stuff like camping gear its not really an issue but when you get big/wide stuff it does get in the way.

 

You could also run backing plates to keep the bolts from ripping out of the bed in the case of a serious impact. I just ended up using super huge washers.

-danny

 

I think I'll most likely end up getting one. You can usually find them on craigslist for under $50. So I figure I'll get one, then if I don't like it, I can paint it and sell it for at least what I paid for it