Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Erm, I've bent one ...........'big time' Seemed to get hooked up on a tree stump today, a biggun,...... and its bent as a bent thing (no not that sort of bent ) Its the 90 type, behind the axle one piece bar type, mine was I think an early sumo bar, has the std rod within. Needs replacing, which ones are best solid or like mine "Sleeved" type ? Any recomendations re makes, mine was bought when Sumos where the only options, I am sort of out of touch with whats now about ?? Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve 90 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Ive used and bent pretty much every type there is. Theres not a lot to chose but I now have the bearmach ones as they are excellent VFM and since fitting one of these Have had no further trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I think whatever type you get, Nige, you can bend them if you try hard enough , tree stumps being particularly good at it. Rakeway do some super tough ones but they are very pricey. HTH Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 ^^^ Ta both I would have thought the "Solid ones" (vs what I have slid over the std rod) might be stronger ?? ... Thoughts ?? How much is the bearmach one is it a solid type or a sleeve ? I'll rule out a Britpart one ,as I like to eat my Chocolate not shove it under the LR The whole land site was litted with stumps, some F huge and "not much give" in them, and hidden too Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noggy Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 no matter how strong the bar is... it eventually comes down to the rod ends. get one of what steve has! then buy the cheapest one possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobbymogs Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 ive still bent the end of the bar even with Gwyns guard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Webster Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I thought Sumos were always solid bars. Initially I think that was there great selling point. Dan bars were sleeved. I've just bought a couple of new Sumos and am impressed with their quality. I don't bend them very often but I bent a sumo-type solid one and a gas pipe special last year on the same event! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwcooper Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Like everyone else has said the solid bars will bend, Mine is bent from a tree stump as well. Best thing too do is get one of gwyns guards and either sumo bars or HD arms then your pritty well protected. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Nige, could you not make your own? you could always carry a standard one with TREs already attached as a get you home spare if you bend the HD one? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl hurst Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Erm, I've bent one ...........'big time' Seemed to get hooked up on a tree stump today, a biggun,...... and its bent as a bent thing (no not that sort of bent ) Its the 90 type, behind the axle one piece bar type, mine was I think an early sumo bar, has the std rod within. Needs replacing, which ones are best solid or like mine "Sleeved" type ? Any recomendations re makes, mine was bought when Sumos where the only options, I am sort of out of touch with whats now about ?? Ask saley or boothy about ther bars, Carl. Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Ive used and bent pretty much every type there is. Theres not a lot to chose but I now have the bearmach ones as they are excellent VFM and since fitting one of these Have had no further trouble. i have one of those guards with QT bars - no problems to date. i did run std bars for ages with a southdown axle guard and that was superb for protection just not so good for clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 The Gwyn Lewis guard looks remarkably like a guard we used when we were doing Hill Rallies about 12 years ago. Can you change the track rod without removing it or a wheel ? I binned mine after a TRE snapped in a forest section and we had to remove the downhill front wheel with the motor on a sideslope, turning a 2 minute job of changing to the spare track rod into a VERY dodgy 2 hour job. Re. the Britpart HD ones, you're cutting your nose off to spite your face there, they are really good, much stronger than the MJL "Dan bar" sleeves that I used to use, I don't use steering guards either so they live or die under their own strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_warne Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Those guards help a lot. However, LR TREs aren't that beefy so if you go much stronger on the bar you'll end up just breaking rod ends. Far better IMHO to bend a bar (which can be straightened) than snap a TRE (which is then a bugger to deal with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 Talking to a mate who popped round tonight during the last 3 hrs Lathe-a-thon and he mentioned a bar behind the axle that was seriously F HD and 'shaped' to not get caught up etc, anyone know about these or have a linky / are they any good ? nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 After bending my Sumo bars up,back and foward I bought a Gwyn Lewis gaurd and its the answer to all my previous problems , As for track rods ends I always use Lemforder and not that britpart shi*e they are a whole lot stronger . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Talking to a mate who popped round tonight during the last 3 hrs Lathe-a-thon and he mentioned a bar behind the axle that was seriously F HD and 'shaped' to not get caught up etc, anyone know about these or have a linky / are they any good ? nige I saw something like this that was on a "megabucks" 90 featured in LRO/LRE a few years ago (probably 5-6 years now) can't remember who made it now, it was a bit of a "crashed into a Scrapiron showroom with a blank cheque" vehicle but the track rod caught my eye. Anybody with anorak levels of LRO/LRE back issues might be able to find it... I seem to remember the "owner" popped up on either this or the old forum and got the P ripped out of them and left in something of a huff leaving an empty pram and toys all over the floor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I don't think this is it (I'm sure the raised bit on the one I'm thinking of was almost full-width) but the same idea can be seen here though I imagine you could buy a few Sumo bars for $195 http://www.rovertracks.com/products/steering.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I've got the Britpart ones, they are pretty nice quality but I've managed to bent the trackrod by getting hung up on a tree stump... but I think you'd bend pretty much anything if you get it caught like that... On my old 110 we sleeved the trackrods in 5mm walled stainless tube (there is an 'off the shelf' stainless tube size that fits over the standard trackrods exactly) and I never bent that. The off-cuts make a nice extension tube for your regular breaker bar aswell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted April 19, 2009 Author Share Posted April 19, 2009 OK Well tried straighting it last night, more like 3 blokes and a sledgehammer wrestle an eel type nonsense, we stopped before one of us got seriously hurt So, still everso slightly not straigh its on but has to be replaced. Thought about the guard, just to me seems 2 sided, on 1 side protects better, but on the other hand ground clearnce / something else hanging in the watys, so I guess I'll fit the bar - haven't bent one so far for quite a while, and don't fancy $195 either, buys a number of repalcements ! Questions are to all those above please : Solid or Tubed ? Which Make ? Monday will be ordering / picky up if I can find it locally day Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobbymogs Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 The Gwyn Lewis guard looks remarkably like a guard we used when we were doing Hill Rallies about 12 years ago. Can you change the track rod without removing it or a wheel ? I binned mine after a TRE snapped in a forest section and we had to remove the downhill front wheel with the motor on a sideslope, turning a 2 minute job of changing to the spare track rod into a VERY dodgy 2 hour job. i think your on the right track but with a bit of potching you can change the ends with the guard in place but with a lot of swearing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Webster Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Solid and a spare! Sumo have been good for me (they certainly used to supply QT too!). The one thing as you've found out, is that unlike a standard bar, the solid ones are a nightmare to straighten. I'm not a metallurgist, but I would imagine that they are never as strong again anyway! H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Questions are to all those above please :Solid or Tubed ? Which Make ? Solid, the tubed ones (at least all the ones I've tried) have the problem of leaving a short section of tube unprotected for the clamps and therefore weaker so when you land on the track bar the original bar can snap at the point it is exposed. The other problem with tubed bars is that, with even the slightest bend, you'll never get the steering bar in or out of it again. Solid, by comparison, are reinforced all the way to the TRE and the locking nut (on most of them) is a lot quicker and easier to deal with than the original clamp system so the TRE can be replaced in situ without the seizing problems associated with the split, compressed tube. You can't get either tubed or solid straight again IME and I carry spares for both steering arms so I never need to try ! As for make, I wanted some Sumo ones so ordered from Devon4x4 when Sumo couldn't supply from stock (who are listed as a distributor) and was then advised by someone who had tried both that the Britpart HD ones were stronger than Sumo. Strangely Devon 4x4, despite being listed as a Sumo distributor, sent me a pair of Britpart HD ones. I bought a set of decent TREs for when the Britpart ones failed and 18 months on have only used one of them which was a pleasant surprise as i didn't expect them to last especially given the hammering they got in Australia. I know you have an allergy to Britpart but you'll be hard pushed to find anything better without paying stupid money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 I bought one of the very first bars from QT - before QT really existed properly - Dave was flogging them out the back of his truck at Sodbury (when it was at the farm). Several years later, I bent it (tree stump, 30mph). Went to see Dave (now in full QT glory) at Billing - and he replaced it for free! I was pretty impressed with the bar to begin with - but the service was unbeatable! Before Billing, We tried straightening it and was amazed how springy it was - we totally failed to change it's shape permanently. Since then I've straightened one of the sleeve type bars and it was barely springy at all. A weaker bar which will move out the way then spring back may remain usable for longer than a stiffer bar. I would buy QT again. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwcooper Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Im still using the TRE's on the britpart HD bars, and they have been there for about 18months too and it spends alot of time offroad. Bearmach do a set with greasable TRE's but they are a bit more expensive. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Any good, Nige ? Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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