[Joe Kelley]

I was thinking of adding a Westin Bull Bar to my Tacoma. It weighs 45 pounds. Anyone have any thoughts about how it will effect handling or gas mileage?

 

[mreimann]

I really doubt that you'll notice much of anything. I had a full brushguard on my truck and it probly weighed about the same or maybe a little more. And I didn't notice a thing when I put in on the first time or even after I took it off again.

So I wouldn't sweat it if i were you!!

 

[MikeVJ]

I Installed my Westin Bull Bar 3 days after I bought the truck - so I cannot really tell you how handling & mileage compare without the bar. But I will tell you A) It handles just fine and B) I'm getting roughly 19.5 MPG City (with cruise control and a tonneau cover installed on the 4.0 V6).

But you need to know it's pretty much just for looks (and maybe you'd like to mount some lights on the bar). It will do nothing to protect the truck in case of a front end collision. (Except focus the impact into 2 points where the bar will smash into the bumper)... LOL

PS - I ordered mine (with the matching aluminum nerf bars) from TruckChamp.com I installed all of 3 them in about an hour; very easy to do...

 

[TUSTaco]

Seriously? Affecting gas mileage or handling? You don't even notice it's there.

But you need to know it's pretty much just for looks (and maybe you'd like to mount some lights on the bar). It will do nothing to protect the truck in case of a front end collision.

I'll have to respectfully disagree. I've had mine on for almost a year now and I've plowed over a street sign (no, not my fault.) and took out a tree branch laying in the middle of a highway on-ramp. Both of which the bull bar took the brunt of it all. There's a small dent in the left side of it from the sign and a few scratches in the paint from the tree branches. Without it I'd be out of a bumper and the new one would be scratched to all hell. I was planning on taking it off actually before the tree branch thing happened, but after that, no flippin' way.

Plus, it keeps idiots from parking to close to me in parking lots. They'll hit the bullbar, not my bumper.

 

[MikeVJ]

You make a good point about the steel bar being tougher than the plastic bumper and you're right; it will certainly hold up better against scuffs and gouges.

But when I mounted mine, I tightened the 4 bolts (2 on each side) as tight as I could. Then I gently put some weight on the bar to "test" if it was tight enough. I pushed down on the bar and it held pretty good - so I pushed a little harder... Looked good. Soon, I was pushing down with about 40 lbs of pressure (kinda' bouncing the front end a tiny bit on the springs)...

I was curious if I could kneel on it (to reach inside the engine bay if I wanted to) and that's when it (broke loose). I weigh 200 lbs. That's when I had to re-align the bar and re-tighten the bolts. Now, I don't mess with it any more. So, I was saying that in a crash (with another vehicle) - the bar is going to be forced into the bumper. I'm not really sure it will absorb much impact before the nuts & bolts break loose (the vertical position of the bar is only held by the friction of the lock washers).

I like mine, for aesthetics (and PIAAs someday). But I wouldn't try to push another vehicle with it...

It was cool to hear yours saved your bumper from the street sign - that would have been a disaster. I can't imagine how bad your front end would have been trashed by the steel sign.:headbang:

 

[hsracer201]

if you like the 2 tone color of the westin then go for it. you can always paint it later. i liked the black and i got one for $140 on ebay. aside from it missing the westin logo it seems to be almost identical.

fwiw, i didn't notice any difference in handling or in mpg when i put mine on, but i don't pay attention to mpg. i know i get about 290 miles per tank and that's about it.