Which front bar looks best on the Ford Ranger Next-Gen?
The aftermarket industry can often take a few months to produce products for new generations of cars, if they’re not a preferred supplier like ARB was in the case of the Next Gen Ranger they have to wait until the car is in production and available, then scan the vehicle and product prototypes and testing as well as adhering to local compliance laws for their products.
What’s currently available?
It’s been almost a year now since the new platform for the Ford Ranger was released. Dubbed the Next-Gen at launch and now known as the PY Generation (See Ford Ranger PK, Ford Ranger PX, PX2 & PX3 for previous generations) the list of suppliers producing front bars for the car is increasing.
What are you planning on doing with the car?
Considering first what you need in the front bar, if you specifically need a winch cradle, recovery points or a place to put lights or antenna (if you’re on this site, those are probably all pretty high on the list) then certain bars won’t really be an option for you. Consider also if you’re travelling more outback of 80% urban streets could rule out a few options that have hoops.
Unique to the Next-Gen Ranger
Because of the styling of the front end of the new next-gen Ranger you’ll see two types of bars, there are bars that tuck under the headlight and these seem to feature less of an underbite (when the bar sticks out a long way from the front of the car and usually additional small panels included to fill in between the grill and headlight and to meet the front guard angle.
Alternatively some bars require cutting the existing bar and sit below it and will sit out from the front of the car more to accomodate the required 40mm gap for body roll.
Bull Bar Options for the Ranger
These are all the options I could find for front bars in Australia at the moment. For the first 6(ish) Months the only option available was ARB. As one of the largest automotive aftermarket suppliers of parts that equip cars for offroad and outback use they were consulted and included in the manufacturer production of the vehicle and as such had advanced capabilities to produce bars for the car, as well as the option to fit out the car direct from the dealer.
Since then quite a few other suppliers have dropped their new bars as expected. With most of the bars being pretty comparable in the features department. Most of the choice comes down to what your uses are, and what you prefer the look of.
I’ve also listed the prices if I could find them, but when considering the costs the Front Bar, consider the order of mods and what you need. Usually what you’re wanting to add a bar for is to add a winch, recovery points, lights etc. Some of the bars come with recovery points, some might leave the factory recovery points (which are rated recovery points on the 2022+ Ford Rangers) as is.
So I’ve left the install costs out. Obviously if you’re colour coding, installing a winch and lights at the same time, the costs could increase. Just keep in mind if you’re not doing the work yourself it’s probably worth putting the winch on at the same time, or else it’ll increase the cost of a winch install down the road to take the bar off again.
What’s the best bar? Well, that’s really up to what you like the look of. There's a history or pedigree with some of these companies that extends decades, so looking at all the bars depending on your budget you might prefer a company with a long standing reputation, or an import bar designed off-shore.
As far as taste goes, it’s all subjective so take the list, and the order the bars appear in as that, just my opinion. If you want to vote on what you think the best one is chuck it in the comments below and I’ll move it up the ranks as it gets voted for.
Righto, all that being said here's the bars...
ARB Summit MKII Bar
The Summit MKII Front bar is a progression of ARB’s more classic designs with strong twin hoop design and accomodations for scrub bars, with modern integrated indicator and fog lights. It’s built to accomodate all the modern tech features and has plenty of space for a large winch and spotlights. If you’re looking for a tougher more obvious look with a lot of strength this heavy duty bar might be a good choice.
Ironman Deluxe Bull Bar
There’s two options from Ironman 4X4 for Front Bars on the PY Ranger a classic two poster and a hoopless. The Deluxe is a classic bull-bar design with standard round foglights the addition of LED Daytime Running Lights and sequential (I think) indicators. The bar has a two post design and accomodates radar, parking and the new Rangers matrix LED headlights well.
Annecdotaly in research I found a few people commenting on the Ford Ranger groups that the sheet metal used in many other bars is nowhere near as thick as in the Ironman and ARB bars.
Builds with this Bar:
Rhino Evolution
Rhino has a unique looking bar that I reckon is especially nice colour coded to the car, the most factory looking (along with maybe GMF which is so far missing from the list) And space for integrated lightbar keeps it neat and tidy.
RAD Bumper Bull Bar
I haven’t previously heard of or seen RAD bars on cars in person, so I can’t speak much for the company or quality, but from the looks of it they’re pretty well built. They’re also a completely unique design I haven’t seen anywhere else. More agressive and unobtrusive the hoopless design will stand out and give a more aggressive front to the car.
Would be keen to see one colour coded to a car to get a better idea of how “factory” it could look.
This is one of those bars that retains the factory recovery points and re-uses factory fog lights.
Ironman RAID Bar
As four wheel driving has grown in popularity, so to has the rise of hoopless bars, and Raid seems to be targetting that market with this bar, featuring an integrated light bar the Raid and other bars like it give most of the benefits (minus impact protection if something makes it higher than the bar into your lights or radiator) of the bigger bars while looking a bit more stealth when popping down the shops. I’m all for the hoopless bars personally but I think if you’re going that way it’s worth getting it colour-coded to match the body.
Couple of things worth mentioning from Luke R. on the Next Gen Owners group is the Raid bar features dedicated air vents below and above winch to direct airflow to the intercooler and radiator which he mentioned no other bar he looked at considered.
Offroad Animal Predator Bar
It features an integrated light bar space in the top of the bar and also offers options for a tube hoop or an additional bar riser at the front which integrates a second light bar for an additional fee.
A positive of the construction of the offroad animal bars is you can install the winch cradle and winch separately to the bar, which is a benefit (lighter) if you’re planning on taking on the install yourself.
There’s a bit of anecdotal feedback across the groups and online that the bars are a thinner steel and can sometimes be supplied a bit rusty/untreated. But if you’re going for a nice looking modern and aggressive bar the Offroad Animal bar is the choice to make. Since I can’t verify any of the claims online I’d say this is still a great choice, might recommend if you’re buying one to check thoroughly in the nooks and crannies around the bar and potentially treat them with a rust preventative.
Option 4WD Bull Bar
I’ve seen the option bars a couple of times at shows and they look well constructed and a decent option. I’m yet to see one colour coded but I think they’d dissapear and look factory pretty well.
Integrated light bar with similar cut-outs to the offroad animal bar will keep it lighter and the infill panels look well designed to conform to the body shape.
ARB Summit Sahara MKII Bar
The Sahara’s single hoop design with integrated light bar features the same lower section as the Summit with a more minimal appearance in the hoops. The front single hoop is thicker tubing but otherwise the bar is just as prominent as the Summit. It offers less protection for your headlights in case of a roo strike or low tree branches over the tracks.
TJM Outback Bull Bar
The TJM Outback bar is a full coverage protection bar that looks nice colour coded on the TJM demo model. The looks of the bar are more squared off and classic with plenty of room for lights and winch.
EFS Stockman Bar
EFS has been making parts for four wheel drives longer than I’ve been alive. Their products seem to stand the test of time vs the Australian corrugations and their bar is a twin post hoop design. Less modern look for the indicators/parkers and fog lights but a solid option for the necessary protection with all the room to add on lights and winch of the more expensive options.
Offroad Animal Toro Bar
The toro bar is like the hooped version of the predator. It features thick aggressive posts and some sharp bend tubes. It’s a strong looking bar and has the same opportunity to integrate a light bar the predator has.
It’s also probably one of the least protruding designs I’ve seen, if you’re wanting to improve approach angle for some really gnarly rock steps or just trying to shorten the overall length of the car to fit into a car port. This is a great choice.
Hamer Atlas Bar
I think one of the reasons Hamer got popular (other than a good looking bar) was how prominent the logo is in the old bar, it seems like that’s carried over into the new next gen ranger, and while I’d personally paint the logos and recovery points black to hide them, the bar itself looks good, with unique DRL daytime running lights and decent infill panels. Where the bar meets the guard if you’re considering flares to cover wider offset wheels I think the straight edges here might look a bit funny.
TJM Venturer Bar
The hoopless altnerative for the TJM bar offers a more modern upgraded look in line with the latest bars. Neat and out of the way.
Builds with this part:
Hamer Bull Bar (Hoops)
With hamer originally gaining popularity with their hoopless design (especially popular atleast where I am with the ranger raptor owners, looks like they’be finally come to the table with a hoop design for people who want protection for their lights and grill. Similar post design to the Offroad Animal (and last gen AFN bull bar) the bar doesn’t have the same presence and originality of the hoopless design but if you’re after that additional protection it’s a solid choice.
Hamer Hoopless Bar
A decent looking bar with all the trimmings you need in a bull bar. If I was pressed to make a choice between Hamer bars I’d probably choose the Atlas though.
Supreme Innovations X-Series Bull Bar
An aggressively styled bar with a huge space for a dual row LED light bar, possibly the longed integrated light bar in any of the options, plus all the usual fog light, bash plate, recover point inclusions.
Jungle 4X4 Bull Bar
The Jungle 4x4 Bull bar looks more like an ARB bar than the ARB bar does. If you’re looking for a more classic look at an affordable price point.
This bar is available in both hoop and hoop-less designs depending on your preference.
EGR Crosstrac Bull Bars
EGR has been a staple aftermarket and direct manufacturer supplier of plastic and metal exterior accesories for the Australian market for over 50 years. They’re the go to place for weathershields and flares and it looks like they’re getting into the bull bar game too.
Looking pretty good colour coded they’re reminiscent of the Rhino Evolution and GMF front bars with painted wings (the sides of the bar) and feature a pretty dominating front on presence. They’re a bit thicker vertically than most and give the Ranger a bit more of an F-150 Look.
ARB Stealth Bar
Pretty much a hoopless alternative to the Spartan Bar. Offers the same benefits as the spartan bar, like putting your winch cradle, lights and recovery points somewhere but with the same plastic look. To be honest while the stealth and spartan bars might be a perfectly fine option for some people, they remind me of when you buy the cheapest model of a car and it doesn’t have paint on the bumpers. If it’s all you can get your hands on go for gold, but there are better options out there for sure. And a second hand steel or ally bar might be worth looking into.
ARB Commercial Fleet Bar
If you just need a no-nonsense bar that’s strong and durable the commercial or fleet bar will get the job done. Doesn’t win any design awards compared to the summit but does all the same jobs the summit will.
Cobra 4X4 Heavy Duty Steel Bull Bar
I can’t even find a picture of one of these on a car, if you’ve got one add it below. I’d say you’re taking a risk on this one, but it could pay off if you’re willing to gamble as they're reasonably cheap.
ARB Spartan Bar
If you want the benefits of highlift jack points and winch cradle without the good looks of any other bar. This might be the bar for you. 🙃
This Thing - All Tube Bull Bar
Not sure what brand this is but it’s an all tube bullbar or nudge bar hybrid that sits over the existing bar work. Space for lights, protection from roo strikes but no support for a winch etc.
Rival 4X4 Bull Bar
This ones only in pre-order so far, if it updates with better photos and more details I’ll update the post.
That's all I could find for now, if you've got any more let us know below and I'll add them. Probably add links and pricing in after, just consider we don't know the local install costs or if you're also installing lights/winch etc. that'll change the price.
