The Underrated Benefits of a Rear Step Tow Bar

Ensuring the safety of your 4WD vehicle should always be your priority. As a result, installing security equipment like rear tow bars and bull bars is essential for ensuring the safety of both cars and pedestrians.

Most 4×4 vehicles have conventional plastic rear bumpers not intended to sustain light hits. It is easily crushed when it collides with an object like a rock or tree. In these situations, something more sturdy like a rear step bar might be helpful. Let’s look at what rear-step tow bars are and some of their underrated benefits.

What Is A Rear Step Tow Bar?

The rear step bar is similar to the bull bar even though it is attached to the back of a car in many ways. They are made of steel and cover the back of 4WDs to safeguard bodywork and store spare tires and other equipment. They also assist with towing capabilities. These rear tow bars offer numerous benefits that most off-road tourers don’t know about.

These benefits include the following:

Towing Capability

Throughout their lifetime, most 4WDs tow something, whether it be box trailers, vans, camper trailers, etc. The sturdy Class 4 tow bars are ADR62 certified to meet the requirements and guarantee their safety for use in towing applications. These bars also offer Anderson plugs, seven or 12-pin connectors, and mounting choices for off-road trailers. Thanks to these features, you can attach what you need to tow without turning around.

Vehicle Protection

A vehicle’s back is typically more susceptible to damage than its front because it is out of sight. Rear step tow bars are a simple way to protect a vehicle’s back from numerous impacts, like errant shopping carts and traffic collisions. Typically, strong steel rods make up rear step tow bars. The rear bars on 4×4 vehicles provide the optimum stance and helps to protect the rear fairing from below.

They Provide A Rear Point Of Recovery

Vehicle recoveries are typically an unanticipated part of a voyage. When you hit the tracks, you should ensure that your 4×4 is equipped with various recovery points because you can’t be sure you won’t need to recover yourself or others.

Furthermore, it makes it difficult always to use the recovery spots on the front of your vehicle because you don’t have the luxury of choosing how or where you will get stuck. In some situations, having a backup plan for recovery might be helpful or even critical.

You can easily convert your rear step tow bar by connecting a 50mm recovery hitch to an appropriately rated rear step tow bar into the rear vehicle recovery point. This can be helpful for both the rescue vehicle and the stuck vehicle. It is frequently considered a safer and recommended approach in snatch strap recoveries to use a rear point of recovery both on cars involved in the recovery.

Hi-Lift Jacking Points

Hi-lift jacks could be helpful in some situations, even though they are not the most regularly used recovery equipment. Although the front or rear jacks are an excellent alternative, recovery jacks are compatible with well-known bullbars. The different rear step hitches are equipped with two T-slot recovery jack points. However, the most popular type of recovery doesn’t require a recovery jack. It utilises a ripcord and a winch. This offers the high-grade rear step tow bars underappreciated benefits.

Provides Higher Clearance and Departure Angles

There is a lot of damage caused when you drive over anything that is only a little bit taller than your car. It is bothersome, especially if you’re out in the countryside because it can rip the bumper and damage the back panel. All plastic bumpers are removed when adding a rear bar, allowing for more clearance behind the vehicle. You get a better departure angle as a result, which may minimise vehicle damage.

It is Used As A Base Of Accessories

Most people use the rear bar as their swing tire carrier’s foundation. Although some enthusiastic 4WD fans may add two tires, one tire is often mounted. This is great for travelling to distant locations. This mechanism eliminates the need to occupy valuable vehicle space, making transporting additional tires simpler. Another item that people put on their rear bars is canister holders.

For long journeys, this device is built to store water or fuel. However, since fuel storage in jerry cans is forbidden in many areas, the use of jerry cans for water storage is confined. You can also install work lights to the rear bars along with the mentioned attachments. People are resourceful enough to connect objects like folding tables using the back bar. The amount of space it saves makes it worthwhile even though it might require a little bit more work.

Rear Bar Drawback

Weight

It should go without saying that the rear bars and any extras you attach to them will strain your car. For 4WD vehicles, the normal payload ranges from 500 to 1500 kg. It is against the law to drive an automobile that weighs more than this on public roads. The weight of the vehicle is currently increased by 50–75 kg by the bulk of the steel rear bars and bullbars. When travelling, consider the equipment, appliances, and water tanks you carry with you.

Things To Look For in Rear Bars

Here are some more suggestions always to consider when purchasing a device like this.

Compatibility

In many cases, the compatibility of the trailer connector and the vehicle hitch may not be guaranteed. They could be too big or come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Make sure you are aware of this before conducting any transactions. Gooseneck variations are often taller than trailers and suitable for SUVs and trucks. The trailer’s shape essentially balances the distance to it. Rear axles are an additional option, especially in off-road situations. On the other hand, since both vehicles are inclined to be horizontal, horizontal hitches or flat drawbars work well with them. But these are suitable for flat terrain.

Conduct Research

Avoid being duped by shrewd salespeople or flashy marketing. Not all branded products are of high quality. You can get rear step bars from companies with bizarre names that are trustworthy, efficient, and, most importantly, competitively priced.

Adopting a strict advertising approach is the only way to combat this. Make sure to conduct research before finalising a transaction. Don’t settle with the first solution you encounter. Access your local hardware, then find out about other options. Compare prices and features, check online reviews, and speak with people. Only by looking over each of these options can you pick out the one that best suits you.

Weight Distribution

Another important factor is weight distribution. The sort of tow bar you should buy and how it should be attached depends on the size of your car. Every hitch possesses a certain skill that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you don’t, keep this in mind, the connector can misalign or detach while using it. That is the absolute last thing you want.

Best Step Rear Step Raw Bar Brands

• Kaymar Bars: Rear bars are supplied by many businesses. The company with the largest market share, Kaymar, does a great job of getting the rod to work on most 4WD vehicles. But their costs are rather expensive. A typical rear bar costs $800 to $ 1800. Depending on the automobile you drive, the item you buy, and how effectively you barter, swing arm costs might range from $300 to $900.
• TJM Bars: The Mitsubishi Triton can use this TJM component (2009-2015). It protects you while you enter or exit rocky terrain. Using the rear bar as support, you can use a heavy-duty tow hitch to pull a boat, trailer, or caravan.

Making Your Own Rear Bar

Making your rear bar makes economic sense, but finding one that is fashionable, dependable, and practical won’t be easy unless you are proficient in metallurgy. However, if you know how to build it, you’ll have a striking rear handlebar that doesn’t appear to have been purchased. Additional choices include can holders and swing tire carriers. Ask a friend to make it if you don’t know how to forge or work with metal. Even after considering the cost of labour and materials, it is still cheaper to make your rear bar compared to other manufacturers of rear handlebars.

Fitting Work Lights On Rear Bars

All work lights kinds, including DIY lights made from LED lights, can be installed consistently. To fix it, you must make a bracket and fasten it to a wire. Although it can be positioned anywhere, many people choose to put it on their spare tire. Although rear work light kits are easily obtainable, you can purchase superior LED lights and design and attach your brackets. Most work lights are found on the spare tire but can also be found elsewhere.

Conclusion

Considering the inherent information, installing a 4×4 rear bar on your vehicle before your next adventure off the beaten path might be at the top of your list of critical additions.