Stinger Bars

[Ole_Rosie_R50]

Im thinking about buying a stinger bar attachment off of amazon and just installing it to my OEM front bumper of my 1998 nissan pathfinder. Nothing Huge probably the smitty built one on amazon. How would yall think it'd look?

 

[joshrichard]

I think this picture will help give a better idea

[joshrichard]

In my opinion, I’m not the biggest fan of them only because it really has no real life application

 

[joshrichard]

If you got into a front end collision would the bar crush the grill and hood?

[PathyDude17]

Any 4x4 forum would agree that unless it’s a full bumper replacement (in our case think ARB, coastal off-road, Hawairish, etc), any such bull bar, push bar, brush bar idea will be a damage multiplier. I dropped some good links when we were discussing it with @ThatBluePathy

Edited January 18, 2019 by PathyDude17

[PathyDude17]

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/another-bull-bar-pusher-question-are-they-all-damage-multipliers.395343/

[mjotrainbrain]

Did you mean a brush bar of some kind, or just a stinger that bolts to the plastic bumper cover?  if it's the latter, here's a pic of a QX4 with such a thing (sorry for the poor lighting) parked next to my old QX4 which shows how good a proper bumper can look.  (FYI mine only cost me $400, just need to find a fabricator who works for a decent price and does good work.)

 

[RainGoat]

Okay, I'll be the contrary opinion on this point. Full bumper replacements are awesome but cost alot of money, take time to do, were VERY hard to find until the last 6 months and may not visually appeal to you. For all of these reasons I ran a PreRunner bar on my truck for 16 years. On the financial aspect alone bumper replacement was a no go for me for years after I bought my truck. It allowed me to protect my bumper (not a damage multiplier), mount auxilliary lights, absorbed damage in a front end collision & I like the aesthetics.

 

The PreRunner was low and pushed brush & small saplings down saving my OEM bumper when I was simply off road in brush, etc. Upper brush guards are worthless as brush hits your lower bumper first & if you are going a slow, reasonable speed, the lower bumper should push the brush down & out of the way. Also, the PreRunner had vertical rubber bump bars that saved me from countless bumper taps over the years. My bumper looked as good as the day I bought it until my front end collision.  Additionally, when I was in a front end collision, the WAAG bar absorbed some of the energy of the impact and saved damage to my truck itself. (I do believe the upper front end brush bars cause more damage but I've already listed why I think they are worthless anyway). All of that was irrelevant as I turned it into insurance and they paid out for the damage to my vehicle plus all of my lights (even though not all were damaged) and my WAAG bar to boot. Overall, the PreRunner saved me tons in bumper repair, probably decreased collision damage and was compensated for by insurance when it was damaged. 

 

The second benefit of a PreRunner or Stinger is as an anchor for auxiliary lights. This was the primary reason I mounted mine as I was living in Phoenix at the time and often ended up in the backcountry at night. The desert just requires ALOT of light. I used the lower lateral hoops to mount 2 130w KC Slimlight Flood Lights just inboard of the stock fog lights (which are worthless for anything except seeing potholes right in front of your truck or running a lower light in a campground at night) and I used the upper bar to mount 2 130w KD Slimlight Driving Lights. My Driving Lights punched forward way better than my highs (even with 4100K PIAA Halogens in them) and I had the lateral floods just overlap with the driving lights so that I had about 200* of forward facing light. 

 

I think if you just want a stinger bar for aesthetics and to mount some auxiliary lights, go for it. It's cheap if you can do it yourself and it might give you some functionality. Admittedly, the new light bars these days make this less necessary than in the past. Look at @02_Pathy (NPORA) / theblackpathfidner (IG) for a nice LED bar integration. I've seen his truck and I think it is one of the most elegant, simple but functional builds out there. (I console myself that they just didn't have light bars, or LEDs when I was doing my build out).

 

See my Avatar on IG for my front end in its prime. My avatar here is a little worse & below is a recent pic but I’ve pulled the grill to play with an SE grill & Raptor light mod-so it looks terrible-but you can see to some degree how the bar collapsed decreasing overall damage & saved all my lights (though I pulled one off in the pic). I also posted the black Pathfinder to show a great alternative (he’s just showing off by beating me to the Raptor mod-JK). BTW, I think the stinger bar in that pic next to[mention=39321]mjotrainbrain[/mention] looks nice (thanks for the pic).

 

 

 

 

[mjotrainbrain]

3 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

Okay, I'll be the contrary opinion on this point. Full bumper replacements are awesome but cost alot of money, take time to do, were VERY hard to find until the last 6 months and may not visually appeal to you. For all of these reasons I ran a PreRunner bar on my truck for 16 years. On the financial aspect alone bumper replacement was a no go for me for years after I bought my truck. It allowed me to protect my bumper (not a damage multiplier), mount auxilliary lights, absorbed damage in a front end collision & I like the aesthetics.

 

The PreRunner was low and pushed brush & small saplings down saving my OEM bumper when I was simply off road in brush, etc. Upper brush guards are worthless as brush hits your lower bumper first & if you are going a slow, reasonable speed, the lower bumper should push the brush down & out of the way. Also, the PreRunner had vertical rubber bump bars that saved me from countless bumper taps over the years. My bumper looked as good as the day I bought it until my front end collision.  Additionally, when I was in a front end collision, the WAAG bar absorbed some of the energy of the impact and saved damage to my truck itself. (I do believe the upper front end brush bars cause more damage but I've already listed why I think they are worthless anyway). All of that was irrelevant as I turned it into insurance and they paid out for the damage to my vehicle plus all of my lights (even though not all were damaged) and my WAAG bar to boot. Overall, the PreRunner saved me tons in bumper repair, probably decreased collision damage and was compensated for by insurance when it was damaged. 

 

The second benefit of a PreRunner or Stinger is as an anchor for auxiliary lights. This was the primary reason I mounted mine as I was living in Phoenix at the time and often ended up in the backcountry at night. The desert just requires ALOT of light. I used the lower lateral hoops to mount 2 130w KC Slimlight Flood Lights just inboard of the stock fog lights (which are worthless for anything except seeing potholes right in front of your truck or running a lower light in a campground at night) and I used the upper bar to mount 2 130w KD Slimlight Driving Lights. My Driving Lights punched forward way better than my highs (even with 4100K PIAA Halogens in them) and I had the lateral floods just overlap with the driving lights so that I had about 200* of forward facing light. 

 

I think if you just want a stinger bar for aesthetics and to mount some auxiliary lights, go for it. It's cheap if you can do it yourself and it might give you some functionality. Admittedly, the new light bars these days make this less necessary than in the past. Look at 02_Pathy (NPORA) / theblackpathfidner (IG) for a nice LED bar integration. I've seen his truck and I think it is one of the most elegant, simple but functional builds out there. (I console myself that the just didn't have light bars, or LEDs when I was doing my build out).

 

I do like the PreRunner bar you had on yours, I would say it helped things more than hurt for sure.  Only taking out the bumper cover is a small price to pay given it's benefits, especially since if the bar gets pushed back enough to break the bumper cover the accident would have trashed the bumper cover and then some anyways.  It's the big ones that could bend and smash headlights/hood unnecessarily that I'm not a fan of, however it sounds like you agree with my opinion on those.  How did your bar mount, did it detract from approach angle at all?

[mjotrainbrain]

14 minutes ago, RainGoat said:

BTW, I think the stinger bar in that pic next to@mjotrainbrain looks nice (thanks for the pic).

 

 

 

 

I agree, I think that little bar on the bumper looked great.  If I had still had a stock bumper I would have definitely grabbed that part when that QX4 was at the junkyard (it was mega rusty, and for the record although the rear bumper and rock sliders looked beefy, they were attached with thin bits of strapping and sheet metal screws; very disappointing).

 

It's really amazing how your bar bend things in such a way to save the front end!  Hard to say from this angle, but if you had one of those bars that goes over the headlights too do you think it would have damaged more stuff?

[RainGoat]

 
I do like the PreRunner bar you had on yours, I would say it helped things more than hurt for sure.  Only taking out the bumper cover is a small price to pay given it's benefits, especially since if the bar gets pushed back enough to break the bumper cover the accident would have trashed the bumper cover and then some anyways.  It's the big ones that could bend and smash headlights/hood unnecessarily that I'm not a fan of, however it sounds like you agree with my opinion on those.  How did your bar mount, did it detract from approach angle at all?

Right, the tall ones are nearly worthless-mostly aesthetic, though the push bars could theoretically be helpful, you could mount lights & I guess it might protect your upper hood corners from light scratching (while the lower bumper was trashed).

WAAG was the manufacturer.

The front was really not a very sturdy mount since it was not a single piece but instead went underneath with a second support running in from the front. I always thought the bolts at the connection were what would give in an impact-turned out it was the tube. It definitely negatively effected approach angle but I was an Overlander (though that category didn’t exist then) not a Crawler. I also couldn’t afford damage that I would need to pay to repair so I was always very careful & thoughtful about my lines (I was often remote & solo so getting stuck wasn’t an option). I can’t remember the front ever being a problem & I’ve done pretty much all the CO passes except Black Bear with a suspension that was stock except for rear airlifts (which I’d inflate to bring my tail up if needed).

Departure angle was no worse in the rear since I have an OEM hitch which goes lower & longer. The rear bolts right into the frame & is nice & sturdy - it’s saved my rear from countless taps, campsite brush & the time a trailer came unhitched while underway & that bar was the point of contact to slow it down. I actually intend to keep it as it makes it easier to stand on the rear bumper & I’ve commonly found myself hanging stuff on the front & rear while in camp.

[RainGoat]

It’s worth noting, there are a million ways to build your truck & your build should suit you. This forum is great for avoiding mistakes but there’s half a dozen trucks that are my favorites for different reasons. Usage is HUGE in determining what you do. Budget is also HUGE. I lived in an apartment & had virtually no disposable income for the first handful of years I had my truck. My only mods were ones I found I needed (WAAG bars protected truck, auxiliary lights to see in the desert at night, rear back up lights, AirLifts to correct for sagging under load, a tiny Yakima basketcase that gave me functionality but still let me use my load bars, better headlights & decent AT tires).

 

When I did have cash, I spent it exploring & getting the outdoor gear I needed. One of the main reasons I bought the Pathfinder in ‘02 was that it was a great “touring” vehicle. I did alot of long distance travel & what would be called Overlanding now. I camped primitively & just wanted a reliable, capable, comfortable, off-road truck.

 

[PathyDude17]

1 hour ago, RainGoat said:

Okay, I'll be the contrary opinion on this point. Full bumper replacements are awesome but cost alot of money, take time to do, were VERY hard to find until the last 6 months and may not visually appeal to you. For all of these reasons I ran a PreRunner bar on my truck for 16 years. On the financial aspect alone bumper replacement was a no go for me for years after I bought my truck. It allowed me to protect my bumper (not a damage multiplier), mount auxilliary lights, absorbed damage in a front end collision & I like the aesthetics.

 

The PreRunner was low and pushed brush & small saplings down saving my OEM bumper when I was simply off road in brush, etc. Upper brush guards are worthless as brush hits your lower bumper first & if you are going a slow, reasonable speed, the lower bumper should push the brush down & out of the way. Also, the PreRunner had vertical rubber bump bars that saved me from countless bumper taps over the years. My bumper looked as good as the day I bought it until my front end collision.  Additionally, when I was in a front end collision, the WAAG bar absorbed some of the energy of the impact and saved damage to my truck itself. (I do believe the upper front end brush bars cause more damage but I've already listed why I think they are worthless anyway). All of that was irrelevant as I turned it into insurance and they paid out for the damage to my vehicle plus all of my lights (even though not all were damaged) and my WAAG bar to boot. Overall, the PreRunner saved me tons in bumper repair, probably decreased collision damage and was compensated for by insurance when it was damaged. 

 

The second benefit of a PreRunner or Stinger is as an anchor for auxiliary lights. This was the primary reason I mounted mine as I was living in Phoenix at the time and often ended up in the backcountry at night. The desert just requires ALOT of light. I used the lower lateral hoops to mount 2 130w KC Slimlight Flood Lights just inboard of the stock fog lights (which are worthless for anything except seeing potholes right in front of your truck or running a lower light in a campground at night) and I used the upper bar to mount 2 130w KD Slimlight Driving Lights. My Driving Lights punched forward way better than my highs (even with 4100K PIAA Halogens in them) and I had the lateral floods just overlap with the driving lights so that I had about 200* of forward facing light. 

 

I think if you just want a stinger bar for aesthetics and to mount some auxiliary lights, go for it. It's cheap if you can do it yourself and it might give you some functionality. Admittedly, the new light bars these days make this less necessary than in the past. Look at @02_Pathy (NPORA) / theblackpathfidner (IG) for a nice LED bar integration. I've seen his truck and I think it is one of the most elegant, simple but functional builds out there. (I console myself that they just didn't have light bars, or LEDs when I was doing my build out).

 

See my Avatar on IG for my front end in its prime. My avatar here is a little worse & below is a recent pic but I’ve pulled the grill to play with an SE grill & Raptor light mod-so it looks terrible-but you can see to some degree how the bar collapsed decreasing overall damage & saved all my lights (though I pulled one off in the pic). I also posted the black Pathfinder to show a great alternative (he’s just showing off by beating me to the Raptor mod-JK). BTW, I think the stinger bar in that pic next to[mention=39321]mjotrainbrain[/mention] looks nice (thanks for the pic).

 

 

 

 

I think what is notable about  @RainGoat‘s bumper is that it covers his entire front bumper cover. It’s got more surface area and is less likely to collapse on one point (think getting hit with a nail vs a a flat paddle at the same speed). Most aftermarket bull bars collapse over a section smaller than the bumper cover behind it. Raingoat’s covered his entire front bumper cover, which is probably part of why his held together so well. It was spreading damage in the same way a normal bumper cover does (low and wide), unlike many aftermarket bars. Just speculation, but worth noting

Edited January 18, 2019 by PathyDude17

[03TroutFinder]

Here's another option for you, if your open to changing the bumper all together.
Goliath bumper for an xj that has bull bar, pre-runner(shown) and even a stinger bar as bolt on options.
I have less than $400 into my setup, and fabrication was not too difficult. About a day to draw up the plan and get everything lined up properly. The thing I liked about the goliath bumper in my research other than the price was that its wider, so no fabrication of the actual bumper was needed as others have stated they needed to do with other xj bumpers.

If you truly just want to mount a stinger bar to your bumper, it may look good, but as others said it will have no true benefit, and can actually cause more damage if in an accident.
If your just going for the aesthetic look, go for it and share pics!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Ole_Rosie_R50]

I think this picture will help give a better idea

Yes! I don’t want anything too big I just would like something that would attach to the plastic like the one in the pic


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[Ole_Rosie_R50]

Yes! I don’t want anything too big I just would like something that would attach to the plastic like the one in the pic


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In mjotrainbrains pic


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[Ole_Rosie_R50]

yeah I’m mainly looking for a prerunner light bar for my truck, if anybody could recommend me one and send me a link that would be sick


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[mjotrainbrain]

2 hours ago, Ole_Rosie_R50 said:

In mjotrainbrains pic


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Unfortunately I don't know anything about that exact one, but I suspect it's a rather generic part.

 

And yes, it was just bolted to the plastic cover.  Should prove very easy to add if you get one.

[RainGoat]

I imagine you can find some as bolt on extras to Jeep XJ bumper kits. Should be

[RainGoat]

I imagine you can find some as bolt on extras to Jeep XJ bumper kits. Should be less than $100, maybe $40-60. You could just drill down through the plastic cover into the metal bumper reinforcement to anchor it.

[Bryan.g23]

@Ole_Rosie_R50  https://www.carid.com/broadfeet/waag-style-double-pipe-polished-rear-bumper-guard-mpn-rdni-531-51.html?singleid=51424871&url=1374432

 

It says its for the rear but I think they may have just mounted it for the ffront instead. 

 

[PathyDude17]

16 minutes ago, Bryan.g23 said:

It could probably be put on the front, might take some work. Not sure the bolt points reach far enough under on their own

Edited January 22, 2019 by PathyDude17

[RainGoat]

[mention=41997]Ole_Rosie_R50[/mention]  https://www.carid.com/broadfeet/waag-style-double-pipe-polished-rear-bumper-guard-mpn-rdni-531-51.html?singleid=51424871&url=1374432  

It says its for the rear but I think they may have just mounted it for the ffront instead. 

 

 

Nope, that’s very similar to my rear WAAG bar. The dip on the lower bar looks like the WAAG rear bar for the XTerra- this company may have just modified it for the R50. I note, however, that this version doesn’t appear to be a solid piece all the way to the frame like mine is. Beware, the front & rear bumpers have very different profiles - the rear is much more straight.