Australia Day

On Australia Day  we celebrate Britains historic arrival on these shores. To  celebrate I  thought of nothing better than to have a beer, a prawn ("shrimp" if you are American), to watch  cricket and to  fit side rails to  my  Landcruiser.

What are side rails, I  hear my  overseas friends ask. Side rails are bars that attach to the bull bar, (or roo bar), run along the side of the vehicle and attach to the chassis behind the cabin. They are designed to push scrub, and reduce the impact damage that an animal  can cause.

This is my  side rails. A neat  fitting job even if I say  so  myself!

I  recall being at a Japanese wedding  which  was being held on Sydney  Harbour- an amazing affair, and I recall the Japanese guests being  fascinated by the bull bar on my Nissan Patrol. It was the topic of conversation for hours.

There are many types of bars to  suit many  different types of vehicles. If you  work or travel a lot on cattle stations then  you  really  need a Tuff Bar.  These bars all but block any chance of an animal damaging the radiator and sides of your truck. However that  can  be very  heavy and drag the front suspension down. The Crusier in the photo below must have had after market springs fitted.

This bar sure looks Super Tuff! It looks like part of a bridge. Note it has 2 side rails on each side.

Due to  the drama I  had with  a certain manufacturer, my  new Landcruiser is fitted with a genuine Toyota bull bar, and so I  bought genuine side rails to  suit. I am  happy  with the design.

Fitting the bars was a methodical affair  and with  clear instructions we had the side rails bolted on and painted in a  couple of hours.

At the end of this process a nice icy  cold can of Victoria Bitter was had and enjoyed.