Almost any 4WD can be improved by some sensible aftermarket accessories. LED lights, roof racks, throttle controllers… the list of what you can add is almost endless.
For one Australian 4WD accessories company, Ultimate9, right now it’s all about nudge bars. This company has been in business for almost 10 years. For a long time, it’s been best known for its range of throttle controllers. But in recent times, Ultimate9 has turned its attention to developing a range of nudge bars – known as The Ultimate Nudge Bar – that anyone handy with a socket wrench could probably fit themselves.
WHY OPT FOR A NUDGE BAR?
First up, no, a nudge bar won’t offer the same level of front-end vehicle protection as a steel bull bar. That’s not their purpose. Instead, they offer light-impact protection in minor collisions while also providing a place to mount accessories such as a UHF antenna and driving lights.
Having said that, a nudge bar may be the difference between a write-off and a car that can limp to the nearest town in the event of a slightly more serious crash. But again, vehicle and passenger protection in a serious accident is not their primary purpose.
Another reason why you might consider a nudge bar for your vehicle: the weight factor. If you’re setting up your vehicle to tow a caravan, it’s crucial to consider how any aftermarket accessories impact its payload capacity. After all, anything you add to your car must be considered payload in the same way your luggage or even yourself and your passengers are payload.
Now, each nudge bar by Ultimate9 weighs less than 30kg. Because they serve a different purpose, comparing this weight to that of a steel bull bar is not entirely relevant, but it’s interesting to note that a typical steel bar would weigh approximately 50kg to 70kg more.
In the case of the Ultimate9 nudge bars, they come standard with multiple mounting points to suit almost whatever you’d like to fit.
Ultimate9 has multiple distributors around the country; however, you can order online, if you prefer. If you do, a box containing everything you’ll need, minus the tools, to fit an Ultimate9 nudge bar will arrive on your doorstep. This includes:
- The Ultimate Nudge Bar;
- An LED light bar, which sits perfectly within an aperture designed into the nudge bar;
- A ‘plug and play’ wiring harness for the light bar, along with a switch that will fit one of the blanks on your vehicle’s dash; and
- Comprehensive fitting instructions.
As mentioned, a handy DIYer could do fit an Ultimate9 nudge bar themselves, but if you’re unsure, the best bet would be to take it to a specialist, and Ultimate9 can help you find an installer.
ULTIMATE9: MANUFACTURING LOCALLY
There’s no shortage of cheap 4WD accessories on the Australia market that have been sourced from overseas, usually China. Ultimate9, however, fabricates these nudge bars here in Australia, using Australian steel.
After being laser-cut, folded and welded, the steel then receives a zinc coating before being powder-coated locally.
The Ultimate Nudge Bar is designed and shaped to the front profile of the vehicle. In short, they look factory. Further, they are ADR-compliant and airbag-compatible.
So far, the company has developed a nudge bar to suit the BT50 (2020 onwards, third gen, TF), the D-MAX (2019 onwards, third gen, RG), the MU-X (2021 onwards, second gen, RJ), the Land Cruiser 200 Series (2015 onwards), the Ranger Raptor (2022 onwards, Next-Gen, T6.2) and the Y62 Patrol (2019 onwards, Series 5, Ti-L). However, Ultimate9 is in the process of gearing up its operations and, in doing so, creating a nudge bar to suit a wider range of 4WD models.
After speaking with the team and learning what goes into fabricating these products, I’d happily recommend the Ultimate9 range of nudge bars if you’re looking for a place to mount some external vehicle accessories while providing your vehicle with some light front-end protection.
More info: www.ultimate9.co/au
