Sport bar - pros and cons

[Donstar]

My dealer has a "take off" sport bar for a Sierra that they are selling. I am fascinated by the look but can't determine if it would be a benefit. It also appears that it would create a significant blind spot. I have owned "headache racks" in the past and found them useful for hauling lumber and longer objects. Do you think this option enhances the look and/or function or our trucks or simply a waste of money?

[Chebbyfan]

I like them. Want one for myself, but I agree on the blind spot. Not sure if my truck could pull that off or not. Best bet would be to mock it up before you buy it and see how it looks. May look like shit, you don't know at this point.

[Donstar]

I like them. Want one for myself, but I agree on the blind spot. Not sure if my truck could pull that off or not. Best bet would be to mock it up before you buy it and see how it looks. May look like shit, you don't know at this point.

Yes, I am liking the look. The sample picture I used is of a truck the same color as mine and with the same size bed. Mine is a Sierra and the bar I am looking at is stamped Sierra.

[Chebbyfan]

I think it looks ok. I would probably be the guy that would buy it, put it on for awhile and then take it back off tho.

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

I don't really care for the look. It's just the old style light bar with fill in pieces for looks. It will give a blind spot if you look through the back window at an angle. It would bother me since I look into mirrors to see beside me and not out the back window. Really the only benefit other than if you like the look, is to mount lights. I just don't think that style of light bar looks good on new style trucks. Especially since people mount lights on the front bumper and/or the grille. People don't really use a light bar too add additional lights anymore. A light bar like that would still look good and go with an 80s or older truck, but not a newer style truck.

 

So in short, it's mainly for looks and if you use it to mount lights it's for someone that still want to mount lights like they did 20+ years ago. Even if I love the look it still wouldn't be practical for me since I not only want, but need a bed toolbox that goes from rail to rail and I need a full height box, low profile wouldn't be tall enough. So I couldn't get a rectangle box and bolt it through the floor, it would be too small.

[Donstar]

It is quite a bit of hardware simply to mount lights! I suspect it may give the appearance of having some roll-over protection but I'm starting to believe it is simply decorative. I picture driving on the beach with the female beach volleyball team standing in the back of the truck holding on to the bar with their hair blowing in the breeze...

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

It is quite a bit of hardware simply to mount lights! I suspect it may give the appearance of having some roll-over protection but I'm starting to believe it is simply decorative. I picture driving on the beach with the female beach volleyball team standing in the back of the truck holding on to the bar with their hair blowing in the breeze...

 

If it had any roll over protection GM would be using that to help sell it. So I can only assume it's not. Looking at the side of the bar, it's probably no different than the same wall thickness you see on 3" or 4" round side steps. The walls on big bar side steps are pretty thin. I also haven't seen a roll cage with that big of tubing. Don't think I've seen roll cage tubing bigger than 2". It's really just for looks with mounts for lights which if I wanted to mount lights I'd use a front bumper or go behind the grille.

[SilveradoSaver]

I've been back and forth with this too for my truck. I like it, but don't think it'd suit a longer truck like mine with a standard bed and crew cab. On the flip side, I think a regular cab truck it would look better on. Just my opinion.

[Mikeb52r]

I think it looks good, and put some KC lights on it.

[RHStansbury]

Not my cup of tea, but if you like how it looks, and they're giving you a crazy good deal on it, I'd say pull the trigger. Especially if you have plans on needing a place for additional lighting at some point in the future.

[Rawyzf]

I'd like them, without the side inserts. Just the bar.

 

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[SilveradoSaver]

I'd like them, without the side inserts. Just the bar.

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Looks like you could remove the inserts based off the picture. It looks like it's just screwed on. Not 100% sure though.

[Donstar]

I'll take a look to see if the side panels are easily removed when I return to the dealership in the next couple of days. At this point I'm not thinking about cost. These bars, unlike headache racks, make a significant impact on the look of a truck. I think it may be too bold of an addition even if it was free. If there was a more obvious purpose/function then it would be more acceptable.

[lineman74]

I removed the sides on mine, takes about 5 minutes a side, t25 if I remember correctly. I developed a vibration afterwards and the culprit was the top piece where the lights mount. It actually ties the front and rear pieces together. I removed that piece and put rubber spacers under each screw and tightened back down, no more vibration.

[SilveradoSaver]

I removed the sides on mine, takes about 5 minutes a side, t25 if I remember correctly. I developed a vibration afterwards and the culprit was the top piece where the lights mount. It actually ties the front and rear pieces together. I removed that piece and put rubber spacers under each screw and tightened back down, no more vibration.

 

 

Happen to have a picture of this on your truck with them removed? Just curious how it looked. Thanks for confirming the sides can be removed though!