Good heavy bumpers just give you some added parking lot safety.
The big brush bars are for what they are named ......... knocking down
brush and saving your lights and paint.
The structural integrity of the Vanagon is built into the chasis and the
bumpers are just decorative. I use a leather mallet or dead blow plastic
hammer to straighten my chrome "blades".
I must admit I like the double front structure of the 80-91 Vanagons a
lot better than the single panel used in prior years.
Another thing to consider is the quality of the basic steel. Newer
vehicles use steel that is designed soft so it will wrinkle and collapse
in a pre-determined manner. However the overall structural strength of
all of the Vanagon body welded structure is designed to avoid flexing and
bending that is required in a heavy vehicle. Just a few wrong flexes and
your doors will not open properly because the structure will not return
to its original form.
I like the looks of the big brush bars on Vanagons as a styling update
but I sure wouldn't cancel my medical insurance expecting them to perform
any valuable function. After all they are only as strong as whatever they
are bolted to.

Stan Wilder
On Wed, 23 Jan 2002 01:27:35 EST JordanVw@AOL.COM writes:
> In a message dated 1/22/02 12:36:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> dmc@CYBURBAN.COM writes:
>
>
> >
> > Bumpers dont need to be heavy, they just need to be capable of
> absorbing
> > shock.
> > A strong heavy bumper will just transfer the shock to the entire
> vehicle.
> >
> > - David ('87
> > Wolfsburg)   <------- with flimsy ass fiberglass bumpers :<)
>
> chris
>
> >
> >
>
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