There are quite a few ways to give your truck a boost in style. You can install roll bars, racks, and covers. But one of the best ways to provide your truck not only with additional style, but with added protection as well, is a grille guard. Also known as brush guards or push bars, a full size grille guard gives your truck a much more masculine appearance. So, what should you consider when shopping around for grille guards? What are the best choices when it comes to material, methods, and finish? Buying the wrong product will leave you with a product without the durability you were looking for. Here are some things to keep in mind.
First off, grille guards are not designed to fit all trucks. The style that you choose will need to be designed to fit the make and model of your vehicle. A guard built for a Tundra won’t fit a Ram. One built for a Dakota won’t fit a Tacoma. Every truck has its own unique body style that no “on size fits all” grille guard can be designed for. Make sure that the option you choose is custom built for your vehicle. The side hoops need to be designed to fit your headlights in order to provide protection, and the central bars must fit the hood and bumper properly. Choosing the wrong type of grille will give you a below par experience at best, and it could damage your vehicle as well.
There are several different types of materials that are used in order to make grille guards for trucks. The only one that you should consider buying, in most cases, is a product built from stainless steel tubing. In addition to this, to get the most out of the product it should have been welded using the TIG method. Stainless steel is the right choice because it is most likely to stand up to abuse in comparison with other materials. Less expensive materials are known to provide less protection. They are more likely to bend or dent in damaging situations. If they do so, they can actually have the opposite effect that they are supposed to, increasing the damage to your vehicle rather than preventing it.
The way that the guard mounts to the truck is also an important factor to consider before buying a grille guard. It should be mounted directly to the truck’s frame. This provides for a very solid attachment between the truck and the grille, and it minimizes the amount of vibration that will result from its presence. The brackets, bolts, nuts, and washers used to fasten the grille to the truck should be composed of stainless steel as well. It will do no good if the grille is made of stainless steel if the bolts themselves are made of weaker materials that will simply bend or snap in the middle of a destructive event. Avoid cheaper options that sound tough, such as carbon steel.
The finish is a choice that is more style oriented, but still worth thinking about. One of the best options available is a powder coated finish. This is the most durable option and it looks great as well. Alternatively, a chrome finish on top of a stainless steel guard is another great option. Whichever option you choose, make sure that the finish comes with a lifetime warranty. If it does not, it is worth looking for another manufacturer, because it is more likely to deteriorate over time if the manufacturer is not willing to stand by the product with a warranty.