Grille Guards - Preference's

[jnpaddison]

I don't need threads stating ' I don't like them ..blah blah blah "

 

For those of you who do have - please relay your experience - good / bad ...

 

Quality / Manufacturer etc...

 

I am not looking for a replacement bumper - if so Buckstop would be the way to go ..

 

 

Kinda partial to the Go-Industries - Rancher ...

 

[NathanL]

I've owned a lot of them. Ranch Hand was the best way back, then they got sloppy and sold out to someone else - but now they've picked up their quality some more. But if you have a new truck they are currently running around 3months behind.

 

I looked at some Renegade ones a few weeks ago and they looked ok. They were a little different than the standard grille guard in that they had a drop bar in the corner to cover the bumper corners on the new trucks.

 

I had a ranch hand front end replacement on my truck but the new 1/2 ton just couldn't handle the weight. So currently I am running a big country grille guard with a winch mount made onto it and so far it's been pretty good.

 

I don't know about where your from but down here in Texas everyone and his brother makes a grille guard (we call it a brush guard - named after the South Texas brush for which it is used). I know probably 15 companies that make them here in Texas alone.

 

I guess it depends on what kind of quality you are looking for. To me the mass brands like westin and such are cheaply made but probably have a good finish. Those are the ones that you see the corners of the fender/hood with scratches where the grille guard flexes onto the truck. To me I don't care about powder coat finishes and looks, it's about how well it holds up running into stuff. You look at them in person and you really start to see the difference in a lot of them. Some of them are even bolted and I don't see how that would ever be useful.

[Rocco715]

I don't have one but did have a buddy with a Road Armor one. The whole piece is a front bumper replacement with a grille gaurd integrated into it and I have to say it was one of the nicest grille gaurds I have ever seen and man did it look tough I don't know how much your looking to spend but I know these aren't cheap www.roadarmor.com

[Lincoln30]

I like Ranchhand and Frontier-Gear. Ranchhand seems to be slightly (ever so) heavier then the F-G. F-G has a nicer finish (read: requires less maint to keep it looking good). I also like the durabilty of the finish on my Trailboss rear bumper but I've never seen one of their grill guards.

[Misawan]

I don't need threads stating ' I don't like them ..blah blah blah "

 

For those of you who do have - please relay your experience - good / bad ...

 

Quality / Manufacturer etc...

 

 

 

I actually took a chance on one of the ones listed on ebay. I think it is made by Hunter. I really like the look and the finish is very durable. The one thing I didn't particularly care for was that it vibrated even on highways over the slightest bumps. I am not talking about big movement but just enough that I found it distracting. I have since changed over to a bull bar, made by the same company. It may vibrate too but at least I don't have to watch it. I tightened it up as much as it would go and I couldn't get it to stop. I even asked the manufacturer about it and they said that they do vibrate on the older body style because the frame flexes more. I am sure they are right because I had one of their other ones on my Trailblazer before I traded it in and it was very solid. Now that the winter is setting in I am going to put the guard back on. Not only is it good for brush as the other poster mentioned, I have found it useful to deter people from cutting me off. I have to deal with "Baltimorons" on my way to work and you would think I was driving a stealth rig because they either don't see me or they are like moths and attracted by my head lights. Anything is possible from drivers who took their driving exam in a parking lot! But that is a whole different story.

[jnpaddison]

this is Steelcraft's

[HawkeyeOC]

WARN makes a great one.

I had their Transformer series on a Dakota a few years back. It never loosened up, didn't wobble or vibrate like the cheaper types do going down the road and it looked good. It had options for a winch mount or a class III hitch mount in front. Can add headlight guards or use without.

 

It saved me a couple of times. You could do 8k damage easily in a 5mph fender bender. There is almost no stock front bumper on them, just a large amount of polyurathane.

[Triki_Dick]

Cam someone get a camera out and take some pics of there's.

 

I want one bad, but don't want to spend the money to find out I don't like it.

 

I want something light, but not wobbly. I want to be able to hit something and not warp it all to hell.

 

I'm not saying, hit a bridge or something, just nudge a cow and warp it to hell.

[K.Jump]

Cam someone get a camera out and take some pics of there's.

 

I want one bad, but don't want to spend the money to find out I don't like it.

 

I want something light, but not wobbly. I want to be able to hit something and not warp it all to hell.

 

I'm not saying, hit a bridge or something, just nudge a cow and warp it to hell.

 

I know my info probably won't help you cause i'm still ridin my 00, but I had just a regular westin brushguard on my 99 rcsb. It mounted to the frame on bottom in two places and to the radiator support up top and didn't vibrate hardly at all. Now I have the big most expensive one westin makes. it only attaches to the frame at the bottom in two places and it vibrates a little but not too bad. I push gates open and closed with it and the occasional bump of other stuff, on purpose of course, and it stays put pretty well. Hope this helps,if not then I just bumped your thread!

[RyanbabZ71]

I have a go rhino. I like it have had it 4 yrs + now. Last yr I did spray it down with spray on bedliner it was showing some rust. Looks a ton better and looks the same as it did after I sprayed it

[bronyaur]

I have the Warn Trans4mer on my '99 Chevy classic body style. I don't know what the new ones look like or how they would mount to your truck, but I can say that mine is rock solid and has a very durable chrome finish. If I bought a new truck tomorrow and Warn made a grille guard for it, and mounting didn't involve too many modifications I would definitely buy one again.