Should I put a grill guard on my truck?
Should I put a grill guard on my truck?
Imagine a fine Monday afternoon in New York City your wife takes your truck for grocery shopping. Although she is usually a safe driver and you trust her with your truck. But you never know when a person becomes careless and one small mistake cost you a fortune.
While driving on a busy Manhattan road, she receives a text from her mother and she wants to reply immediately. She thinks it will just take a few seconds to reply.
Few seconds are enough for an accident to happen. Just a few seconds here and there and she loses the balance on the wheel and BOOOOOOOOOM. The truck hits the tree.
Now lets consider two scenarios. Scenario 1 is that you have a grill guard fixed at the front end of your truck, So you will get away with a Police fine.
But in scenario 2, where you did not fix the grill guard on truck; you damage your front lights and you damage your front bumper.
Although your truck is insured but still you will have to face many problems.
Should I put a grill guard on my truck?
If you love driving trucks and enjoy upgrading your truck with extra accessories then the first accessory you add is a grill guard. It not only upgrades the look of your truck but is a safety product, which protects your truck’s lights and front bumper from damage if collided.
Now lets discuss the Pros and Cons of a grill guard.
Advantages of grill guard to put on truck
Easy to put on truck: If you are handy you can order it online on Amazon or eBay and fix it yourself, But If you cannot fix it yourself, you can always reach out to your local body shop that will fix it for you and will not cost you much.
Grill Guards don’t disturb other accessories fixed on your truck:
One of the biggest advantages of having a grill guard on your truck is that it works well with other accessories that come built-in such as tow hook. In fact, grill guards protect other various parts of your truck like your radiator.
Attach other parts to your grill guard:
A grill guard can support or in other words acts like a platform to support additional accessories in your truck. Most of the grill guards come with the option to add driving, off-road and auxiliary lights. It is better to check with the buyer, as they have different specs. You can also attach a bug screen, a water bag, or a small winch.
Grill guard protects your front end:
As discussed earlier, the grill guard protects the front end of your truck. For example if you hit to a car from the back, and the impact is low, you might end with a small scratch on your grill guard.
Protection against the wildlife:
In the remote areas of Western USA and Canada, you will find wildlife on the highways. You hear many stories from the locals about cars crashing with animals like Deer, Elk, Buffalo, or Moose in Canada. So if you are traveling in these areas it is better to have grill guards fixed to your trucks
Help protect your paint job while off-roading:
The grill guard not only protects your truck body during a collision but also protects your paint job from scratches or debris if you are fond of off-roading. There are many options available, so you can see what matches your car and buy, you can even customize it. If you own a heavy truck, your grill guard will give a more rugged look; a look that you will love surely.
Disadvantages of Grill Guard
Less Protection in a high impact crash: Having a grill guard fixed does not mean that you go about hitting anything that comes your way. We discussed that that damage will be minimum if it is a low impact crash. But if it is a high impact crash, the grill guard can damage the other vehicle or object severely. If it hits a hard object, the guard could be pushed or crushed back to your grill.
Minimum Protection against tall animals:
If you hit an animal like Moose or a Camel, chances are that grill guard will have little impact in saving it to fall on your truck. Moose is a huge animal with high thin legs and the same with the camel. In this situation, the height of your truck can save you.
Creates problem in Urban Populated areas:
If you own the truck, you will not have any problem, but other people might have the problem. Although it is legal to use it in the USA and many other countries, but many people find it against their safety.
You as a driver might also find it difficult sometimes in finding parking. A truck is already huge, and the grill guard will occupy additional parking space.
How much does a cost to put a grill guard on truck?
Grill guards come in different variants and quality. It also depends on the truck you own. If you check on Amazon, the price starts from $200 and goes up to $700. It all depends on the brand, size, quality, and the truck you own. There are many grill guards that fit in all the trucks.
A brief history of grill guard
It started with Land Rover type vehicles for wild areas. It was designed to protect the radiator from the tree branches and shrubs. The purpose was also to protect the front from an accidental encounter with the wild animals, as people used to travel off-road or to the areas where there were no roads.
It became more popular when four-wheel vehicles became famous among the population and more accessible among the general public. Now grill guard is a very common accessory for truck buyers; most of the truck owners around the world, especially where you have more opportunities to go for off-roading.
Should I really invest on grill guard?
In my opinion if you are living in an urban populated area, it is better not to invest in it. You will face many problems especially in traffic congestions and while parking your truck.
You will be irritated by removing and fixing it again and again. However, If you are living in a sparsely populated area, then it is a must buy to protect against wild animals and protect your paint job from scratches and debris.
In the USA it comes with different names. Depending on which state you come from. There they call it:
- Grill guard
- Cattle pushers
- Brush guards
- Deer guards
- Push bars
- Bull bar
Whereas in Canada they call it Moose bumpers; although not very much convinced that it can protect your truck from a Moose.
Moose are generally found in Canada. In Australia they call it nudge bars, push bars, bull bar, or roo bars (Short form for Kangaroo).
Conclusion:
Well, if you are a proud owner of a Dodge Ram, Ford 150, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, Cadillac, GMC, Nissan Patrol, Land Cruiser, or Jeep Wrangler and enjoy going off-road then a grill guard is a must-buy accessory.
It not only protects the front of the truck but gives a rough and rugged look that your truck deserves. You can attach additional lights, bug screens, and winch to it.
Before buying it just consider that if you really need it. If you are living in cities like New York or Chicago then you really need to think about your needs. But if you are fond of traveling off-road during the weekend with your 4×4 buddies then you can buy it, irrespective of which city you reside.
However, if you are situated in a sparsely populated area, then make sure to put a grill guard on your truck.
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