If you bought a Jeep, chances are that you had done so for a reason, and particularly for its off-road appeal. Now, I’ll agree that there are Jeep owners who couldn’t care less about it, but as a rule, Jeep owners are people who treat themselves well and demand respect from others. So, it’s no surprise that their Jeeps end up being souped up with all kinds of accessories, making each one of them look like one of a kind.
And probably the most common one is the grille guards, with its variations, such as brush guards and bull guards. There are several reasons for their popularity:
* They make your Jeep look tough and give the off-road appeal.
* They offers protection to the delicate front end, and the full grille guards even protect the headlights, which, as we all know, could be easily damaged, while replacement will turn out to be rather costly.
* Allow for mounting of auxiliary lights or a winch.
And out all the above mentioned reasons, still most people get them for the looks. And it serves this purpose really well, so don’t be surprised, if you’ll have people approaching you for help, like to take them with you to hunt turkeys or to pull out a car stuck in a blizzard. And in deed, grille guards got this reputation with their rather rugged construction. The only important thing to watch is to have as many bolts as possible, securing it to the frame of your Jeep. Then, you’re in good shape! There are also the finish options on most grille guards, basically you either have to choose smooth black powder coated grille that resists scratches and corrosion or get yourself a polished stainless steel or chrome plated finish grille that oozes style.
A good question is how tough will the grille guards be? I’d say one shouldn’t attempt driving through barriers or ramming other cars, however, grille guards will safely absorb minor collisions and will easily accomplish low-speed pushing. It will also protect against airborne road debris or rocks, and shopping carts that you may fail to see. So, refer to one of our previous posts on the Jeep catalogs, and start looking through the endless choices for grille guards, until you come across the one that will suit you just right.
Jimmy Trent says
Come to think of it, I could do with some grille guards for my 4X4. I remember there being research in the UK that called for them to be banned because of safety reasons, i’m not sure what happened but they look cool even if that might (but is hopefully not) the case.