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If you’re looking to protect your truck’s front end when off-roading while giving your truck some style, a brush guard or full grille guard may be just the thing you’re looking for. Brush guards or full grille guards are a fantastic way to improve the look and feel of your truck, and they also lend to the truck’s durability and toughness.
Truck guards create an effective protective shield against almost any obstacle you may encounter on the roads ahead of you. There’s nothing to stop your off-roading adventures with a durable grille guard in place. They can reduce your chances of suffering damages to yourself or your truck and make your ride look good while doing it. Make your truck look and feel more rugged with this simple enhancement.
Here is a look at all the information you need to decide whether a grille guard is right for you and your truck. If you’re not sure what would work best for your vehicle, don’t worry. We will also give you additional advice regarding which grille guard best suits your needs and which ones have been rated as some of the best on the market in 2022. Find out more about grille guards and other tips and tricks for your truck.
Are Grille Guards Safe?
Since grille guards protect your truck when it’s doing its hardest work, they aren’t only safe to use; they make your truck safer when you do. A grille guard is a set of thick metal bars that can be fitted to the front of a truck’s grille. It can provide an extra layer of protection and minimize the damages to your truck that could be caused by obstacles you may encounter on the road, such as brush, branches, or small debris.
Grille guards also reduce the chances of you or your truck suffering severe damage from small things that may otherwise cause dents or scratches on your truck. Stay safe, protect yourself and your truck’s exterior, no matter where in the woods or the dirt roads you are.
When choosing a grille guard, you want to find an option for you that fits your driving needs. That may be influenced by where you typically drive and how far. Also, consider the style and color you want for your truck. This can add another layer of individuality as well as a tougher look and feel for your truck.
Are Grille Guards Legal?
Grille guards are completely legal. Should you decide to purchase a grille guard to provide some extra protection for you and your truck when you drive, have a professional install it for you. Soon, you will be ready to hit the road with a new sense of safety. You will be able to drive assured that your grille guard can protect you and your vehicle from the damages that may come from debris and such on the roads.
Truck Accessory: Bull Bar vs. Grille Guard
In terms of appearance, if you want to go for a more rugged, tough, off-road look for your truck, a grille guard will be closer to what you are looking for. Depending on personal preference, though, you may prefer a bull bar. Bull bars give the truck a sleeker and newer look than a grille guard can. When it comes to function, a grille guard covers more of the front of the truck, so if you know you are bound to confront many obstacles on your drives, including debris, then a grille guard works much better for your needs.
If you do not encounter rough terrain and issues like debris and brush often but still would like an extra layer of protection for your truck just in case, then a bull bar may be closer to what you need. Bull bars can be more affordable than a grille guard, so consider these options from Oedro before you decide to purchase one or the other.
What Is a Brush Guard on a Truck?
A brush guard or a “full grille guard” is a set of metal bars that wraps around the front of the truck to the sides or over the hood that can be set on the front of your truck to provide even more protection for your truck. It also makes the truck look much bigger and tougher. Brush guards can be purchased at many different stores, and some provide a huge variety of options based on your safety needs and visual preference.
Most brush guards are made of durable steel and aluminum so that they are lightweight yet durable. These materials will help you fit your truck with a guard that will be easy to install and won’t weigh down your vehicle. However, it will still help protect your truck from many different kinds of scrap or other issues you may face on the road or while off-roading.
Pros and Cons of a Truck Brush Guard
A brush guard is a type of “full” grille guard with aluminum bars that wrap around the front of the vehicle. It is designed to withstand the impact of branches, animals, and other obstacles you may encounter on the road that may otherwise damage your truck. A brush guard can also really toughen up the look of your truck as well as improve the durability and rugged feel of your vehicle.
However, you still may run across some issues with a brush guard, and these are scenarios that you should consider before purchasing a brush guard for your vehicle. Though the guard is designed to minimize damage to the truck, it cannot completely protect you from major damage. Despite its impressive toughness, if the brush guard itself is hit by an animal or a large piece of debris, it may still break. Most brush guards are neither easy nor cheap to replace.
Do Brush Guards Work Against Deer?
Everyone who does a lot of driving, especially in the countryside, has probably had a close call with a deer or might even have experienced hitting one. Of course, striking a large animal is an extremely dangerous situation. To prevent damage to your truck or to yourself if you collide with a deer, you may want to consider a brush guard for your truck.
Though it may minimize the damage from hitting a deer to a considerable degree, a brush guard is not really designed to take that kind of collision at high speeds. In low-speed collisions, they will do much more to decrease the chance that you will receive any severe damage to yourself or your vehicle. You will want to consider what you want in a brush guard before you choose a guard for your truck that will suit your needs and your expectations for the damages and hazards you may encounter in your future adventures driving your truck.
Are Brush Guards Worth Buying?
Buying a grille guard or brush guard for your truck is a big decision.
When you are considering buying a brush guard for your truck, it is wise to consider the following questions before you do:
- Do you like how it makes your truck look?
- Do you typically encounter brush, branches, or other small debris on your drives?
- Are you planning on taking a drive where damages to your truck may be a possibility?
- What kind of damages are you trying to avoid? High-speed? Low speed? Animals?
- What kind of brush guards are available to you that will fit your needs?
Your answers to these questions will undoubtedly help you decide whether or not fitting your truck with a brush guard is worth it. Having a brush guard for your truck will absolutely minimize the damage to your truck; it is just a matter of how much damage your truck has already received or how much it may receive in the future based on your driving situation, like where you typically drive.
Best Brush Guards
If you decide to purchase a brush guard for your truck, you want to make sure you are purchasing the best possible option to fit both your safety needs as well as your preference on appearance. They come in a wide range of prices, but keep in mind that quality is crucial for these tools.
The following have been rated as some of the best brush guards available on the market today:
Tyger Auto TG-GD6T60038 – A more affordable brush guard that looks similar to a bull bar and provides less protection than most but is sleek and still makes your truck sturdy and look tough.
Westin HDX Grille Guard 57-3835 – A brush guard that fully covers the front of your truck and can provide a great extra layer of protection for your truck.
Autosaver88 Bull Bar with LED Light Bar – A bull bar-style guard that provides your truck with extra sturdiness and comes equipped with LED lights on the bottom that can help illuminate the road immediately ahead of you and improve your field of vision while you drive in the dark.
Go Rhino! 3155MB 3000 Series StepGuard Grille and Brush Guard – A sturdy brush guard with extra protection for your truck’s headlights that can easily be installed yourself with no drilling required.
HECASA Steel Grille Brush Guards – Built out of high-quality steel bars and with a powder coated surface, this brush guard is waterproof and designed to last a lifetime. It is built with extra protection for the headlights and to make your truck look even more impressive.
OEDRO® Bull Bar Front Push Bumper w/Chrome Skid Plate & Light Mount – The unique square tube and bullet hole innovative design of modern pickups. Black powder-coated steel decorates your pickup truck while preventing it from rusting
If you take your truck off-roading often or plan to in the future, it may be wise to consider purchasing a grille guard, brush guard, or bull bar for your truck as soon as possible to minimize damage. Take this into account as you ponder whether a brush guard is a good option for your personal needs.
I’m a kid at heart disguised as an auto researcher and business owner. I’ve always enjoyed providing insight in the form of reviews (anime, video games, autos, etc.) When I’m not researching, I’m spending time with my family, driving my Dodge Challenger, riding my motorcycle, and finding new entrepreneurial pursuits.
