Benefits of Truck Grille Guards
by Hunter Jones
March 21, 2008

Protecting your truck, while simultaneously making it look better is an appealing thought to many truck owners. There are quite a few ways in which this can be accomplished, but few are as dramatic as truck grille guards. Most truck owners are familiar with grille guards, at least on sight. However, many do not know the tremendous advantages that these devices offer, especially for a truck used on a job site or for off road purposes.

Most truck grille guards are formed of tubular steel and offer important protection to the front end of your truck. Besides protecting the grille, itself, it protects the radiator behind the grille. It also protects the headlights and lenses from debris, animals and other vehicles. Truck grille guards are also available in a number of different finishes, like many other truck accessories. Matching your grille guard to other accessories will give your truck a look of completeness.

What to look for: When you're in the market for a truck grille guard, there are a few things to bear in mind. The first is that you should only purchase grille guards that are designed to fit your specific vehicle. This eliminates the need for drilling new holes in the underside of the vehicle and provides a perfect fit for your new grille guard. There are a several companies that offer a custom designed grille guard for many truck brands, such as Westin, Nasta and Go Industries.

The second thing that you need to look for is a complete package. Many companies advertise a grille guard, pictured with brush guards and/or a skid plate. Understand that many of these companies sell these as component pieces. If you want a grille guard with the options shown, you will need to purchase the entire package. Also, you should decide if a skid plate is something that you want on your truck. Many brands do not offer this feature, though it provides protection below the engine, as well as in front of the truck.

The last thing that you should look for is the gauge of the steel that these guards are constructed with. The thicker the better, as far as protection is concerned. However, the thicker the steel is, the heavier the grille guard will be. In these days of overpriced gasoline, every extra pound can be counted in the cost of gasoline. While protection is vital, you will need to decide how to balance economy with protection.

Once you have decided on all the above items, you'll need to decide what finish you want. Many companies offer truck grille guards in chrome, stainless steel and powder coated black. Each offers something different, as far as looks and longevity are concerned. Check with the retailer to find the length of warranty applied to each finish.

Style is another option that you will have to consider. Some truck grille guards are made with tubular steel, while heavy duty grille guards are made with straight pieces of heavy duty steel, as well as tubular steel in the outer portions of the design. Louvered headlight guards are almost standard, though you can find lightweight applications that use thick wire in place of louvers.

Finally, you will need to decide on installation. This will actually play a role in your purchase; some brands are able to be installed by the truck owner, simply bolting it in place. Other brands (particularly OEM options) will require the assistance of a skilled mechanic. There are a number of other options involved as well, such as potential front end winch placement, as well as accessory lighting installation.