Advice on Grill Guard...
05-11-2016, 09:30 AM
#11
JK Enthusiast
I had this same grill guard for about two years until I got my warn bumper. It saved my front end multiple times.
Once at a gas station when an old lady backed into me when she thought she was in drive but was indeed in reverse while I was waiting for my turn at the pump. Dented the rubber strips on the front and barely bent the metal behind the rubber. Insurance replaced the whole thing.
Then on the highway I hit a bird going 65-75 mph. probably would've smashed my windshield or grill but it hit the top of the grill guard and deflected upwards and landed on the roof. (one of those slow motion "oh s***" moments)
Different time was on the trail when a buddy let his 15 year old nephew "try" to drive his jeep. He started going up a small incline and got scared. Instead of braking he floored it, somehow did a 180, and side swiped across the front of my Jeep (Which in a normal situation would have been out of the way) and hit the grill guard, then he ran into a tree. The guard bent into the plastic bumpers in front of the tow hooks but barely left a mark in the plastic. Bent his stock fender on his TJ enough he had to replace it and the bottom of the grill guard slashed a fist sized hole in his tire. Probably would have been a lot more damage to mine without the grill guard. The rubber on the guard was still decently intact but cracked and it didn't look that bad unless you looked close. Kept it on until I got my Warn bumper but probably could have bent it back a little and ordered new rubbers.
I liked it at first but always wanted a steel bumper. Its decent protection and gets away from the stock look but isn't indestructible. The top bar sticks over the hood just enough to help you judge where your front end is. I had KC slimlites mounted to it. You have to cut the lower trim and the trim between the grill and the stock bumper to install. Ill see if i have any pics on my phone after work or on break.
Once at a gas station when an old lady backed into me when she thought she was in drive but was indeed in reverse while I was waiting for my turn at the pump. Dented the rubber strips on the front and barely bent the metal behind the rubber. Insurance replaced the whole thing.
Then on the highway I hit a bird going 65-75 mph. probably would've smashed my windshield or grill but it hit the top of the grill guard and deflected upwards and landed on the roof. (one of those slow motion "oh s***" moments)
Different time was on the trail when a buddy let his 15 year old nephew "try" to drive his jeep. He started going up a small incline and got scared. Instead of braking he floored it, somehow did a 180, and side swiped across the front of my Jeep (Which in a normal situation would have been out of the way) and hit the grill guard, then he ran into a tree. The guard bent into the plastic bumpers in front of the tow hooks but barely left a mark in the plastic. Bent his stock fender on his TJ enough he had to replace it and the bottom of the grill guard slashed a fist sized hole in his tire. Probably would have been a lot more damage to mine without the grill guard. The rubber on the guard was still decently intact but cracked and it didn't look that bad unless you looked close. Kept it on until I got my Warn bumper but probably could have bent it back a little and ordered new rubbers.
I liked it at first but always wanted a steel bumper. Its decent protection and gets away from the stock look but isn't indestructible. The top bar sticks over the hood just enough to help you judge where your front end is. I had KC slimlites mounted to it. You have to cut the lower trim and the trim between the grill and the stock bumper to install. Ill see if i have any pics on my phone after work or on break.
Last edited by MavisJk; 05-11-2016 at 09:49 AM.
