I am thinking of adding a grill guard to my 98 xlt, does anybody have an opinion on which on is best?
Between the Manik (no drilling, but need to notch the lower valance) and
Smitty Outland (does require drilling.)
Both are comparably priced.

Bowen,
Waag makes one that doesn't need any cutting at all, from what I hear, and it's supposed to be one of the better brush guards. They look along the same lines as the Manik.
Here's a place that sells them Urban Jungle. You can also see a picture of it on an Explorer. www.urbanjunglesuv.com/brushbar.htm (http://www.urbanjunglesuv.com/brushbar.htm) http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/smile.gif
Here is Waag's web site. there are no pictures, but tells you about there product, also if you click on the Applications list you will find the part numbers for your year Explorer. 98 is different than the other years.
http://www.waag.com/page2.htm

Hope this helps.


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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L. http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by Ray Lobato (edited 02-25-99).]

Ray,
Thanks for the info, that site is pretty much what I was looking for, I rec'd a catalog from Performance Products, that is not too bad either.
Thanks again.

Performance products is a cool catalog to see what's out there but their prices are out of this world. They want $380 + shipping for the black outland guard and my local off road shop was asking $299.00 + tax it's worth it to shop around and if you like the black smittybilt they offer a black texture like rhino or lineX that is suppose to be a lot more durable. Good luck!

I purchased WAAG brush guards and did so only after researching them all for 6 months. I have been 110% satisfied with their product, and their customer service has been excellent.I initially went with "Hobrecht" and got a terrible product and was treated the same by the Hobrecht people. I then started my research and ended up choosing WAAG, and was treated "like a King" by them at their LA location. The WAAG fits my '99 XLT perfectly, and nothing I have seen on the road compares to the WAAG. My XLT was initially a '98 lemon, and upon getting my lemon law replacement, WAAG put on all NEW gear and installed it FOR NO CHARGE. Talk about courtesy, I can't remember the last time any outfitter treated me that way! Obviously, they have a customer for life.

The two best grille guards that I know of are the Wagg and the Manik. I have experience with Manik and Smittybilt. I have had a stainless steel Manik grille gaurd on my 97 xlt for about 2 months now and I am totally satisfied with it. I can shake the grille guard and it won't move, my truck will though. It is bolted to the frame and it does not drop lower than the fender like the smittybilt does. As far as cutting a little into the fender goes it is not much of a cut and is not noticable at all and installation is a breeze. Another example of how the Manik is strong was today. I have a friend with a Saturn who was just rearended by a truck. Well her bumper is still messed up and is going to be replaced next week. She let me push her with my truck while she had the brakes on. It did nothing to the grille guard. It did not deform at all. The last thing I have to say on the subject is to STAY AWAY FROM SMITTYBILT. Before I purchased the Manik i got a smittybilt and I had nothing but problems. There were 3 parts missing from the kit. Also, 2 out of the 3 bars that go in the center of the grille guard were the wrong size. It took me three weeks to get the parts and then another month and a half on top of that to get the correct bars. After waiting 2 months for a grille gaurd i canceled my order w/ smitty and changed it to manik and even though it cost more money I believe that it was definately worth it.

Seth
97 xlt
30x9.5 bfg
Rancho RS5000
Stainless Steel Manik Grille Guard
Piaa 520 Off Road Lights
K&N Filter Charger

To be honest, I am quite partial to bullbars. They have a more aggressive and rugged appeal, and also provide an easy and hidden way to mount a winch, if that is a prospect down the road. They are, from all the models that I have seen, airbag friendly. They also appeal to me because, no offence to anyone, I am kind of tired of the cliche, euro style grill guards that everyone and their mother has. It's the same grill guard on every vehicle. Bullbars are unique and not everyone has one, which adds to their attraction. I have yet to see one on the road! TJM, ARB, and some other companys make them. Here are some links to some bullbar sites:

http://www.overlander.com/ (Order the catalog, they have the bullbars for the Explorer in there, but they have yet to put them on the site. They have ARB and TJM bullbars for Explorers.)

http://www.tjmproducts.com.au/ (Great Site!)

http://www.truckbullbar.com/

Hope this helps! http://www.4x4central.com/ubb/smile.gif



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Tim Y.
1996 Ford Explorer

Bowen,
If you do any four-wheeling at all, or plan to, I recommend you get a guard that attaches to the frame, not just to the bumper.