Grille guard w/ body lift??

[Isles4evr]

I was just doing some thinking, and it came to me that with my body lift my smittybilt step bars are 3" off my body, located in the stock position. Well since a grille guard bolts onto the frame, wouldn't it be 3" lower than the grille (where the body used to be)? I am looking to get one in the near future, but if it means that it will look real dumb, I might just go with the Smittybilt tube bumper. Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks
Chris

 

[Isles4evr]

but wait, could I bolt the grille guard into the bumper relocation brackets? Or do they bolt on differently. I am looking to get a Manik grill guard.

chris

 

[Derrick C.]

I to have ran into this problem. The Smitty's won't help, same problem. 3 inches lower then were they should be. Only one thing to do is make custom brackets, but then the bumper is useless because it won't be as strong.

 

[Isles4evr]

Yeah that is true, because what is the point of putting a winch on there if the bumper is only held on by brackets and not directly on the frame. Well now.... I guess it is time to think about a susension lift. I'll just have to take all the brackets off and have my exhaust reworked. Crap. I wanted to go with a 6" ontop of my 3" body but that won't work. I'll ponder the idea of just 6"...what tire size can I fit, 33's... i'd like to run 35's.

Man, no wonder why the body lift is the "poor man's" lift... it is the cheepest lift, and once you put it on there you can't do anything else with out it looking funny.

Thanks
Chris

 

[rock883]

I have a brushguad with a 3" body. All I did was drill new holes in the mounting rails. Just measured 3" lower and drilled the holes there. Its not that hard, and it looks fine. Also, if you were to go with a smittybuilt tube bumper, and you just made some brackets to lift everyhting up, if you made the brackets with a good thick steel and mounted them with grade 8 hardware you wouldn't have a problem. If the winch mount version of the smittybuilt mounts the same as the non-winch mount, then you could just weld some metal of the same thickness to the bottom of the frame mounting bracket and drill new holes 3" lower on that new metal and mount it. Its not that hard.

 

[Isles4evr]

Well I have the relocation brackets that came with the body lift, and they work really well. Do you know if there is enough space below the holes on the grille guard to drill new holes? And w/ a tube bumper, would the brackets I already have be good if I got fome grade 8 hardware and/or welded the bracket on?

Thanks
Chris

 

[rock883]

There should be plenty of room on the brush guard rails, I did on mine, and most of them are pretty much the same. As for a tube bumper, you sould weld a piece of metal just below the original mounting bracket that is the same thickness, don't use something like the bumper lift brackets with the body lift kit, those things suck and are really thin. I guess you could use the bracket with the kit, but I wouldn't do it, because it wouldn't be as strong.

 

[Isles4evr]

What type of grille guard to you have on your rig? And do you have any pictures?

Thanks
Chris

 

[Asugolf14]

I also have a body lift with a grille guard, and the grille guard did not have any change. It is bolted directly onto the bumper. I got the grille guard from http://www.johnwalls.com I think I paid $250 for it, and it looks identical to the one Rock has (I have seen pictures). Just my 2 cents-

 

[Isles4evr]

Asugolf14, what type of grille guard is it? And do you or Rock have any pictures of it on your ride?

Chris

 

[Asugolf14]

I don't have any pictures, but I know Rock does. Do a search under his screen name in the before and after thread, and I think there is a picture in there. As far as the brand name, I don't remember, it wasn't a big brand I don't think, but I got it for a lot cheaper, and it looks great. Hope this helps-