Can't decide - brush guard or bull bar?

[Curse The Sky]

I want to add one of the two so that I can mount so auxiliary lights to supplement the normal high / low beams. I'm sort of torn as to which to add.

Since CT requires front license plates, I believe if I go for a bull bar, I'll need to get a license plate bracket to mount it higher (extra $). Brush guards are significantly more expensive out of the gate anyway, though, so it might be a moot point.

Any suggestions on either one? I'm leaning towards a bull bar right now. Also, any thoughts on black vs. chrome? I was considering chrome to match Westin nerf bars if I decide to go that route in the future, but they're also almost double the price.

 

[OffTrac]

Black Westin brush guard with PIAA 520 SMR

I found my brush guard on eBay for $125, brand new shop display model.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I'd go with the front brush guard for a couple reasons...

Better protection against deer, etc...

Looks better, jmo...

Can mount more lights, offroad and marker...

Higher light mounting area means better lighting area and range...

You can get a brush guard for alittle more than it cost for a bull bar...


You can get a brush guard without the light guards if you want, Go Rhino and WAAG both make awesome looking brush guards that don't have light guards.

 

[Curse The Sky]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Any well-established shops to check for these things? I was trying to stick to Amazon, but can only seem to find a brush guard for $500 or so.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I'll look around, I've seen brush guards for as low as $150 on eBaymotors.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

If you just want to add lights check this out...

http://www.partstrain.com/store/details/Ford/Explorer_Sport_Trac/Rampage/Grille_Guard/2003/R92508600.html?ptc=S1171391678W45d204bec356b&ptrafordexplorersporttrac20012005rampager92508600123352103grgu

 

[Sethybaby]

Both have their fair share of problems. Bull bars are cool looking, but weak and useless and only hold lights.
Brush guards look good but ask a body shop about them. They kill trucks. If you take a hit over 10 or 15 mph both your front fenders are toast.

That being said. I still like them, you just have to expect an accident will completely crush the entire front of your truck.

You can do a bull bar and keep your OEM license plate holder.

 

[OffTrac]

I disagree. I put my wife's Z71 Tahoe head on into a cement wall at about 20ish+/-. There is a tiny dent in the center of the hood. Saved the HIDs, hood, fenders...well, everything. Went home and bought another the same day. I can't say enough good things about Westin's brushguards. Here's the only damage besides that small dent.

Just my experience.

 

[ichiro360]

brush gaurds

 

[patrick112390]

http://www.truckgeardirect.com/?ITEMID=GF-803

hunter brush guard, had mine for 3 years, hit a deer with it at 45 mph and no damage to front end.. you wont regret the $250 spent..the quality is spot on as well

 

[IZwack]

I disagree. I put my wife's Z71 Tahoe head on into a cement wall at about 20ish+/-. There is a tiny dent in the center of the hood. Saved the HIDs, hood, fenders...well, everything. Went home and bought another the same day. I can't say enough good things about Westin's brushguards. Here's the only damage besides that small dent.

You can't really compare an RBV to a Tahoe - the mounting, bumper, and frame geometry are probably different. What happens to a Tahoe at 20mph isnt necessarily going to result in the same damage as an RBV at that same speed. The picture that Sethybaby posted is proof that on an RBV with a full running frame and that type "guard", the result will probably be what we see in that pic.

EDIT : i see that the Tahoe's "guard" has much better mounting holes than on an RBV. The Tahoe's is higher where as a typical RBV's "guard" has to reach under the bumper with typically not much steel. This reach around is what makes them so weak due to the larger moment arm when force is applied to the "guard".

 

[OffTrac]

I don't see how the damage to that Ranger would have been less if there wasn't a brush guard.

I haven't hit anything in my ST with the brush guard, but I do know it does protect the front end when I'm pushing through brush on the farm. Enough for me.

 

[IZwack]

This thread has pictures of the Explorer's mounting:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236622

Its a 3rd gen but I believe the 2nd and ST's mounting is very similar. But as we can see, there's not much material there to take a good hit. I'm guessing that the plate in that picture is maybe 2.0 inches in height.

 

[IZwack]

I don't see how the damage to that Ranger would have been less if there wasn't a brush guard.

My guess is that the hood probably wouldnt have buckled. The bumper would have been the same - they always point upwards on any impact (same goes for the rear - that points upwards on impact too).

 

[OffTrac]

The mounting surface is pretty much the same. I had to make my own mounting brackets, though.

Regardless, I don't see how the damage to that Ranger would have been less without the brush guard.

Edit: answer was faster than mine. I dunno, maybe. That's hard to say, though.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Seth, was that a homemade brushguard on the Ranger?

 

[OffTrac]

EDIT : i see that the Tahoe's "guard" has much better mounting holes than on an RBV. The Tahoe's is higher where as a typical RBV's "guard" has to reach under the bumper with typically not much steel. This reach around is what makes them so weak due to the larger moment arm when force is applied to the "guard".

Mine is built exactly the same way and it mounts exactly the same way, at least on the guard end. My brackets also go directly back to the frame, through the lower air dam. I do have a body lift, though.

 

[OffTrac]

Also consider that many of the brush guards will require that you lose your tow hooks if you have them. I'd assume it's the same case with many of the bull bars as well but I have seen more complaints about it with regards to the brush guards.

I was able to get mine back on but that was with a little bit of fabrication.

 

[Sethybaby]

midnight, it wasn't homeade. i forget the company though. it was really heavy gauge. 8 bolts 4 to frame, 2 to frame ends (through the bumper) and 2 to the bumper itself which is all metal on the ranger.

at offtrac. the damage is worse because (and lots of body shops told me it happens all the time), the headlight guards hit fenders and shove them into the doors. in that pic neither of my doors could open and both fenders had big kinks in the from the brush guard.

like izwack said, rangers and expos have very little to mount to. expos have even less than rangers imo. you can mount all the steel you want to it, but if you dont have enough mounting area its an anvil in a wreck.

 

[Sethybaby]

Just so everyone knows, i'm not hating on Brush guards as far as off the shelf accessories their my favorite. I just wish someone sold on that had a lot more direct to frame mounting area, not these 90* 3/16" mounting plates.