Need opinions. Bull Bar or Brush Guard?

[Eric1249]

I have a silver 09. The gf and I been going round and round trying to figure out which route to go. Either a full side Westin brush guard and leave the current gille as is. Or a Bentley style grille (black) and a Westin Bull Bar.

I am a paid on call fire fighter. So I have lights and siren on my truck. The grille lights that are behind my grille now are pretty big and a good portion of the light is blocked. I think the Bentley style grille would allow a little more light output. Which would keep my lights a little more hidden. But if I go with a full size brush guard they would get mounted to the brush guard.

I will post a pic of my 09 as it is now. A pic of the current grille with the lights behind it. And a pic of my old Explorer with the lights mounted to the brush guard.

Let me hear some opinions.
Thanks
Eric

 

[FLOffroad]

I would say bullbar + Bentley grill, mostly because common aftermarket grill guards will lead to much more damage in the event of a collision (animal, vehicle, etc.).

The grill guards often cave back onto the hood and into the grill, there are lots of pictures online. With the bull bar, if it goes, it'll just bend up into your radiator. Also, since the structure is closer to the frame attachment points, it's less likely to seriously deform.

 

[OffTrac]

I keep reading similar opinions to FLOffroad's but that was not my experience with putting our Z71 Tahoe into a cement wall on the highway.

Without the brush guard we would have been replacing the $500+ ea. HID headlights, the bumper and possibly the hood. I only replaced the brush guard and Georgia tag. There was a tiny dent in the hood but it was noticeable only by looking for it and was the only body damage at all; the picture makes it look worse than it was. The Tahoe is heavy and cement walls don't have much give.

Maybe it has to do with brand and/or the manner of impact (I got it to be perfectly square and head on - crashing skill!) but I do believe in Westin and ordered another the same day as the accident.

I personally prefer the looks of full brush guards to bull bars and have one on my Sport Trac. Plus, I actually drive through brush and the bar around the headlights has taken some good whacks. My taste and my use obviously isn't for everyone, though.

I would definitely go the route that gives your emergency lights the best visibility.

 

[FLOffroad]

Nice, I'm happy to see that some grill guards can work in some conditions.

I've just always seen tons of photos where the guards crush back onto the hood in horrible fashion.

I wonder if it's related to the Tahoe grill guard being fairly vertical, while many grill guards are often slanted back towards the grill to look aggressive/aerodynamic.

 

[Eric1249]

The accident aspect is something to think about. The only pics I have seen are from the front so I can't tell if it is straight up and down or not.

Thanks

 

[Trac Marks]

I'm a fan of the Bentley style grille and if you decide to go that route, you have a buyer right here for your stock grille.

My only complaint out of the last few brush guards I've owned is they've all been MPG killers, worse than lift & tires. My last truck honestly lost 3-4 on the highway. Have never owned a bull bar so really don't have much opinion on those. IMO the Gen 4's have too much nose to begin with.

 

[Eric1249]

Yesterday the G/F wanted the Bull Bar. Today it is the full brush guard. I think I change my mind as much as she does. lol