Did my truck have a grille guard?

[Verse]

Hello everyone. kind of curious as to wether or not the PO of my truck had a grille guard and took it off, as there are two small vertical cuts in the front bumper and some rub marks higher up in the crease (hard to see in the pic)

Ive attached a photo, can someone tell me if it did and if it did, what kind it was? Im interested in putting another on.

thanks

 

[SoNic67]

Is that street legal?
Federal law mandates the bumpers to be in certain specs, and adding a "guard" in front of the bumper is against the DOT approval for that vehicle.
States usually enforce that law - but is not uniform. For example in Virginia you get a ticket for that.
If you rear-end somebody, you will be sued for supplementary damages...

 

[Blue91Ex]

Really? i have never heard of brush guards/grill guards being illegal, they certainly aren't here...

but to discuss the original poster's question, it does look like it used to have a brush guard on it, or (unlikely) a plow on the front. I cant imagine anyone could tell exactly what brush guard it had based simply on the cuts in the bumper valence, since it seems most storebought ones mount pretty similarly to eachother. Maybe someone will though.

 

[koda2000]

those 2 small holes are for the front license plate holder/frame. if you ever had one it's been removed. i went to Ace Hardware a bought 2 chrome button head allen screws. they screwed right into the plastic. looks better than the holes.

 

[GooteeMan]

I dont think thats what hes talking about, hes talking about the slits by the fog lights

 

[koda2000]

I dont think thats what hes talking about, hes talking about the slits by the fog lights

ooohhh, i didn't even notice those. yeah, probably had a grille guard.

 

[SoNic67]

Plus, the bottom is "molded" differently from my Explorer.
Not sure if Mercury's are like that from factory - it might be a replacement bumper cover?

But even if you get by because your state does not have technical inspections, if you hit somebody with that "brush guard", insurance will likely not pay your share of the other car damage, because you had "unapproved equipment" mounted on the car.

Same goes if you drive with the hitch attached to the hitch receiver and somebody hits you in the rear.

 

[Verse]

Thanks for the help everyone, I kind of figured it did, now I'm going to try to figure out which kind it had for a "direct bolt on" type thing..

Plus, the bottom is "molded" differently from my Explorer.
Not sure if Mercury's are like that from factory - it might be a replacement bumper cover?

But even if you get by because your state does not have technical inspections, if you hit somebody with that, insurance will likely not pay your share of the other car damage, because you had "unapproved equipment" mounted on the car.

Same goes if you drive with the hitch attached to the hitch receiver and somebody hits you in the rear.

I live in Louisiana, we do have vehicle inspections but I've owned two trucks with grille guards and a car with one too - never had a problem with insurance, police, or getting an inspection tag. Every other vehicle around here has one, and actually I've never heard of one being illegal before, so you taught me something new.

(and yeah, i always thought the front bumper looked kind of strange, like it was warped by the wheel wells but could this possibly be due to extreme heat/humidity?)

 

[jremington59]

Those slits were from a bull bar. The brush guards mount down under the bumper onto the frame with one bolt going through the frame and the other to an existing bolt that holds on the bumper.

I've never heard of them being illegal either. As for trailer hitches they can't extend more than 24 inches if I recall. And if someone rear ends you in our state the one doing the rear ending is always to fault.

 

[jremington59]

those 2 small holes are for the front license plate holder/frame. if you ever had one it's been removed. i went to Ace Hardware a bought 2 chrome button head allen screws. they screwed right into the plastic. looks better than the holes.

View attachment 78902

I knew those holes in the bumper were going to bother you. They did me.

To those that don't know, Koda and I have mild cases of OCD, LMAO. Koda, you're not sitting there looking at the slits in that bumper wondering what to do with them are you?

 

[SoNic67]

...the one doing the rear ending is always to fault.

But if you are having equipment mounted on rear of your car that is not factory installed, a lawyer/insurance can always claim undue damage (bumpers are to attenuate the damage) or even the fact that the contact was due to your extension past bumper (not DOT approved), otherwise the other car would be stopped 1" BEFORE that.
That's why all the hitch manufacturers make them in two pieces - to eliminate their liability. Their lawyers know the drill.
Bumpers are regulated by federal law: 49 CFR Part 581.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/studies/Bumper/Index.html

If you feel that is worth the hassle, keep your hitch attached.

As for the front brush guard... it is obvious that in a collision it will be a big insurance issue.

 

[Verse]

But if you are having equipment mounted on rear of your car that is not factory installed, a lawyer/insurance can always claim undue damage (bumpers are to attenuate the damage) or even the fact that the contact was due to your extension past bumper (not DOT approved), otherwise the other car would be stopped 1" BEFORE that.
That's why all the hitch manufacturers make them in two pieces - to eliminate their liability. Their lawyers know the drill.
Bumpers are regulated by federal law: 49 CFR Part 581.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/studies/Bumper/Index.html

If you feel that is worth the hassle, keep your hitch attached.

As for the front brush guard... it is obvious that in a collision it will be a big insurance issue.

I can't imagine that if a lawyers best argument is that the vehicle would have had stopped just 1" before impact without an accessory, that the impact could have caused any type of damage bad enough to get a lawyer involved.

As stated, I've had quite a few vehicles with grille guards over the years and never had any problems with insurance, inspections or cops. Police sell their old squad cars to the public with the push bars and spotlights still attached. Obviously they are not illegal here or in many other places. You could use that same gov't regulation to say that vehicles that are lifted too high (or slammed too low) are in violation of the bumper law, but it's more likely for you to be cited for that than a brush guard from what i've seen.

I don't have a trailer hitch nor do i have anything to pull behind my truck so, don't have to worry about that either.

 

[jremington59]

The laws you're talking about are for low speed collisions of two miles per hour or less. That's why a lot of bumper covers have foam under them. This helps to keep ins rates down on minor fender benders.

I will agree that the trailer hitch should be removed. If you back up slowly into someone it's going to scratch something. Plus, it really hurts your shin when you walk into one. As for the brush guards, they come with a rubber cover that protects at the 2 mile per hour range.

But if you are having equipment mounted on rear of your car that is not factory installed, a lawyer/insurance can always claim undue damage (bumpers are to attenuate the damage) or even the fact that the contact was due to your extension past bumper (not DOT approved), otherwise the other car would be stopped 1" BEFORE that.
That's why all the hitch manufacturers make them in two pieces - to eliminate their liability. Their lawyers know the drill.
Bumpers are regulated by federal law: 49 CFR Part 581.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/studies/Bumper/Index.html

If you feel that is worth the hassle, keep your hitch attached.

As for the front brush guard... it is obvious that in a collision it will be a big insurance issue.

 

[SoNic67]

You could use that same gov't regulation to say that vehicles that are lifted too high (or slammed too low) are in violation of the bumper law, but it's more likely for you to be cited for that than a brush guard from what i've seen.

Actually that height is regulated too in many states - there are specific limits of the bumper height to the ground:
http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/bumper-height/
For my state (VA): "Modification of original bumper height is permitted but must meet state standards. Bumpers must be between 14 and 22 inches in height."

PS: If a law is not enforced doesn't mean is not existing and/or it will never be enforced. See immigration issues today.

The laws you're talking about are for low speed collisions of two miles per hour or less. That's why a lot of bumper covers have foam under them. This helps to keep ins rates down on minor fender benders.

And insurance co will be the first to "cry" when they have to pay extra because of a brush guard or a hitch that penetrates the radiator (instead of a small bumper scratch). Or when your passenger will claim to have whiplash because the hitch exacerbated the impact g-forces (as opposed to the factory bumper).
I don't want to spend my time explaining "why" and "how" to insurance co lawyers.

 

[koda2000]

I knew those holes in the bumper were going to bother you. They did me.

To those that don't know, Koda and I have mild cases of OCD, LMAO. Koda, you're not sitting there looking at the slits in that bumper wondering what to do with them are you?

i would be if it was my bumper, but someone else's... not so much.

 

[DjDom]

Can we get back to the original topic and not an argument about bumper laws? Thanks.

OP, you did have a grill guard at one point. Look under the front end at just behind where the bumper mounts, you may be able to tell if something was just taken off of the holes there. Or maybe the mounting bracket is still there. A grill guard attaches straight to the frame behind the bumper.