What is the best frame mounted grill/brush guard

[jonny 5]

What is the best frame mounted grill guard (ie not bumper mounted) on the market

Need something with lighting brackets and very sturdy

List name, price, and source

 

[jonny 5]

Also ease of installation

 

[soupbone]

I got Manik 3 piece direct from manik for $230 2nd hand. Just repainted it myself and got it installed.

 

[JDraper]

I've got a Smittybilt Outland on mine. Check out the Pix in my link below.

 

[jonny 5]

JDraper....Wow your X looks great! How easy was the install for the grill guard? Also how much was it?

 

[JDraper]

I paid $370 for it new earlier this year from A&A Auto Parts. It wasn't hard to install. I did it in about 2 hours by myself with a little to slow me down . If you want lights too, I LOVE the KC Sealed Beam Daylighters that are on the front of my truck. They are 385,000 candlepower each and really light up the night. I got them from Dead Link Removed for about $120.

 

[410Fortune]

Well ARB makes the big daddy's, very tough, very heavy, and very expensive.

All sorts of companies make your run of the mill pushbar w/brush guards, they usually tie into the frame and are pretty sturdy.

Then there are actual bumpers. Duff makes some really wicked prerunner style bumpers, with winch mounts or receivers, whichever you like. The price is right too.

I bought a front and rear Duff prerunner receiver bumper for my 88 BII $190 for the front, $110 for the rear, unfinished (bare metal). they are very sturdy, increased my approach angles dramatically, and have receivers front and rear up high. I love them!

The front one has 6 light tabs.
You can get them powdercoated yourself for $100, I just painted mine black.

Here's some pics.....

Dead Link Removed
Dead Link Removed

 

[Blue Steel]

i have a manik brush guard and have been very pleased with it. i have pushed cars and trucks with it while they were in neutral (mechanical problems for them) and played "bumper cars" with a friends old 50 dollar car and it held up very well. also a guy that i go wheeling with used the brush guard as a front tow point when he was VERY stuck in some mud and he got yanked out, but the bottom bar was bent a little. he straightened it out though with a sledgehammer and a piece of wood.
the brush guard is the manik one piece and cost me 450 including shipping. the one piece i hear is stronger (have no experiences with the 3 piece that saves you $$$ on shipping) and i hear that after a year the 3 piece starts to rattle and you have to constantly tighten the bolts on it.

 

[Cartman]

I got the Westin Sportsmen one peice and it went on easily and looks great. Haven't hit anything with it yet but it seems solid.

 

[Nick K]

I have a Smittybilt bumper thumper which bolts to the frame and the bumper the cross members are 3-inch think and this was only 100 bucks brand new. Many people think a grill guard that bolts to the frame is much better than one that bolts to the bumper, this is not entirely true. Go up to a grill guard that is only attached to the frame and pull on it. You will notice that the entire grill guard flexes forward. The real low angle that the grill guard is attached to the frame makes it a weak point.

 

[soupbone]

i wish i would have got a TJM bull bar instead of the Manik. guards are mostly cosmetic but they do help in some cases against minor impacts and damage.

http://www.tjmproducts.com.au/us/usa_t15_bars.html

whole replacement steel bumper

 

[Doug]

I've got a steelhorse raptor brush gaurd with a textured finish and i love it. it saved my truck in an accident (The Taurus didnt fare nearly as well). All that happened to my truck was the brushgaurd was a little tweaked but i fixed it and the brushgaurd protected my truck when i did this..
http://namitey.the-pred.net/4wheeling/Explorer03.jpg