where to mount a brushguard?

[cisurfer]

where do you mount the thing? What are your opinions on the hunter grille guards, seen on ebay and http://hunter4x4.com/brush.html for like 200-300 bucks? Are they the same quality as other guards and how would they hold up hittin a deer?

Thanks

 

[jimcom]

hunter is the brand I will probably buy when I get around to putting one on, cheaper than the name brand types and looks just as good from what I can tell.
From pics I've seen of people with brushguards hitting deer, the guard still gets pushed back into the hood somewhat, but the overall damage is not nearly as bad as it would be if you hit a deer head on with no guard.
It mounts under the body, to the frame (or chassis, whatever you want to call it), if you look at the pic, those two steel bars at the bottom, look where they have holes drilled, it's held on with pins inserted there IIRC.

 

[Lt.Jim]

they do not hold up to deer. thats why they don't call them deer guards. brush and small branches on the trail are what they are designed for and the usually hold up pretty well.

 

[cisurfer]

how strong are they? are they worth the money? If i were to bumper tap a sign or something by accident would it protect the hood or bumper?

 

[Project GT]

well hell if you just hit a car doing 5mph it'd protect you. now it may get damaged or get pushed back, but it wouldn't mess your car up. I plan on getting on mainly for looks,honestly they just make the vehicle look better IMO

 

[cisurfer]

I want to get one for the lights and I think it looks amazing, I was just curious if the ones for 400 bucks would hold up better than the $250 hunter one.

 

[Tilt168]

the hunter is nice, i have it and i like it, look on myspace for pics

 

[cisurfer]

damn i love it...did you need a lift with those 32's? How strong and whats the quality of the hunter. even funnier my 99 x sport has a nj plate with the same first 3 characters.

 

[Texplorer]

A brush guard will cause MORE damage if you hit a deer at anything more than 10-20mph. They will protect againts a light tap of bump from other cars, polls, deer, people, houses, small children, etc.

 

[Tilt168]

yeah u need a lift...and i've the bumpers and it stills rubs
the hunter is nice, i mean it will work for some pushness but don't expect it to protect your front end *that* much, the light guards are held on by 2 bolts each and really wouldn't help that much if they get hit and the whole guard itself is attached to the frame at the bottom, all in all no grill guard will protect an explorers front end that much just due to how they are mounted...inless u get an aftermarket bumper *drool*

 

[tgertz77]

yeah, if you have that thing mounted to the frame and you hit something prety hard, your basically hurting an extension of the frame, which could twist or bend or hurt soemthing.

but I guess if you hit something hard enough to do that, the frame would be mamed if you didnt have a guard anyway.

 

[SkunkMagnum]

I think the key is finding some good mounting points for all brush and light guards. I own just a small little Westin safari bar which has been pretty reliable for the money.
I was able to ram a crippled chrystler van, for testing purposes, to see how it would hold up. My Westin Safari Bar did excellent in demolishing the prettyness of the chrystler. Most of the time I was going 25-35 mph, and the guard did well.

You would be surprised how much fun you can have with a $100 dollar beater van.

Overall, I say get one, as long as it is frame mounted...you r good.

Can't say anything about a deer tho.
I would imagine that if a deer was hit with a full size brush guard the mounting clips on the guard would be fried, and the brush guard would back up against whatever part of your X is on the inside of the brush guard.

If some hardcore mounts are made, I think most brushguards/grilleguards can withstand a lot...maybe 40 mp/h give or take

 

[xman98]

i just saw this post. to answer your questions cisurfer, i have a hunter style grille guard. i bought it over the summer on ebay for around $270 from a store named Popular Link in texas. i love the look it gave my explorer. instaliation was easy and it came fast. it bolts on to the frame and coms up underneath the fog light and spoiler. i havent hit a deer but last week i slid on ice into a tree in my yard and it held up fine with no damage. i have 1 pic on my cardomain page 2. take a look its at night but u can see it and also the light that i put on it.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I was able to ram a crippled chrystler van, for testing purposes, to see how it would hold up. My Westin Safari Bar did excellent in demolishing the prettyness of the chrystler. Most of the time I was going 25-35 mph, and the guard did well.

You would be surprised how much fun you can have with a $100 dollar beater van.

Overall, I say get one, as long as it is frame mounted...you r good.

Can't say anything about a deer tho.
I would imagine that if a deer was hit with a full size brush guard the mounting clips on the guard would be fried, and the brush guard would back up against whatever part of your X is on the inside of the brush guard.

If some hardcore mounts are made, I think most brushguards/grilleguards can withstand a lot...maybe 40 mp/h give or take

Your not saying you were ramming a van at 25mph, are you?