Protecting your truck, while simultaneously making it look better is an appealing thought to many truck owners. There are quite a few ways in which this can be accomplished, but few are as dramatic as truck grille guards. Most truck owners are familiar with grille guards, at least on sight. However, many do not know the tremendous advantages that these devices offer, especially for a truck used on a job site or for off road purposes.
Most truck grille guards are formed of tubular steel and offer important protection to the front end of your truck. Besides protecting the grille, itself, it protects the radiator behind the grille. It also protects the headlights and lenses from debris, animals and other vehicles. Truck grille guards are also available in a number of different finishes, like many other truck accessories. Matching your grille guard to other accessories will give your truck a look of completeness.
What to look for: When you're in the market for a truck grille guard, there are a few things to bear in mind. The first is that you should only purchase grille guards that are designed to fit your specific vehicle. This eliminates the need for drilling new holes in the underside of the vehicle and provides a perfect fit for your new grille guard. There are a several companies that offer a custom designed grille guard for many truck brands, such as Westin, Nasta and Go Industries.
The second thing that you need to look for is a complete package. Many companies advertise a grille guard, pictured with brush guards and/or a skid plate. Understand that many of these companies sell these as component pieces. If you want a grille guard with the options shown, you will need to purchase the entire package. Also, you should decide if a skid plate is something that you want on your truck. Many brands do not offer this feature, though it provides protection below the engine, as well as in front of the truck.
The last thing that you should look for is the gauge of the steel that these guards are constructed with. The thicker the better, as far as protection is concerned. However, the thicker the steel is, the heavier the grille guard will be. In these days of overpriced gasoline, every extra pound can be counted in the cost of gasoline. While protection is vital, you will need to decide how to balance economy with protection.
Once you have decided on all the above items, you'll need to decide what finish you want. Many companies offer truck grille guards in chrome, stainless steel and powder coated black. Each offers something different, as far as looks and longevity are concerned. Check with the retailer to find the length of warranty applied to each finish.
Style is another option that you will have to consider. Some truck grille guards are made with tubular steel, while heavy duty grille guards are made with straight pieces of heavy duty steel, as well as tubular steel in the outer portions of the design. Louvered headlight guards are almost standard, though you can find lightweight applications that use thick wire in place of louvers.
Finally, you will need to decide on installation. This will actually play a role in your purchase; some brands are able to be installed by the truck owner, simply bolting it in place. Other brands (particularly OEM options) will require the assistance of a skilled mechanic. There are a number of other options involved as well, such as potential front end winch placement, as well as accessory lighting installation.
To get the most out of your truck, you may consider changing out your truck bed tailgate, or at least buying one to use with the OEM tailgate fully opened. This increases the amount of useable space within your truck bed, as well as creating a custom look for your truck. There are several other reasons to use truck bed tailgates, such as carrying a 5th Wheel or decreasing the amount of drag to your truck (increasing airflow). If you are interested in changing out your tailgate, you have a number of options.
5th Wheel Friendly Truck Bed Tailgates: These tailgates replace your OEM tailgate and are specifically designed for towing a 5th Wheel. These are usually made of tubular steel, with a deep center indentation designed to let the tongue clear easily. They can be purchased in chrome or powder coated metal. Powder coating offers a long lasting look, but chrome provides a better overall look, as well as longer life. These truck bed tailgates can be made with steel center tubes, or louvers, though you will rarely find them solid. The openings provide a means for air to escape from the bed of the truck.
Airflow Friendly: If you are simply looking for a great looking way to increase your fuel mileage, then an air flow friendly option is available to you. These are chrome steel or powder coated steel and offer unsurpassed airflow through the tailgate. They are also strong enough for everyday use, without worrying about them falling apart due to shoddy construction.
Bed Extenders: Bed extenders operate in conjunction with your existing tailgate. These are supported on top of your fully extended tailgate and attach at the sides of the bed. Made of tubular steel and trim, these can greatly extend the length of your bed. With the sheer number of short bed trucks sold today, these are almost a necessity if you are ever going to haul anything in that bed. The majority of these truck bed tailgates will extend your bed capacity by almost 2 full feet.
Heavy Duty Tailgates and Pneumatic Lifters: Work trucks need heavy duty tailgates; something that many of today's trucks do not have. A heavy duty tailgate offers the extreme performance that these sort of trucks demand. However, they are also very heavy. Using pneumatic lifters/lowering devices can save you the strain on your arms and back. Buying them in tandem is a good thing; they can both be installed in a snap by simply removing your old tailgate and putting the heavy duty tailgate in its place. The lifters pop right in, as well.
Net Tailgates: These are ideal for light duty use and sports applications. They allow the maximum amount of air to pass through, while still holding light items within the bed. These are not a good choice for trucks that see heavy duty usage, but they definitely have their benefits for the areas in which they work.
Finding the right truck bed tailgates will require that you know what you need them for. As you can see, there is a wide range of different applications that can benefit from using a specific type of tailgate. Finding the best options for your needs will most likely entail finding a quality retailer. There are several prominent aftermarket brands of truck bed tailgates from which you can choose. For instance, there is Go Industries, AMP and Stromberg Carlson, just to name a few of them. You will find that each brand will give you different options in construction materials, as well as the look of the finished item.
