Off-roading is your key to endless adventure, but it also comes with certain risks. Trail obstacles, standing water and even the local wildlife can damage your vehicle. Collisions can also lead to serious injuries or worse. Maybe you’ve seen all the fuss about grille guards for trucks, but you’re wondering if you need one. Keep reading to learn about grille guards and the benefits they offer for your vehicle.
Defend Your Vehicle in Case of a Collision
You take proper precautions when you’re off-roading, but you can’t prevent every mishap. Besides common trail obstacles and hazards, there’s always the chance of a large animal darting into your path. Deer account for about 80% of vehicle-wildlife collisions, with the remaining 20% mostly including elk, moose, coyotes and bears. While you’re more at risk for serious injury in collisions with large animals, even hitting a dog can cause damage to your vehicle. But a grille guard can serve several useful functions in a collision:
- Reduce the chance of major structural damage
- Minimize damage to your grille
- Protect your headlights
- Shield your front bumper
Grille guards are available for most truck and SUV models. Installing a grill guard F150 doesn’t give you a license to use your F150 as a battering ram, but it can ensure that you successfully walk away from a crash. It can also result in lower repair bills when you take your truck into the shop.
Provides Necessary Protection
Grille guards do the most good in low-speed, low-impact crashes. And that makes a lot of sense. If you’ve ever traveled technical trails like the famous Rubicon Trail, your speed likely never exceeded 5 MPH. There are reasons why it’s rated at an 8/10 difficulty by onX: giant rocks, steep inclines and high water, to name a few.
You probably aren’t taking rocky or muddy trails at 70 MPH, nor are you traveling the Rubicon every weekend. Nevertheless, you are going a little slower when you’re traveling over rocks, mud, snow, sand or other challenging ground. Your speeds may never exceed 30 or 40 MPH, but your grille guard is designed perfectly for conditions like these. Many models, such as Black Horse’s grille guards, are crafted from heavy-duty stainless steel. They typically come with a black powder coat or polished finish, giving your truck a more stylish and rugged look to boot.
The Lowdown on Brush Guards
While shopping for grille guards, you may have come across brush guards. But what exactly is a truck brush guard? It’s more or less the same thing as a grille guard. When they were first developed, brush guards were designed to keep high brush from scratching a vehicle’s paint finish. Now, the two terms are used interchangeably.
When you purchase your next grille guard, remember to shop at a reputable dealer. Choose a parts and accessories retailer that specializes in off-roading equipment. You’ll have access to a wide selection of products specifically designed for the rigors of your ride.
