yeah if i had a grill guard in that situation in think more things would be messed up, like my headlights and front end of the fenders. well it looks like I will drive around for a while with a nice dent in the front to display my driving skills and wait for babypig in jan hopefully.

 

Just remember: Body damage builds character! My rig has lots of character

 

Don't really know major difference between Grill Guard and ARB, TJM. But, from the comparison of product pictures on TJM and ARB with the Grill Guard I have, I could not tell why TJM and ARB are better. Maybe I don't see something...

 

THIS:


OR THIS:

 

The first picture is pretty.
Second one, B&W, likes from last century.

 

I looked at grill guards when I got the yota for maybe a day or two, I just didn't like the look and have seen what they do in wrecks. I'm glad I found this place and like most folks when you see Bamachem's bumper you just drool...... there is no lookin back, maybe subconsiously I did this on purpose!

 

The big weak point of grille guards is the side (headlight protector area) if you are hit in the bumper near the sides the grille guard will bend and take out the fender, lights, and hood, instead of just the bumper. Similar to the middle part of the grille guard as well, if any section is pushed in the whole grille guard will be pushed in damaging the grille and hood as well as the bumper. Ground clearance/approach angle is also an issue as the grille guard decreases both, while the bullbar (ARB, TJM) does not. Bull bars have a better mounting system to the frame, and are made of (IIRC) thicker steel, especially the tubing, which is a weak point on the grille guards.

 

Thank you for the explanation. That is my feeling, too.
Too bad that I have to live with this for a while.....

 

Thought I'd revive this, with a link to pics from the Ih8mud 80 series board from today, another example of what a grill guard can do:

Here is the thread.

 

And here's what an ARB will do for you.

(Here's the original thread...)

Here's the Cruiser w/ an ARB...


Here's the Lincoln Town Car that wishes he wouldn't have run that Stop Sign...

 

The main weak spot of a tumble weed guard, like shown in the above LC hit, is that the mounting point is at the bottom of the guard only. So if it gets bumped even down low, the force pushes the top portion into the front clip causing more damage.
So something that would have only hit the bumper, perhaps now, has in effect hit the hood and grill etc...

A know a guy who hit a cow with his Xterra fitted with an ARB and it only did damage to some plastic pieces.
It's just hard saving up the $$$ for that kind of protection.