Bass Insider
5
Towing Vehicle
What is a grille guard?
A grille guard protects your vehicle's front end from scrapes and grille detail damage caused by high grass, rocks, and various other degrading elements that can be kicked up by other vehicles. These products, a sort of durable fence for a truck or SUV's front end, also add a desirably rugged look.
How are grille guards, bull bars, and brush guards different?
By the original definition, a grille guard and a brush guard are the same thing. As the story goes, the original designers created grille guards to prevent front-end scratching caused by driving through high brush, hence the synonym "truck brush guard". In recent years, however, the term "brush guard" has been repurposed to apply to the headlight-covering portion of the larger grille guard.
A bull bar is something else entirely. The term "bull bar" refers to a single metal bar that protects your bumper and grille details without dominating focus in the way a grille guard can. They will also routinely (though not always) come atop a skid plate to further protect your front end, and they usually feature light mounts. Whereas the grille guard offers full frontal protection, a bull bar is more focused on protecting one particular area, with no headlight coverage.
Will a grille guard or bull bar affect air bag deployment?
Most airbags are triggered when sensors notice abrupt forward deceleration of approximately 50 Gs. These sensors are generally located under the hood, so it stands to reason that they will be unaffected by grille guard or bull bar installation. That said, there is no conclusive data regarding how these products affect air bag deployment. It's important to read the manufacturer's instructions prior to installation for any definitive statements regarding sensor location and potential interference.
Will a bull bar or grille bar protect my vehicle in an accident?
In a low-speed, low-impact crash, a grille guard or bull bar will modestly protect your front end bumpers, lights, and grille details from damage. In some cases, a brush guard for jeeps and other vehicles can even push a sedentary object for a short distance at a low speed (though this could scratch or mark your guard's finish). Bull bars, especially those with skid plates, can provide solid protection for a vehicle's lower front bumper in low-speed collisions.
In a high-speed, high-impact crash, on the other hand, these products will be crushed back into your grille, possibly increasing damage costs. The point of these products is not to allow you to drive around slamming into things, nor to feel impervious to the laws of physics and nature. They are designed to look tough and protect your vehicle from glancing damage. Your rig will not become a battering ram, no matter how big and bad a grille guard or bull bar makes it look.
Some Bushguard Info