Front-End Protection Reduces the Severity and Cost of Damage

If you only want a single reason to install front-end protection on your truck, then it should be to minimize the severity and cost of potential damage. Most of the other benefits of this type of protection come back to this point.

With a grille guard in place, your truck is much less likely to experience severe damage. Nearly any accident that affects the front end of your truck will result in less damage with a grille guard or other protection in place than without one.

Less damage results in less time off the road while taking care of repairs. It also reduces the cost of those repairs, at least in most cases. This means that just in damage prevention, front-end protection for your truck can quickly pay for itself.

In some cases, having protection on the front of your truck may even prevent damage that would have totaled the truck, reducing it to something that is possible to fix.

Grille and Bumper Guards Were Engineered for Protection

Remember that grille guards and bumper guards were engineered to protect your truck in case of an impact. Part of this comes from the fact that they bolt directly on the frame of your truck. That design means that if the front of your truck hits something, the guards will channel the energy of the impact to the frame, which is the sturdiest part of your truck. This contrasts with letting the energy affect your truck’s hood or bumper.

The engineering behind a grille guard means that they may bend in an accident, but they may not. If they do bend, they will do so to a lesser extent than the front areas of your truck’s body would have. Remember that those front body panels are typically part of the “crumple zones” that reduce energy.

Just keep in mind that in the case of a crash with a very high speed or high impact, front-end protection may increase the damage to some extent. However, for this to happen, the force of the crash would have to be enough to send the guard back into the truck, which is incredibly rare.

They Also Help with Wildlife Incidents

Grille guards and other front-end protection does more than just help if your truck collides with another vehicle or a stationary object. They are also surprisingly helpful when it comes to large or even midsize animals that get in your way on the road, such as livestock, moose, and deer.

Those who have seen the damage to trucks with and without grille guards over the years can confirm that trucks with them tend to do much better following an animal incident. In most cases, trucks without front-end protection will have significant front-end damage. This can even include the animal entering the vehicle through the grille and damaging the radiator or other internal components. Trucks without them are also more likely to have their front wheels damaged by an animal, leading to loss of control.

By contrast, if a truck has a grille guard or something similar, that guard may bend a little, but that is typically it. The animal is unlikely to cause internal damage, as it rarely gets past the guard and the grille. The distribution of impact energy also helps prevent wheel dislocation, leaving you in control.

That control is particularly important, as you need to be able to steer your truck to prevent an accident. This is particularly important with larger trucks like semis with plenty of cargo.

They Can Add Lighting

You can even take advantage of the new guard you install on your truck to add some other functionality, such as adding lights. Adding more lights to the front end of your truck enhances your safety by helping ensure that other vehicles on the road can see you in the dark. It can also help illuminate the area right in front of your truck if you need to stop and inspect the space for some reason.

They Do Not Interfere with Other Parts

If you are concerned about front-end protection getting in the way of other parts or accessories on your truck, like a tow hook, then you can rest easy. Front-end protection is designed to work with the common accessories and parts on trucks, including tow hooks. While you should always confirm that your chosen guard will not interfere with your tow hook or other accessories, it should be easy to find one that does not.

They Can Fit Any Budget

Some people are hesitant to install front-end protection on their truck because of the cost. To start, remember that the protection will likely pay for itself in terms of preventing damage and, therefore, expensive repairs. Think of it as an investment where you pay a little upfront to prevent paying more in the future. Best of all, the single investment can keep saving you money on repairs for damage that would have occurred.

Even if you are concerned about the upfront cost, you will be happy to know that there is front-end protection for all budgets. They become even more affordable when you compare the cost of the guard or other item to the cost of the truck as a whole, as well as how much you could potentially spend on repairs.

They Can Fit Any Truck

Another great thing about front-end protection is that you are not limited based on the type of truck. While you will always want to choose a guard that was designed to fit your truck, there are options available for all types of trucks. There are options for pickups, from the light-duty models to the heavy-duty versions; for semis; and for everything in between.

This means that you should not have to go out of your way to find protection that fits your truck, nor will you have to make any dramatic modifications to get it to work.

 

Sources:

https://www.truckid.com/articles/why-do-i-need-grille-or-bumper-guard-for-front-of-my-truck.html

http://autoattitude.net/blog/truck-grille-guard.html