Adding a grille to your truck can be a great idea. For some people, they buy them on the way home from purchasing a new truck. For other’s trucks, they have caused more damage than good.
Generally, they are designed to help. But there are some things you should know before purchasing one. What is a brush guard on a truck used for and what are the things I need to know before making a decision? Or are bull bars worth it?
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What Is A Bull Bar?
A Bull Bar is an additional thick front bumper bar installed on trucks and SUVs. IT is designed to provide heavy-duty protection to the front end of the vehicle.
The standard vehicle fender is designed to withstand a crash of up to 5 MPH. That is it. There are braces behind the fender that are designed to withstand much more but they will need to be replaced if they are involved in an accident. This can cause hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage. An accident severe enough can even total a car.
Insurance companies oftentimes will be eager to access the damage as more than the value of the car i.e. totaling a car if they feel the damage may not fully prevent the death of the people inside the vehicles.
So a Bull Bar may be a cheaper fix. It can prevent extreme damage to cars and trucks involved in accidents in major cities. In a country where there are open roads and run-ins large animals are not uncommon a bull bar can prevent a deer from doing serious damage if it decides to run out in front of your Ford F-150 in the middle of the night.
Bull Bars can make the difference between a fender bender and an organic speed bump. Bull Bars are mounted to the frame of the vehicle so they will the maximum structural support your vehicle can offer. It is basically an extension of your vehicle’s frame sticking out in front of the front bumper. Ths great for certain situations. But that does not mean that everyone should rush out and buy one.
Do I Need A Bull Bar?
You should think about getting one if you want more protection for the lower half of your vehicle to offer more protection a bull bar may be able to offer that. A bull bar can offer problems though. If you have sensors in your bumper, fog lights, cameras, a tow hitch, radio antennas, horns, these can all cause problems with function. You have to take these things into consideration.
Also, a bull bar is not 100%. Is Bull Bar worth it all the time? It only protects certain parts of the vehicle. A rock can avoid a bull bar and take out a headlight. It will only offer protection against large blunt objects hurling at the front bumper.
READ MORE: BEST ROOFTOP CARGO CARRIERS
Do Bull Bars Help In An Accident?
Bull-bars render crumple zones ineffective by transferring crash energy to the cabin. This can be deadly to those inside the cabin. They may block car sensors preventing airbags from opening during a collision.
Bull bars are often installed in rural areas to protect a vehicle from deer or kangaroos impacts. A bull bar protects the radiator and coolers. Its main function is to protect your vehicle from scrub, bushes, or even trees and rocks off-road.
Are Bull Bars Dangerous?
Bull Bars have a specific purpose. Though, they are not a perfect design. Bull bars and grille guards interfere with the sensors in your car. You may lose the use of parking and proximity sensors, so any automated functions may go haywire.
Do Bull Bars Cause More Damage?
A study published in the Traffic Accident Prevention Journal concluded that bull bars:
“The literature reviewed in this study indicates that vehicles fitted with bull bars, particularly those without deformable padding, concentrate crash forces over a smaller area of vulnerable road users during collisions compared to vehicles not fitted with a bull bar.
Rigid bull bars, such as those made from steel or aluminum, stiffen the front end of vehicles and interfere with the vital shock absorption systems designed in-vehicle fronts. These devices so alter the collision dynamics of vehicles, resulting in an increased risk of pedestrian injury and mortality in crashes.
This literature review shows that bull bars do indeed increase the severity of injuries to vulnerable road users in the event of a collision and highlights the need for current traffic safety policies to reflect the safety concerns surrounding the use of bull bars.”
Traffic Inj Prev. 2012;13(1):86-92. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2011.624143.
Bull bars and vulnerable road users
Will A Bull Bar Stop A Deer?
Depends. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. This is the main function of a bull bar:
An ARB bull bar would act as a permanent barrier between you and an animal that is leaping from nowhere. One piece of evidence reveals no damage to their bumper after they crash with a deer at 60 mph. No damage to the bumper does not damage the rest of the vehicle, either.
Internal car parts are often more costly to replace than the dents on a bullbar. In these situations, they can be much more cost-effective.
READ MORE: WHAT SIZE KINETIC RECOVERY ROPE DO IT NEED?
FAQs – Bull Bars & Brush Guards
1. What Is The Purpose Of A Brush Guard?
Brush bars, or “bush bars”, are identical to bull bars. They protect the headlights and the vehicle’s front end from brush and tree contact.
2. Are Brush Guards Worth It? Why Install A Bull Bar?
A well-built brush guard can protect your truck’s front. It will also help mitigate the effect of a collision with an animal. If you hit a dog, or a moose, or some other car, damage may be minor less.
3. Do Bull Bars Affect Sensors?
Bull bars are a threat to pedestrians, bikes, and two-wheelers. Manufacturers design vehicles to cut injury to pedestrians in an accident. Bull bars cause serious injury and death to other road users as they can leap out at a car during a crash.
4. Do Bull Bars Affect Your MPG?
Anything that adds weight and wind resistance will increase MPG.
5. How Much Does A Brush Guard Weigh?
An HDX grille guard weighs 105 pounds shipped for a 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500. Packaging for such a big item can be up to 5 pounds so expect 100 pounds of pure awesomeness grille guard.
6. How Much Does A Brush Guard Cost?
$200 and $1,500 no including install charges. A generic brush guard may be cheaper than one designed specifically for your car. It may not fit as well-meaning it may not offer as much protection as one designed for your exact make and model.
7. What Is The Best Brush Guard?
While ther eare many avilable that do the same job there are some that do better than others, if only slightly so. Longevity and coverage are the two things that seperate the top models from the rest. Here are my top 5 brush gaurds:
- Steelcraft Grille Guard
- Go Rhino Wrangler Grille Guard
- Go Industries Rancher Grille Guard
- Trident Outlaw Grille Guard
Main Takeaways – Bull Bar Vs. Brush Guard
If you want to be safe on the road, it might make sense to invest in a bull bar or brush guard. These will not only protect your car from damage but also keep you safer if an animal jumps out in front of you. In addition, they can help reduce the severity of impact should something happen and ensure that airbags deploy properly during a collision.
The bottom line is that these accessories are worth considering for their safety benefits alone – no matter what type of vehicle you drive. You may have other reasons to get them as well – such as how much more attractive they make your ride!
If you do choose to get one, it’s important that you don’t buy a cheap imitation. That will only put your safety at risk. Fortunately for those who are looking to take their protection and safety up a notch, there are plenty of reputable manufacturers offering great quality products.
Thanks for reading and stay dirty
