Cracked grill surround

Personally I would take the grille off repair it with epoxy on the backside replace grille good to go.Its a truck so for me why spend money when its only a blemish.

 

Honored.... really like your work.

Thought I had an original idea, lol

 

You guys think I could use some low temp silicone caulk and then paint?

 

No. Paint won't stick to silicone

 

Search google for colors silicone.

 

The service writer or regional rep will see this post and definitely not warranty that but like the other guy said I too have an extra one at work if you want to pay shipping you can have it. You would have to have it painted as well. If you get one from toyota they come painted but I think they are like 600 bucks. Will cost 100 to ship and maybe 150 to paint.

 

Another surround bites the dust

Mine let go a few weeks ago also.

 

Maybe try the jbweld for plastics, it should dry clear or close to it I think

 

Problem with epoxy or bondo is it will almost certainly give out again if we put the BAMF grille back in.

I think a new surround is the best bet, but even that will only work until the cold weather comes around again.

I might give the "cut a matching gash on the other side of the grille" idea a try.

 

I don't understand why you would leave a broken part in a 40k truck. Get a new surround, modify the bamf grille or reinforce the new surround or get a different grille without the problem. If someone backed into your fender you would not do the same to the other side. Or according to the advise here I guess many of you would!

 

Seriously?

Just some members kicking around ideas and possible solutions.

The metal grill is nice, but doesn't play well with the plastic surround during cold spells.

Expansion joints are used in such circumstances, and OP already has one courtesy of mother nature. Why not make another one and move on?

If it's not aesthetically pleasing or structurally unsound, there is always plan b.

OP can and will do whatever he wants, but other members are also having issues with the plastic surround. Sometimes spit-balling ideas leads to good solutions.

Isn't part of modding doing what nobody has done before?

 

You have your opinion and I have mine. There is a difference in modification and broken.

 

Here’s an idea, feel free to ignore. Get or repair your broken surround, and if you want to keep the grill, maybe get a rubber gasket to surround the grill, and wedge between the grill and the surround. Maybe this would allow for expansion and contraction in temperature swings? Just a thought, maybe it would help.

 

How thick is this metal grill?

 

Honestly, that's a pretty clean straight break. I agree with others that if there is enough reinforcement to allow another cut on the other side it would look pretty intentional and not bad at all. Some weather stripping like what they use with an SSO bumper or a rubber t-molding / u- channel and I think you would have a nice modification to your surround that would allow you to keep your grille. Some measuring, painter's tape, and a cut-off wheel and you are set.

 

I think the issue is the metal grille is to tight as is. Maybe BAMF needs to resize the grille, then possibly doing the rubber gasket.
Good idea you have here, but as it stands right now the rubber gasket would make things worse, unless the actual metal part was shaved down on all edges.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-TAC...590672&hash=item25eaa39c04:g:Kx4AAOSwUM5Z7hH9

 

It's unfortunate to see it happen in the cold areas of the country but it's physics the plastic surround has two spots on it that can cause it to fail when it shrinks pictured below. The nature of the design of a recessed grille is it will not warp or contract when pressure is applied like a flat sheet. This is why your not seeing this happen on our ECO Grille the same exact frame size at the recessed grille or other grilles on the market and they are flat steel with no structure.

These sections need a little reinforcement to handle the shrinking surround in bitter cold weather. That is why every cracked grille you see is happening in the same places.

 

Don't cut the grill on the other side.
Just trim up some black 3M film to pin stripe it to match the other side.