protection from deer strikes

Ok y'all question here is this I know that a full steel or aluminum plate bumper is going to be far superior than a standard grill guard will be for deer strikes and what not but seeing as how money is a thing and we never seem to have enough of it I was wondering if something like the following would offer above average protection from deer strikes or if is just a flashy showey thing. I would love a full plate bumper but the big hindrance I have is that I live in an area where there isn't really a good cause for it as there aren't any super mega off road trails that would require armor of that kind. I am not opposed to saving for one IF its going to provide exponentially better deer protection over this. But if I can save some dough to funnel in to other projects of course I would like to, so what say you. thank you in advanced for the help.

https://www.autoanything.com/grille-guards/steelcraft-grille-guards

 

Anything that does not bolt into your frame INCREASES the damage you will get in a deer strike. It acts as a wedge which magnifies damage to the bumper.

So you are better off with nothing if you aren’t going to get a steel bumper.

 

Buy better insurance. More cost effective.

 

even on big trucks with huge bumpers, deer will do some damage

 

Those bolt on grill gards bend back into the front of your grill and break the plastic and the front end components. And when they are tweaked, they are a bitch to remove. You have to get them off before you can fix the front end damage.

I've not hit a deer with my steel Pelferybuilt bumper yet, but if I get damage, I probably have bigger problems, ie my frame is tweaked. Only way to know is hit a deer or a black bear with it.... Not sure how it will hold up. But I like the fact that hoops are sloped down towards the ground, so it should send the deer into the road in front of my truck instead of over the hood into my windshield...

I do know that Steel is much more resilient than aluminium. ie an Aluminium bumper, if it starts bending or creases after a deer strike, and you have to bend it back...your pretty much screwed. It will break easily had has almost no rigidity left.

Steel..you can hammer it back into place, weld on it if you need, weld extra plates of steel in there at crease points, then paint over it, and it will be as strong as before you tweeked it. Much more durable metal.

 

Save your money for an arb. Ive hit several deer with mine and no damage to speak of. You really cant substitute a big slab of steel

 

Look through this thread. Guy hit two cows with his truck at night and drove home. (Page 2)

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/plate-bumpers-after-impact-with-pics.379600/

 

I use those $ 3 deer alerts that stick to the bumper. Do they really work to deter the deer? I don't know, but I have used them for 30+ years and have not had a deer interconnection. So, for $ 3 it is worth a try

 

Do what i did. Hit a deer (on accident), then take your insurance check and buy a plate bumper...no out of pocket $$$.

Billy at bruteforce customized my bumper to take the larger fog lights and weigh in around 100lbs

 

Snow plow. If it works for zombies, it'll work for deer.

As others have said, the grill guard is not going to help for a deer strike.

 

If your looking for a fair priced bumper check out the eBay bumper I have one have only hit shopping carts an trash cans with it no issue. But arb is the way to go if you can swing it only bumper I know of compatible with the airbags. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Taco...ash=item33b97166bd:g:rcsAAOSwOVpXaWOq&vxp=mtr

 

I think the grill guard WILL help in one aspect of hitting a deer.

We hit a big deer at 55mph in our GX470 (basically a 4Runner). $12k in body shop work, and the impact drove stuff backwards into the radiator causing a big coolant leak and stranding us. It was on a trip in a remote area, hours on the phone eventually produced a body shop 1 hour away that could tow us there AND provide a loaner during the 3 weeks of repair. Being stranded was stressful and a big pain to have the body work done hours away from our house.

I think a grill guard will spread out the impact across the entire front end, reducing the odds of puncturing the radiator with other parts being driven backwards from the impact. More stuff will have to deform if the grill guard is there to spread the point of impact across the entire front end. I added a grill guard to my Tacoma specifically due to this GX470 radiator puncture, and extra lights to help see those nasty deer.

I don't care if more parts would have to be replaced after a deer collision since I'm only paying the deductible. I don't want to be stranded due to a radiator puncture ever again.

I agree a big steel bumper is MUCH better, but they are way more expensive and add much more weight.

 

I asked Perlfrybuilt about the weight thing, it's pretty much a wash..steel is like 20 lbs heavier. They use thicker gauge aluminum so there's way more metal. The steel is still stronger they said.

About the only thing steel has going against it is rust.

 

Warn makes a "Transformer" brush-guard unit that can be built-on as you go. It has a provision for adding a winch later, many options - and importantly - it is based on a frame mount that has an upper brace. Can also be used to provide a front box hitch. if I were to build one on my own - I would go to school on their design, it goes right over the existing Taco bumper and has its own structure.

 

Pelfreybilt Full hoop steel is like 125lbs and Same bumper in Aluminum is 70lbs. Aluminum is what I eventually plan on getting as my wife and I do a lot more camping and adventuring. Would do well in a collision or against a deer. Not so much for rock crawling. I'd go steel if I was doing that.

 

Wasn't the ARB bumper designed for protection against kangaroos down under? I think it should be good enough for running deer over! I always wondered if a buck antler could puncture the plastic gas tank! Might want to look at gas tank armor as well!

 

Who mounts gas cans on the front?

 

The Tacoma gas tank is plastic!

 

thank you to everyone for the responses, I do appreciate it. From the sounds of it I will be going with a plate bumper. Is it true that the ARB is the only one that is airbag compatible?

 

The only one ive heard of that is. They designed it to have crush points on the mounting bracket like on the frame of the truck so that it transfers more energy into the bumper in the event of a crash instead of to the passengers/driver