Show me your grille guard or bull bar.

Trying to decide what to put on my new white DC 4x4.

Bull bar with skid plate or some sort of full brush/grille guard. Eventually I will be using the truck off road for hunting/fishing, but I at least want something for a little protection since there are so many deer and critters around here.

Don't want anything too heavy either.

So post up what your Taco front end looks like. Also would like to see some "real" bumpers after seeing another thread where people were advising to get a real bumpers. How much do they cost?

 

its a hunter super bull bar from truckgeardirect.com they come in chrome too if ur in to that. its was right at $140 shipping and all. shipped in 2 days.

 

Was it easy to install?

Also, how far does a skid plate go under the truck? I never actually looked at one on or off a truck before. Do they protect more than just a bull bar? And do any of these products make working on the truck harder?

 

Neither of ur choices will do much against anything beyond a tumbleweed honestly.

The "bullbars" available are a joke and they are so weak they fold back on impact and do more damage than good.

Grillegaurds /brushgaurds are grill killers and hood killers.....they also just fold back and do more damage.

The US idea of a "bullbar" is nothing like what an Aussie would expect from a bull or 'roo bar.

Bullbars that are available (westin etc) also kill ur approach angle......since ur gunna use the truck offroad, u should care. They are best suited as lightbars, but still effect approach angles.

I suggest saving ur money......there's a thread here with pics of all kinds of proper bumpers from plate to tube, and steel to aluminum.

 

Bull bars are nothing more than a place to install lights.....

A front bumper would be best...but expensive.

Grill guards aren't that great either, but better than a bull bar.

FWIW..... I had a WAAG grill guard on my 96 tacoma. It was very impressive for what it was. I had it on the truck while offroading, and it saved my front bumper/valance many times. When I took it off (for a bumper), the bottom bar (going across) was bent & beat up. It impressed me to say the least. I don't have experience with the WAAG for the newer trucks.

 

I am going with a NFAB light bar primarily to mount lights. I figure it is best to see them so I can avoid them. NFAB soes claim some protection. I figure it might save he plastic on the bumper at slow speeds.

 

Mine has a ranch hand grill gaurd. Very easy to install.

 

Can't go wrong with a Rancehand.

 

mine took all of 15 mins to install. i lost one tow hook because of how it mounts up but the other was able to remain. it mounts up with like some 3/16' 90* brackets which is its weak poiint as far as bending back. i had thought welding some tube through the vent stuff below the grill/above the valance, to the vertical runnin channel behind the bumber for some actual protection incase i hit a dog or something, but then it wont be removable (i suppose anything is removable with a recip saw but u no what i mean).

 

yota243...

hey, my thoughts exactly, still trying to figure it out, got a wire feed welder, the design just makes it very difficult...

 

Make sure wherever u order it from has them in stock.....if not, have them get ahold of n fab directly and ask if that part is currently in stock.

N fab "forgot" to mention their tire carrier was on backorder and wouldn't ship for 2 to 3 weeks. They never bothered to tell the shop.....we had to call and ask for tracking info after a week because we wanted to make sure the package didn't get intercepted.

Def lost my money and respect.......ill just tie/lock the spare to the extra d rings in the bed and save a couple hundred bucks.

 

Mine is for sale now... I cut out that custom skid plate for it

 

Had a Warn Trans4mer on my ZR2 back in 99, then an ARB on my 2003 Dcab Taco, and then decided Warn on the 08 Tacoma. The ARB's are comparable in price, but the ARB is just so big and long on the 2nd Gens it did not work for me. They are a great bumper though. Yes, I did take off my FJ wheels as I am getting new rubber installed in a few days, hence the pics being slightly different.


Here are some pics of my Warn Trans4mer:

 

Old picture of mine when it still had a Hunter stainless steel grille guard:


Newer picture with NFab light bar:

 

Can someone please tell me if you have to remove the factory skid plate to install an Aires or Westin bull bar?

 

No, they mount in front of the factory skid plate.

 

Great, thanks for the info. Exactly what I wanted to hear!

 

I have a 2010 Taco TRD and on the Westin site they say you have to remove the front skid plate.... I haven't pulled the trigger yet as I don't want to have to remove the skid plate. Has anyone put one on and knows for sure that you don't have to remove it? Or, is there another brush guard that you can install without removing the skid plate. Sorry to ask but I want to be sure bore ordering.

Dave

 

here's mine while putting on some hella 500ff