Ok. So I am trying to decide on these two and I am deadlocked on a decision. I am looking for some outside views and input on the benefits, cons, etc., on the bullbar vs the grille/brush guard. Leaning towards the bull bar for the reason of the skid plate. But, I like the look of the grille guard and the protection factor for the headlights, etc. So, give me your best reasons for or against either one. And I am sure in the end....I still won't know what to do. :act002:
IMO the bull bar looks the best on our trucks. The entire grill guard just looks too bulky and out of place. Unless youre going to be off-roading and actually want it for protecting your headlights... or doing PIT maneuvers!
Not looking to do a lot of off-roading. Some here and there. More of a look thing for me. But the pit maneuver does sound like fun. Could make rush hour interesting.
The bull bars that I have found all seem to have the chromed out skid plate. That should be easy enough to change though. But yes, it would be blacked out.
Ok. Here are some pictures. I am not to concerned about specific brands yet, just the style. But, if someone has experience, either good or bad, with a specific brand, manufacturer, style, etc., then I would welcome that input as well. Like with the vast majority of my mods, they are a result of the input and experience found on this forum.
Granted, this is on an Explorer, but it is the style I am concerned with.
This has the chromed skid plate. Has anyone blacked this out? And if so, how difficult a job is that?
I'm pretty sure that the red RL is from a member on here. It looks very familiar.
So Gouranga, what "crappy little bars under the front fender" are you referring to? Are you talking about the Bull Bars?
I think the full front end brush guard is too heavy looking for the honda.. they look good on certain 4x4's.. but I dont think the honda is one of them.. I think the bull bar is a better choice if you are going to do anything... just my 2 cents..
its ok i dont get bothered by 16 year old keyboard warriors.....aside from that the bull bar was on both my 08 and 13 and has won ridgeline of the month twice this year....any way i digress....the bar was bought on ebay and i believe it was APS and it was all black
I got the grille guard because I do occasionally go off road and live in an area where the deer are suicidal. wish someone a steel bumper replacement (and a diesel motor for it) but I work w what I got. I'm happy w it
I think the grille guard looks really cool. Although I've only seen it on the internet and it's always directly from the front. I would love to see more angles. I'm trying to decide between the two myself! I going all black as well.
All the different brand bull bars I've seen posted on here look good in my opinion, BUT...I bought the Westin b/c the other cheaper brands, while they still look good, are bigger and do not fit the truck as nicely IMO, The bull bars do look a bit odd from the side angle and even more odd with the bigger ones like Steelcraft.
Hello;
I have the brush-grille gard. i would definatly get the full coverage. I hit a 1500 lb steer this summer and did a lot less damage with the brush-grille gard.
the ins. company told me the damage would of been around $7.000 to $8.000 .
without the grill gard. the grill gard saved my truck from extencive damage. with it ,the damage was $2700 .you decide. im sold on the brush-grille gard. The last picture is the truck after repairs. The grille gard saved the bumper and the grille itself
Don
I was really leaning towards the bull bar. Lots of great discussion on here, but I pulled the pin yesterday and ordered an Aries grill guard, all black. The pros for the full guard won me over as well as the profile look. I was actually able to see one on a RL and liked the way it looked from all angles. The bull bar looks good, but the profile look to me just didn't sell me. So, hope to get it in a few days and will post pics after I get it installed.
Thanks for all of the help though. As always, a lot of good information on here.
I know that it shows a Toyota in the picture....but the guard is the same style, construction, etc.
Awesome. I think thats the way I'm gonna go as well. Theres a guy on here who has red ridgeline with the grill guard that looks really good. He has a ton pictures in his profile with every angle. Sold me on it...
Ok. Install is now done on the Aries grillguard that I purchased. Not to bad of a job. The biggest pain is dropping the splash guard and marking out where the cuts need to happen. That and finding all of the little clips that need to come out. Once that was done....it was pretty smooth sailing. I will say that the included instructions are a joke. A template would have been nice for the splash guard since it is somewhat difficult to get an accurate measurement for the cuts. Anyway....here are some pics.
One vote for Bull bar. I had the full Grille Guard on my old 1G Pilot. I am surprise how much the Grille Guards have gone up in price...maybe the pricing is vehicle specific and supply/demand.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums
1.3M posts
86.9K members
Since 2004
Honda Ridgeline Owners Club, forum community to discuss reviews, accessories, performance, care, mods, and more.