Hi, first post -- Honda Accessories, IMHO

[tinsoul]

First of all, hello to all. This looks like a very good forum and I look forward to interacting with you all!
I bought my Ridge about a week ago, and just got it back from the dealer day before yesterday from having a bunch of accessories put on. I'm kind of questioning my judgement now on just why I got all this stuff. Here's what I got:
Tow package
Tonneau cover
Fog lights
Roof rack
Front chrome trim
Rear chrome trim
Interior metal trim
Auto dimming mirror
Rear under-seat storage (net type)
Front bumper trim - brush guard style

Most of this stuff is good to OK. The only thing that almost makes me hate my truck is that last item, the stupid trim bar that is good for absolutely nothing. You can't bolt a winch or lights to it. You can't push a car with it. It's just for looks, and actually looks cheap. How stupid of me! Now I have to live either with something that I detest, or I have to live with all those holes drilled in the bumper cover. Sheesh, what a choice.
I could've gotten an aftermarket bull bar that is functional for a winch or lights, and some of them even have a built in skid plate that the Ridgline could really benefit from. You can even get them in chrome, and they're probably the same cost or cheaper!
I would Highly recommend against getting this item.

The only other problem is getting my tonneau to lock, but at least it doesn't make me want to beat it with a crowbar like that stupid faux guard does.

[Godskid]

I just bought a black RTL w/moonroof and will pick it up in 3 days. The only accessories I got are the tow package and fog lights. Thanks for the feedback on the bush guard. I thought it looked cool online but you are the second person that said it is a piece of trash. Hope you like your ridge! Al <><

[5S Dude]

Welcome, tinsoul and Godskid! Hope you both enjoy this site as much as driving the Ridge. I have to agree that the Honda "brush guard" is a hollow piece of plastic. but some folks like the looks of it on the front of their trucks. If you want something more "metal" there is a steel brushguard available. I'm positive the aftermarket is already working on lots of new stuff for the Ridgeline.

[Ultra-HOG]

Welcome aboard Tinsoul and Godskid. Enjoy the ride!

[csimo]

Keep in mind that the Honda brush guard is probably flimsy enough to save your life in the event of a frontal collision. It probably was engineered to allow the vehicle to absorb the impact as designed and allow the airbags to deploy.

Most of the aftermarket brush guards have zero actual design engineering to save your life. It's my opinion that anyone that installs one of these is a fool. I don't care if the company says it doesn't interfere with airbag deployment or any other claim they might make. You think they actually crashed a Ridgeline, or any other vehicle to test it? Not a chance.

If you need a brush guard though enough to push other cars, etc. then the Ridgeline is probably not the right truck anyway.

[hiPSI]

Could an after market brush guard minimize the damage from hitting a deer?

[csimo]

Originally Posted by hiPSI

Could an after market brush guard minimize the damage from hitting a deer?

Probably not. The energy expended in the collision is the same regardless if you have a brush guard or not. The difference is that the brush guard (depending on style and how installed) would bypass the bumper and other energy absorbing zones and transfer the energy of the impact directly to the frame.

If you had a test vehicle and ran it into a concrete wall at just 3 - 4 MPH with and without an aftermarket brush guard I believe you would be amazed at the difference. The impact with the brush guard would be magnitudes more severe... not just a little worse, but rather many times worse.

As many of you know, I worked for many years in the auto industry. I was fortunate enough to have a position that allowed me to investigate nearly all aspects of the design and manufacturing process. We even had a couple of guys that would test some of the aftermarket items from time to time. I was outright amazed. Many (most?) of the claims made by the aftermarket were just plain lies.

We had a perfect example play out on this board. A person was designing an aftermarket skid plate for the Ridgeline. Sounds simple enough right? This person apparently had a working design. Most companies would have simply put the product out on the market without further investigation. The person here discovered that the engine and transmission are designed to go down and backwards in a severe frontal collision. The skid plate could have prevented that safety feature from functioning and the project was put on hold. I admire that act of responsibility. I'm sure someone will have a skid plate for the Ridgeline on the market soon despite the danger. They might not even be aware of the safety issue... they may not care if they did know.

Factory approved accessories are usually tested for safety issues.

[Long Gone]

Welcome tinsoul and Godskid, our fine new ROC Heads. Enjoy the ride!!
We're glad you're here.

[tinsoul]

CSIMO said, "...It probably was engineered to allow the vehicle to absorb the impact as designed and allow the airbags to deploy..." and,
"the brush guard (depending on style and how installed) would bypass the bumper and other energy absorbing zones and transfer the energy of the impact directly to the frame...If you had a test vehicle and ran it into a concrete wall at just 3 - 4 MPH with and without an aftermarket brush guard I believe you would be amazed at the difference. The impact with the brush guard would be magnitudes more severe... not just a little worse, but rather many times worse..."

Thanks for your input, I'd not thought about safety in a full-on collision. Respectfully I'd have to disagree just a little with you about whether or not adding brush guards and the like (that bolt directly to the frame) would protect your vehicle when hitting a deer or in a low speed collision.
I have a couple of reasons for my disagreement. If you've ever travelled in Australia it is practically impossible to find a vehicle without substantial aftermarket brush guards or similar installed, unless you're just sticking to the inner cities, like Sydney. The reason? Kangaroos are so plentiful they're almost considered a pest, and hitting one without protection would total your car. I've heard the same thing from people who live in areas with deer. As a side note, Aussies living in the outback aren't really too concerned about the esthetics of things, they pretty much pick function over form every single time!
The other reason comes from personal experience. A good friend of mine had a Toyota 4X4 on which he installed all manner of bars and protection. A minivan pulled out from the side of the road without looking, right in front of him. The minivan was totalled, but his Toyota only had a bent brush guard and the corner of his hood was bent a little, very fixable.
OK, now to my opinion. I think the only reason there is so much emphasis on crumple zones in new cars is because, in the interests of improving fuel economy, and probably also lowering production costs, the cars have been lightened up by replacing metal with plastic, and by thinning out the metal as thin as possible. And if your new car only lasts a few years, unlike the cars from 40 years ago, so much the better for business. It's a different philosophy, and one that benefits the manufacturer more than the consumer. You may completely disagree, but that is my opinion.

[jojolimited]

tinsoul, I would have to disagree with the assumption about crumple zones. They are designed to absorb impact and direct it away from the people in the cab. What they are trying to do is get an excellent safety rating from the insurance institute which does front head on crashes for all sorts of vehicles. Their opinion is consdered so important, Ford redesigned the F-150 to make it more safe(Their previous models had some of the worst ratings of any vehicle anywhere, almost garaunteed to cause serious harm).. We are talking technology, not just cost saving. For a long time, trucks were ignored because federal law didn't require them to have the same safety ratings a cars. Now that they are so popular, all that has changed.