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Buyer's Guide: Brush and Grille Guards

One of the most popular enhancements to the appearance and value of SUVs and trucks is the addition of a Brush / Grille Guard, Tube Bumper(s) and / or Side Steps.

Familiarity with materials, construction techniques and available finishes help buyers choose the right product for their specific application.

Grille Guards, Tube Bumpers and Side Steps are most often manufactured from “100% Mild Steel,” a “Combination Stainless Steel and Mild Steel,” or “100% Stainless Steel.”

Mild Steel offers buyers the combination of the lowest price, good durability and ease of repair. Mild Steel parts can be finished with paint, powder coat or chrome. Powder Coast is the most desirable finish for Mild Steel parts, providing the best protection to moisture intrusion and rust.

Combination Stainless / Mild Steel products offer buyers improved durability over mild steel parts and the look of stainless steel, at a lower price point than 100% stainless construction. These parts are usually offered with a Chrome finish, or polished tubes with painted brackets.

100% Stainless Steel offers buyers the highest quality construction, superior durability, longest lasting finish and ease of repair. These parts are most often machine or hand polished.

What to Look For
Quality of welds and finish are the best indicators of a high quality product.

The quality of welds is the best indicator of quality manufacturing. Welds should be inspected to insure that they are uniform, continuous and complete. Where two pieces of flat stock are joined, insure that the weld continue along the entire seam. Where round stock meets flat plate, the weld should continue around the entire diameter of the tube. Buyers should always avoid products with incomplete, or “tack welds,” as they add little value and may come apart easily.

Paint Finishes are almost always offered in black and are the easiest to repair should they become scratched or chipped. Touch-up is accomplished with just a light sanding and the use of a spray can of paint. Also, these parts can be painted to match or accent the existing color scheme of the vehicle.

Paint is the least expense finish to apply and is almost exclusively used on Mild Steel parts. It offers the least amount of rust protection and will eventually fade when exposed to direct sunlight, moisture and abrasive conditions. Keeping a good coat of automotive wax on the paints surface will help extend the life of the finish. Chips and scratches should be repaired as soon as possible, to prevent rust from forming and spreading under the paint finish.

Powder Coat offers the best protection for Mild Steel parts. It is extremely durable, requires little care and resists fading from exposure to direct sunlight, moisture and abrasive conditions. When properly applied, Powder Coat inhibits moisture from penetrating areas adjacent to scratches or chips, helping to prevent rust and flaking on Mild Steel parts.

Compared to paint, Powder Coat is more costly to apply and more difficult to repair. Spray paints will not adhere to a Powder Coat surface and if damaged, the finish must be sanded to bare metal before the part is re-coated.

Chrome offers a high luster finish that is impervious to fading from exposure to direct sunlight and can be applied to both Mild Steel and Stainless Steel parts. More expensive than paint, or powder coat, Chrome creates a high luster finish on Mild Steel parts and offers manufactures a lower cost alternative to expensive hand polishing of stainless steel parts.

Chrome requires the most care and is difficult to repair, as parts must be stripped and re-dipped. Especially when applied to Mild Steel, Chrome finishes should be waxed often to inhibit moisture penetration, with special care given to areas adjacent to chips and scratches.

Chrome finishes applied over stainless steel also require care. Areas adjacent to chips, dents and scratches are subject to moisture penetration, which can cause the Chrome finish to chip or flake.

When purchasing Chrome parts, it is important to determine if the Chrome finish is applied over Mild Steel or Stainless Steel.

Polished Stainless Steel offers a high luster finish, low maintenance and is easy to repair. Stainless Steel can be polished as a low luster “Brushed” finish, or a high luster finish similar to Chrome in appearance.

Polished Stainless is the most expensive finish, as the polishing is usually done by hand. Polished Stainless will not chip or flake, but is subject to scratching. Scratches can be repaired by sanding with 400 grit paper and then polished back to a high luster.