Dissapointed with trans4mer. Should I be?

[jeepingben]

Recently I became worried about a deer (or even a turkey) taking out my radiator and immobilizing me on a long trip coming up.

I found a great deal on a clearance warn trans4mer grill-guard and it seems like people generally regard this as a real one and not a pretty one or damage-multiplier.

The brackets for this are thick and the kit instructs me to drill out the bolt holes for the included grade-5 1/2" bolts, but they fail to go as far back on the frame-rails as the factory-option 6000lb winch mount. A few big bolts vs lots of small bolts seems like uni-body 101 stuff. I am keeping my outer tow-hook brackets so the grill-guard will tie into the bolts further back as well.

I know people use this system for winching so it must be good enough for that and the uprights seem strong enough, but why leave out that bolt hole to save a few square inches of plate?

The included cross tubes are 14/16 ga steel and attach using a single bolt threaded through some steel on each side.

Is this steel enough? I know the bolts aren't. My plan now is either to bolt and weld these tubes, or order some thicker tube and add multiple bolt holes and/or weld them.

Has anyone had experience with this system. Did it bend when you didn't expect it too? Did it take a lot of abuse?

I want some strength in return for the weight/length I am adding, but that DOM tubing is expensive and I'll only add it if it is needed.

Thanks

 

[GordoSmasho]

Seem like junk to me. Why not just get a real bumper with a grill hoop?

 

[RCP Phx]

That won't even come close to stopping a deer. Even the best bumpers out there would have a tough time with that!
We built this one about 10yrs ago, it would have a hard time with a deer!

 

[jeepingben]

Depends on the definition of stop and the definition of deer.
For a big deer at speed, i would say this is an acceptable result (except I don't want my xj becoming an izuzu)

The current crossbar bolts LOOK like they would fail and launch the crossbar at the windshield. The crossbars also LOOK like exhaust pipe. These were both designed by engineers at warn and I'm not an engineer. Is it stronger than it looks?

mods - please delete the giant images from the first post.

 

[AIbandit]

You're asking a lot from a brush guard, they're not designed to handle much. It probably is pipe, You don't need tube to protect from brush.

 

[jeepingben]

I have the grill-guard only (the center part). I know the hoops around the lights are useless.

 

[Vernicious]

I hit a HUGE deer with my old 98 XJ that was bone stock in 2012. I was surprised at how little damage there really was. I was traveling about 45 MPH and probably hit it at about 30. Yes, my radiator was trash, but only because a hoof went through it. Not sure if a grill guard would help or not in my case.

 

[md21722]

A lot of times grill guards are called damage enhancers. On my 3/4 ton Dodge truck, I had a Reunel winch bumper. I believe it would stop anything. It weighed 340 pounds without the winch.

 

[Ou2mame]

My Bronco had a grill guard in it when I bought it. Got into an accident and it destroyed both fenders and hood and grill. Without it, the bumper would have been damaged. Something that's going to stop hundreds of pounds of dead weight at driving speeds is going to look like a tank. Your radiator will get damaged hitting a deer.

Sent from my HTC M9 using Tapatalk