Automotive Articles

Back in the days of slant sixes and turbo-fire V8s, one of the easiest ways to distinguish a luxury car from its less-expensive counterpart was to check out the dashboard. The more lights, the more expensive the vehicle. At the other end of the price scale were vehicles like the Ford Falcon, whose cost-conscious design called for a single light bulb in the dash to illuminate both left- and right-hand turn-signal indicators.

As years passed, discerning motorists came to realize that the “idiot lights” on the dashboard weren’t all they were cracked up to be. All too often, by the time a light indicated a problem, it was too late for the driver to take corrective measures. In effect, these lights didn’t tell the driver what was happening so much as what had already happened. Hence, the birth of a new trend: the more posh a vehicle was, the more dashboard gauges it had.

Unfortunately, OEM gauges-when they’re present-tend to be marvels of ambiguity. Constrained by both cost and styling considerations, they rarely have enough graduations or accuracy to give you more than vague clues about what’s going on under the hood. How hot is your engine running? If the answer is “two-thirds of the way between the yellow and red bars,” you might want to rethink your gauges.

For this reason, aftermarket gauges are one of the most popular upgrades on tow vehicles and motorhomes, not only to supplement factory-installed devices but to supplant them entirely.

Watch the Needle

Many gauges are offered in both mechanical and electrical versions, and the distinction between the two is important. While most mechanical gauges directly convert temperature or pressure to the physical movement of a needle on a dial face, electrical gauges first convert it to a voltage or current before converting it yet again to the needle’s physical movement. This last conversion step is typically accomplished either by electrically heating a piece of metal that expands and contracts to move the needle or by using an electromagnet that pulls the needle against an opposing clock spring.

Getting accurate, consistent needle movement with these two techniques is difficult, and this typically makes electrical gauges less accurate than their mechanical counterparts. Also, mechanical gauges tend to respond quicker to changes in pressure or temperature and are unaffected by voltage fluctuations in the vehicle’s electrical system.

Even so, electrical gauges have several important advantages. First, they’re usually easier to install, simply because electrical wiring is easier to route through tight spaces than the copper or plastic capillary tubing used in most mechanical gauges. Second, in the case of oil or fuel pressure, they don’t bring engine fluids inside the vehicle. (For safety reasons, mechanical fuel-pressure gauges usually require the use of a fuel-to-inert-fluid isolator, which must be mounted outside living areas.) Finally, while most mechanical temperature gauges are permanently attached to their sending units by a specific length of tubing, electrical gauges can be located any desired distance away from their senders-a particular advantage in rear-engine motorhome applications.

For these reasons, many folks prefer electrics over mechanicals-or at least some mixture of both. Fortunately, gauge manufacturers often sell mechanical and electrical versions with identical appearances, making it easy to mix and match without sacrificing aesthetics.

Recently, digital gauges have become available in the aftermarket. Most of these designs use the same basic type of sending units as their electric counterparts but convert the sender’s electrical signal to digital data that’s shown on

a liquid-crystal display (LCD). This approach provides most of the advantages of electric gauges, without the loss of accuracy associated with converting an electrical signal to mechanical movement of a needle on a dial face. Some digital gauges still retain a mechanical dial but use the data to drive a stepper motor that precisely controls the needle’s deflection-an approach that combines the accuracy of digital circuitry with the visual appeal of “real” dials.

Gauge resolution is another important consideration. Inexpensive gauges tend to be marked with few graduations, sometimes with a few color bars in lieu of any actual numbers. Better-quality gauges will be marked every few degrees of temperature, every few pounds of pressure and so on. Most top-quality gauges also display their readings over a wide-sweeping meter face, making it easier to read actual numbers at a glance. Naturally, gauge size also plays an important role in resolution: readings are easier to see on a larger gauge, and a large gauge face provides room for the manufacturer to include more graduations.

One’s Never Enough

Aftermarket gauges tend to be installed in pairs or groups. After all, engine and drivetrain performance can be monitored in a host of ways, from rpm to temperature to fuel pressure, so consumers eager to get a full picture often don’t settle for one. After all, the installation of one gauge presents a convenient opportunity to install several others at the same time.

However, on many vehicles, finding sufficient dashboard space for mounting several gauges can be difficult. Aftermarket gauge manufacturers have partially solved this problem by offering “pods” or “pillars” that replace the vehicle’s original windshield pillar cover on the driver’s side, thereby allowing two or three gauges to be mounted in this location. Aside from providing excellent visibility, pillar mounting avoids any cutting or drilling in the dashboard itself. Gauge pods and pillars are available for most current pickups and SUVs, as well as some passenger cars.

A few manufacturers also offer instrument-cluster upgrades for certain vehicles. Basically, these packages allow you to pull the entire set of factory-installed gauges out of the dashboard as a single unit and replace them with an enhanced gauge suite that retains the original unit’s mounting footprint and aesthetics.

Multi-Function Monitors

Most modern engines employ at least one computer to control engine operation. These little brains rely on sensors that measure things like coolant temperature, fuel pressure, camshaft position and absolute manifold pressure. Many vehicles have a second computer to control various transmission functions, with sensors to measure fluid temperature, tail-shaft speed and line pressure, among other things. Typically, the readings are available on the vehicle’s data bus, which transfers data from the computer to peripherals.

Today’s sophisticated gauges allow RVers to use this wealth of data to display a wide variety of functions. Indeed, many monitors are capable of using several pieces of basic data to display more complex information. Need to know your rig’s instantaneous or average fuel economy? Some monitors compute fuel-injector duration and vehicle speed to determine these figures for you. With the help of the aforementioned LCD screens, most models can either display several functions simultaneously or quickly switch between functions at the push of a button.

Since the monitor requires only a few connections to the vehicle’s data bus (with no new sensors or senders to install inside the engine compartment), installation is quick and straightforward. In some cases, this also allows the monitor to be removed and relocated to another vehicle at trade-in time, leaving the old vehicle unscarred by its removal.

Moving a heavy RV down the road puts big demands on the engine and drivetrain and requires extra driver diligence in maintaining proper temperatures, pressures and fluid levels. In this regard, a comprehensive suite of accurate, reliable gauges (or a monitor with similar capabilities) is cheap insurance against unexpected mechanical breakdowns, trip delays and repair expenses.

Do you know everything that an auto body shop can do for your car? Most people think of these establishments after an automobile accident, when damage to the car needs to be repaired, but there are many more services that they offer.

Painting cars is one of the most common tasks an auto body shop will undertake. While vehicles that have been in accidents usually need to be painted, the service center will also paint vehicles for other reasons. Sometimes the vehicle’s owner is looking for a new color, and other times they are looking to customize the car with stripes, flames, or other decorations. Computerized paint mixing systems allow repair centers to carefully match a customer’s desired color, allowing the company to do small touch ups that perfectly match the vehicle’s existing paint.

Most companies have detailing services as well, which help restore a car’s finish and brighten up its look, both inside and out. If you are getting ready to sell your vehicle, consider having it detailed. This will help it to truly shine as people come to look at it.

Dent repair is another task that these repair centers will handle. Small dings and dents greatly diminish the look of an otherwise nice vehicle. Most centers can quickly and easily mend these without the need to paint, restoring the vehicle to its like-new look. Similarly, repairing small paint scratches also falls in the list of tasks performed by a repair center.

Frame mending is also a service offered by an auto body shop. Vehicles that have been in a crash, even a minor one, usually need some form of frame or bumper restoration. Sometimes older vehicles need patch up just from the normal wear and tear of driving. In addition, some locations will offer wheel alignment after repairing the frame of the vehicle. Not only does this ensure that the automobile looks good, but it also ensures that it drives well, provided it had no damage to the internal parts.

An auto body shop can also help those interested in restoring classic cars to show-worthy condition. All of the services these locations offer apply in this situation. Usually classic cars need to be repainted, and detailing is essential to get them in good condition. Often the frame is in need of repair as well, and almost every older car out there has a few dents and scratches needing a fix.

The next time you look at your vehicle and bemoan the fact that it has a few dents and scratches, consider taking it to an auto body shop. For a small financial investment, you can have your car looking like new again.

With the mass of people switching to freer, non-conventional forms of living it is no wonder that recreational vehicles have gained extreme popularity. In America, RV’s refer to a type of equipment or vehicle that is used both as a temporary home (or permanent) and as a regular vehicle. In many parts of the world though, RV’s are treated more like Sports Utility Vehicles than anything else.

There are many uses to RV’s. Some people choose to use them for brief leisure while many intend to settle down in RV’s rather than invest on a house. Camping and vacations seem to rank top when it comes to renting one. This is due to the reason that they provide a comfortable place to stay in rather than lodge in a hotel. Somehow, RV’s become a home outside your home.

If you are fond of moving from one place to another and have a vision of staying that way for long, there is no way that you should miss the benefits you can have with recreational vehicles. The fact that you won’t have to relocate you stuffs every once in a while, or your freedom from renting multiple hotel rooms should be enough reasons for you to have your own RV. Also, such vehicles provide more organized living space for frequent travelers.

A typical RV is equipped with table, beds, a storage area and an area for food preparation. Larger models, on the other hand, are fully equipped with full-service bathrooms, master bedrooms, living room, refrigerator and other basic home needs. Nevertheless, there are sophisticated RV’s that are complete with satellite TV, awnings, slide-out sections and internet access.

Like many other types of vehicles, recreational vehicles come in many forms. And because of varying needs for extension space, trailers also come in varieties of frameworks and designs. The major types of which are:

Folding Camping Trailers are primarily used for towing multiple vehicles. It is also known as a pop-up unit with a light-weight sides that disengage to provide room for storage and towing. Hybrid Trailer is a combination of a tent trailer and a travel trailer. Designs vary depending on the primary use a Hybrid trailer is intended for. For some, the sides are rigid which can be pulled down to make room for a tent, thus an extra space. Another type features a pull-down wall and roof suitable for height adjustment when used for towing.

Travel Trailer, on the other hand, is a usually used for longer travels and transportation. This is designed specifically to be towed by a larger vehicle.

Park Model is intended for a special tow vehicle and occasional relocation. Thus, the need for a special highway permit.

The camper shells or caps are small housings or canopies used as an accessory to pick-ups. These normally provides covering for the entire truck bed which therefore provide enough space fit for camping. Due to the unstable nature of RV’s and campers, users would have to add more stability on campers. RV’s are not only intended for continuous driving, they also have to park and stay somewhere. And at this junction, it is critical that the camper is properly leveled on the ground.

Camper levelers have the primary intention of promoting better stability. These devices are engineered precisely to carry extreme weight and load. After all, RV’s and campers contain your basic home accessories.

If you are looking for information on trailer levelers, you are in luck! Here’s a review of sorts about different types of trailer levelers:

1) BAL heavy-duty trailer leveler - it takes the form of a scissor jacks. Guaranteed to support your trailer, this product is adjustable to any height you want.

Most people would find this type of trailer leveler to be the easiest to use as many people already have experience with jacks. Having a heavy-duty jack to support your trailer will definitely help you a lot. Ordinary scissor jacks, though, may not be able to support your trailer. These scissor jacks are specifically made for that purpose. Priced at 90 dollars above, you would do well to go with this trailer leveler.

2) EZ ramp stacking trailer leveler -this comes in the form of stackable platforms. What you do is you take the assortment of pads and stack them to your desired height. After creating a stack of them, you then drive the trailer over the stacks and thus, raise it to your desired height.

This is an excellent example of thinking outside the box. While most people would think that trailer levelers should raise the trailer using some sort of lifting mechanism, nobody really thought about changing the definition of the terrain itself by adding a platform of sorts. Priced at 45 dollars, buy this product and start stacking today.

3) Tri-leveler -this trailer leveler acts much in the same manner as the stacking type However, this product comes in the form of measured platforms, eliminating the option of adjusting the height according to your desire. Limited to three levels, you can’t exactly call this a provider of options.

Priced at 20 dollars, you may probably want to buy this if you are looking to save some cash.

4) Rieco Titan remote control trailer leveler - this product offers you convenience. These electric type can lift up to 2500 lbs. This trailer leveler also gives you the option to adjust your trailer to a height of 36 inches. Isn’t that amazing?

If you are worried about the power head not being able to stand the elements, put your fears to rest because this baby is weather-sealed. Another feature of this is the fact that it can be remote-controlled. Yup, you can adjust this trailer leveler at the touch of a button. Priced at 1600 dollars, this is one great luxury item.

5) Wheel landing gear - this type is an alternative for those who want the luxuries of the electric leveler without the price. Powered by electricity, they can also be adjusted at the touch of a button. Sure, they may not have a remote control, but these trailer levelers are effective.

The fifth wheel landing gear supports your trailer and can lift up to 12,000 lbs per pair! Now that’s amazing! These are also zinc-plated, making them resistant to rust. Priced at 600 dollars, these babies will lift you up.

These are just some of the different types of trailer levelers available out there. Many more brands are available out there. In looking for a product, however, you should be smart and choose the best for you. You should always consider your preference, the price of the product and the quality of the trailer leveler you are buying.

If you do these things you are sure to get the deal you want.

If you own or operate a company that utilizes trucks as a part of its business structure, you are probably already aware of the high cost associated with keeping those trucks on the road. Between the insurance and upkeep, parts, parking tickets, gas and insurance, not to mention finding and hiring quality drivers, it all adds up pretty quick. In order to avoid getting in too far over your head budget-wise, you will need to look for places to cut costs without sacrificing quality or safety.

A good place to look for cost-cutting benefits is to reduce the amount that you are paying for truck parts, especially truck tires. You can find good quality tires at a reasonable price, which can really help to keep your budget under control.

A lot of people don’t realize that this is a great way to instantly cut your expenses, as trucks that are used commercially need to have their tires and other parts replaced frequently. Even if you are cost conscious and try to keep an eye out for sales or buy your tires in bulk, there are still lots of other ways to reduce your costs. Once you understand the practice behind these cost-cutting methods, you’ll begin to find even more ways to reduce your overall budget.

It’s a good idea to figure everything out and try to plan in advance. Write down your estimates of what you’ll need, when you’ll need to get it and factor in for emergencies so you’ve got it all covered.

However, sometimes things just don’t go as planned - even with an emergency option in place. No matter how well-planned your list is or how carefully you factored in all the options, if nothing else is guaranteed in business it’s that things can go wrong.

That’s just how it works. Sometimes issues or problems come up at the worst time but no matter what you’ve got to just deal with them on a daily basis. As a business owner or manager, it is essential that you have at least some emergency funds stashed away that will help you to deal with life’s little surprises. One way to help build that emergency nest egg is to cut your monthly expenses by purchasing cheap truck tires so you’ll be able to put your saved money aside for the future.

Many businesses purchase trucks and truck equipment that have been slightly used and they work just fine. Just make sure you don’t try to go too cheap. You don’t want to sacrifice quality or safety, so be sure that anything you purchase that is used is also durable and will be easy to use. You also want to ensure that the drivers you are hiring are very capable and experienced, as well as your repair team who will need to service the equipment when it breaks down. When you save money by buying low cost parts or cheap truck tires, you’ll be able to reinvest those savings into hiring qualified drivers, repair technicians and be able to take care of unexpected issues as they arise.

Have you ever experienced being in the middle of the road when your car just conked out on you? Or maybe you were in a hurry for an important meeting but just could not get your car engine to rev up? Perhaps your car just keeps on sputtering while you are driving. Once you have experienced any of these, a visit to a good auto shop is a must.

Sometimes, when people are too busy, they often neglect the need to take care of the things that offer faithful service to them everyday. One of the really good examples is the car. At times, people fail to take notice of the groans of their vehicles and end up with a broken car instead.

You have to be aware of how your car runs. Your familiarization with the “ride” of your car would greatly help you determine whether your car needs some tweaking and fixing or not. If you feel like you are riding in an old vibrating vehicle, your tires might need some balancing and alignment.

One important aspect that you have to be constantly aware of is your breaks. When it sinks to the floor when you apply pressure, or if your car moves sideways every time you apply the breaks, then there is definitely a problem and it is a very ripe time to let an auto mechanic check your car.

An auto service in Atlanta would only take some of your time and you don’t need to watch your car the whole time. It is a good idea to leave your car at the shop while it is being checked for any problems and it enables the mechanics to check your car thoroughly.

All car problems could be brought to an Atlanta auto service. Highly reputable ones are available to serve you day in and day out. You are assured of the employment of the latest modern equipment and highly-trained mechanics to fix your car troubles.

So for your car needs, whether it is in the worst case of a broken down car, or still in the pre-worse stage, bringing your car to an Atlanta auto shop would really help you save time and expenses.

Many used RV dealers pick up a significant portion of their inventory by buying foreclosed RVs. They look for ones in good condition, clean them up a little, fix any minor problems, and then sell them for much more than they spent to make their profit. Avoid paying their mark-up and buy a great foreclosed RV yourself for much cheaper.

RV owners tend to take good care of their RVs. Often when they are facing foreclosure, it is because they experienced a change in employment or other recent event that affected their ability to make the payments on their RV. When the lender notifies them that they are in danger of having their RV foreclosed on, many try to sell it themselves. Frequently they price the RV so that if they sell it, they can pay off the rest of the loan completely. Since RV quickly depreciate and foreclosure often happen in the first year from purchase, these prices are usually too high. As time goes on, the owner may become more realistic and try to sell it for less. Sometimes you can find a good price this way, especially if the lender agrees to a “short sale” where they will accept selling the RV for less than the outstanding loan balance. Either the owner makes up the difference or the lender writes it off, happy to get back at least part of the money. However, the best deals are usually found on foreclosed RVs that have already been repossessed by the lender.

Since lending institutions are not in the business of storing and maintaining RVs, they want to get rid of the RVs quickly. They auction them off, usually with very low starting bids. Most will let you inspect the RVs beforehand so you can be sure you are bidding on a RV in good condition. This will also let you see if it has all the features and amenities you want. For some auctions, you place your bid in a sealed envelope and the highest bidder win. For others you will compete with other bidders in a live auction. It can be easy to get carried away in the excitement of bidding, so have a ceiling price for each RV you are considering to keep yourself from overbidding. If you do not get the RV you want initially, there is no need to panic or worry. Others will be available down the road.

To buy like a dealer, find the auctions, be prepared and get that great foreclosed RV at an amazingly low price.

Electric bikes are constantly growing in India these days. Entrepreneurs are optimistic in this business, despite the low sales trends. In India, there are more than 40 e-bike companies manufacturing electric bikes. Almost all companies importing electric bike parts in completely knocked down (CKD) kits from countries like China, Taiwan and assembling in India and selling in India.

Being keen about product quality & market capture, Indian companies are currently concentrating on

1. The dispatch of quality CKD kits at vendor end to reduce the inline quality issues.

2. Investing in R&D and indigenizing the e-bike components and developing them in India. This helps the manufacturers have a better control over quality. Some companies developing e-bike dealers & service equipment manufactures.

3. Good after sales service. The whole e-bike technology is new, the more the company cares its costumers more goodwill it gains.

E-bike business in a nascent stage, there are many business opportunities are seen for coming years. Taking E-bike manufacturing into consideration, there are companies like Hero electric, Ampere Vehicles pvt ltd, Ultra Motors ltd, Lectrix Motors Ltd, TI and many more establishing themselves into this business. Hence, no company yet captured this business. This simply means that still there is a scope for a newbie to come and stand in the business of manufacturing electric bikes.

During my work experience of 4 years in this electric bike R&D; my team was tired of looking for vendors who can make a single e-bike part in India. As these parts are imported from outside, they are of non-standard for Indian vendors. This discouraged the vendors to work in developing them as they are pessimistic about E-bike business as a whole. This forces the OEM to import which increases the cost of the e-bike. Increase in cost reduces the motivation in costumer to buy. Hence it requires the initiation to build this business and everybody should be part of it.

With this introduction of importance of the indigenization, we will discuss the various business opportunities associated with e-bikes.

Various parts of electric bikes & related business, can be classified as follows

1. Sheet Metal & Tubular parts - Chassis, Front fork, Handle bar, Swing arm, Centre stand, side stand.

2. Plastic & PP parts - Front mould, Side covers, Handle cover, Seat, Side lower covers, etc.

3. Drive train parts - Electric Motor, Power Electronic controller, Batteries, Charger, DC-DC Converter.

4. Electric & lighting accessories - Head lamps, Indicator lamps, Buzzer, Horn, Wire-harness , Connecting sockets, etc.

5. Miscellaneous parts - brake levers, Electronic accelerator (Throttle), Switches, Speedometer, etc.

6. Dealer and service equipments - Hydraulic tools, jigs, ramps, dealer test equipments for electrical components, etc.

The above list goes on and on. The objective in classifying & listing the parts is to show that a business opportunity lies in making each of the above parts. Almost 60% of the above parts are same as that of convectional automobile parts but with some dimensional change. It is true that a lot of R&D is required to develop a good quality and suitable product but it starts with the initiation from every entrepreneur.

Indian Entrepreneurs should take the challenge of developing and mass produce the electric bike components which reduce the production cost of the bike and ultimately the cost to the costumer. This will lead to more sales of electric bikes & vehicles. This will increase the share of e-bikes on road to the convectional vehicles. This reduces the tail pipe emissions and noise pollution leading to pollution-free Earth.

Almost all the helmets that are manufactured in the United States of America have at least one of the two levels of safety certification attached to them. This includes the certification offered by the Department of Transportation (popularly known as DOT) and the Snell Memorial Foundation (or simply Snell).

The DOT standard of safety for helmets is the minimum standard that must be followed by all manufacturers to bikers on the road. Therefore, this is mainly a parameter that is required to be followed. However, the Snell standard is more stringent, and has many more parameters that require satisfaction before certification.

The Snell standard is a voluntary testing of helmets offered by the organization to a not-for Profit Company that makes other protective riding gear as well. This standard is regarded as the highest among all safety standards of helmets in the world.

Although both standards require the helmets to hit steel ended anvils to test their impact which is identical to one caused due to an accident on road, the safety standards and testing procedures for DOT and Snell helmets are extremely carried from one another.

All riders depend on the standard safety of motorcycle helmets offered by DOT and Snell. What makes this standardization helpful is that when one is buying a helmet, he or she does not have to rely on the word of the manufacturer regarding the authenticity of the safety provision. As long as the helmet is certified by either method of standardization (DOT or Snell), the rider is assured of being provided with minimum guaranteed safety by the helmet during riding.

DOT Rating

DOT rating does not require each helmet to be tested to pass the standardization. This rating demands that the manufacturer “feel” the fact that the helmet made passes the test. Therefore, no real test is performed on the helmet to rate it with DOT. However, occasional testing on any piece of the product can be carried out to test the safety provision.

The testing mainly involves observation on high impact. A simulated head is placed inside the helmet which is then dropped from a height of ten feet. A force of 400 G is the maximum impact that the head is subjected to in such a case. G stands for the force due to gravity on the object.

Snell Rating

Snell rated helmets involve way more complex testing procedures. There are a number of these tests that are carried out on each and every helmet that is brought to be tested. Therefore, manufacturing companies may take the initiative to bring their helmets to get them tested for Snell rating. Obviously these tests have to be paid for by the makers of the helmets.

The testing processes involve exertion of high impact force, heat resistance and shell penetration. There are seven types of such tests.

Safety Matters

Although most riders are choosy about the color, fit and comfort of their helmets, a lot of them also have issues with the price. Nothing is more important than the safety measure of the helmet. Therefore, it is a bad idea to buy a helmet only because it is reasonably priced. You may have to pay with your safety in such a case in future.

A good grille guard can be quite the versatile tool for your truck or SUV. In fact, grille guards better your driving experience with the following features:

- Tough looks that add a serious dose of attitude or style to your front end

- Protection of delicate, expensive parts with rugged steel bars that deflect potential hazards

- A number of shapes and styles, from standard push bars to sleek euro-shaping that follows your vehicle’s lines

- The versatility to hold auxiliary lighting or a winch

The basics of grille guard shapes and styles - breakdown!

Whatever grille guard shape and style you want, AutoAnything probably has it. We showcase every kind of grille guard, from full front end beasts to small nudge bars to intricate winch grille guards. Plus, there’s standard-shaped utility designs and euro-inspired sleek models that reflect your vehicle’s styling lines.

Full front end grille guards

The original front-end protector boasts solid uprights bolted to your frame. Some grille guard models feature padded uprights for damage-free pushing. Bolted to the uprights are typically a bar for mounting auxiliary lights, a top hood guard bar, and shaped headlight guards.

Nudge bars and sport bars

Crafted primarily for subdued looks and style, nudge and sport bar grille guards offer solid low-speed impact protection. Their short design, however, prevents these grille guards from protecting your upper grille and headlight areas.

Bumper guards

Laying low to guard against a vehicle’s most frequently hit area, bumper guards boast padded uprights and steel tubing to stop minor fender benders from creating a $2,000 damage tab. Plus, they’re the ideal safeguard against oblivious parking lot drivers and disaffected municipal workers. Front and rear bumper guards are available for duty.

Skid plates

A few of AutoAnything’s full front end grille guards and center guards can be ordered with a skid plate. These tough guards, crafted from steel sheets or tubing, attach to the bottom of the grille guard for ground clearance protection. Anything you drive over - from tree trunks to parking barriers - will hit the skid plate instead of your sensitive underside parts. Not to mention the looks. A skid plate is the exclamation point on your vehicle’s frontal attitude.

Taillight guards

Ever had to replace a taillight on account of a stray rock, wayward baseball or misguided vandal? Taillight guards surround them with a durable steel tubing perimeter and rolled steel crossbars. Taillight guards match the look of your front grille guard, and add to the tough style package on your truck or SUV.

Mounting accessories to your grille guard: quick advice

A grille guard can be a great utility station for your vehicle. There’s a multitude of lighting options which can be mounted to the center bar. Or, for off-road enthusiasts and the perpetually prepared, many grille guards can be equipped with winch mounting plates.

Most of our full front end and center grille guards come pre-drilled for attaching auxiliary lighting to the center bar. This includes driving, fog and high-beam lights, which fit in a prime position for brightening the road and wiring to your vehicle’s electrical system.

Winches can be rigged to most any grille guard, but they’re best used with winch-specific grille guards and mounting systems that maximize pulling power. Winch-specific grille guards require more solid mounting to your vehicle’s frame , a task that can require cutting, drilling, two or more extra people for help, and several hours time.

Which finish color looks best with your truck or SUV?

Grille guards come in two distinct finish looks: durable black powder coat and highly-polished. Polished models are either chrome plated over steel or feature a mirror-polish of stainless steel. Each of these finishes is available on front end grille guards and taillight guards.

- When you want the original tough grille guard look, go with a powder coat black finish model

- For extra shine that matches your chrome and other trim, pick a polished grille guard

- If you want the best coverage against corrosion, select a stainless steel or chrome plated polished grille guard

With many to choose from including grille guards from westin and Manik, you will surely find the grille solution without having to cook your pocket load in the process.