Brush Guard Advice Wanted...(Pics are a bonus!)

[Greene728]

Looking to install a brush guard on my 2015 Ram 3500. I want protection, but also something that looks good. Deer are terrible in my neck of the woods, and I've already had a couple very close calls this past fall. These new diesels are packed with radiators in the front too! Anybody here have any recommendations good or bad? The two I'm currently looking at are as follows.

1. Ranch Hand Legend Series. $549 Amazon
2. SteelCraft HD Series. Amazon $474

Im leaning toward the SteelCraft obviously for price. But it also has very good reviews on a few different sites, as well as looks better than the RH to me due to the crossbars on the main grill section.

Again, pics, input (good and bad) are welcome!

[ksss]

I have had numerous RH Legend style bumpers. I have yet to have a deer hit, surprising, but I have been hit and run with no damage to me except for paint transfer.

[rjstractor]

I think it's near impossible to avoid sustaining some damage from hitting a large deer or elk at speed. But I see a good guard doing two things- hopefully avoiding radiator damage, allowing the truck to be driven home, and preventing the deer from impacting the windshield and injuring the driver and passengers.

[Greene728]

MudChucker wrote:
Bet the ranch hand makes it get 1.2 mpg more ... 😉

Ive hit a few deer on the highway one f150, one econoline van and this winter one mazda cx9 , Deer went over the roof of the cx9 and gibbled the back bumper too.

Do you guys figure one of these gaurds is going to do much ? 600 bones for a gaurd to minimize damage to what is likley going to be an insurance claim with a deductable ?

I thought of this also and is a legitimate question. My deductible is $500 and maybe it will be just to cover another brush guard and not a host of radiators, lights, quarter panels, etc.

The other reason I want one though is because I think it just makes the truck look good too.

[rjstractor]

Agesilaus wrote:
YouTube

Video of a truck with a Ranchhand that hit a deer at 75 mph. Not the brushguard style but what I think they call a bull bumper or somesuch. No damage to truck. Not the case for the deer.

First hand evidence is the best kind, but you have to admit that deer was tiny. I'd like to see a Ranchhand after hitting a 200 lb muley buck at the same speed.

[mich800]

MudChucker wrote:
Bet the ranch hand makes it get 1.2 mpg more ... 😉

Ive hit a few deer on the highway one f150, one econoline van and this winter one mazda cx9 , Deer went over the roof of the cx9 and gibbled the back bumper too.

Do you guys figure one of these gaurds is going to do much ? 600 bones for a gaurd to minimize damage to what is likley going to be an insurance claim with a deductable ?

Why pay for the insurance increase if you do not need to? My deductable is $1k so not an expense I want to incur unless absolutely necessary.

[Bumpyroad]

MudChucker wrote:


Do you guys figure one of these guards is going to do much ? 600 bones for a guard to minimize damage to what is likely going to be an insurance claim with a deductable ?

a good question, does any insurance company offer a discount if you have one?
bumpy

[MudChucker]

Bet the ranch hand makes it get 1.2 mpg more ... 😉

Ive hit a few deer on the highway one f150, one econoline van and this winter one mazda cx9 , Deer went over the roof of the cx9 and gibbled the back bumper too.

Do you guys figure one of these gaurds is going to do much ? 600 bones for a gaurd to minimize damage to what is likley going to be an insurance claim with a deductable ?

[agesilaus]

YouTube

Video of a truck with a Ranchhand that hit a deer at 75 mph. Not the brushguard style but what I think they call a bull bumper or somesuch. No damage to truck. Not the case for the deer.

[FishOnOne]

Greene728 wrote:

IdaD wrote:
Grill guards are a total waste, imo. If you hit a deer or anything substantial you'll do more damage than not having one at all. Look at replacement bumpers that are heavy and bolt to the frame. That will offer actual protection.

Example: http://www.autotrucktoys.com/ram/ICI-Dodge-Ram-Magnum-Front-Bumpers-PRD38366.aspx?gclid=CMrsxuWJm9ICFVBhfgod6_UMMw

Ida,
Maybe I wasn't clear. Both of the ones I'm looking at are very heavy brush/grill guards that bolt to the frame in 4 different locations. The ranch hand weighs 128 pounds and is a very substantial piece of steel.

I looked at the full bumper/brush guard units and they are just too much for me. Some of those things add 350-400 pounds to the front end. I'm just not sure that's good on front end components in the long run.

We run the Ranch Hand heavy bumpers (front and rear) on our farm/ranch Super Duty's for several hundred thousand miles/truck with no suspension problems and actually make the truck ride smoother.

[FishOnOne]

Here's a video of Ranch Hand with Deer protection topic.

Link

[agesilaus]

OK, I didn't get a ranch hand BG I got a Westin and it has 2 inch tubing:

Amazon

It has led my truck thru hundreds of miles of 4WD roads out in Utah, Arizona and other western states and doesn't have a scratch on it or a speck of rust.

[austingta]

agesilaus wrote:
The one I have is 1 1/2 inch or maybe 1 3/4 inch steel tubing and would stop a deer at reasonable speeds. If you hit a deer at 70 mph I'm not sure what would happen besides disintegrated deer. But I think the heavy duty brush guard would at least reduce damage to the truck.

I see people with light weight brush guards around town, maybe 1 1/4 inch. Those might not be very effective.

Those protect against brush.

[agesilaus]

The one I have is 1 1/2 inch or maybe 1 3/4 inch steel tubing and would stop a deer at reasonable speeds. If you hit a deer at 70 mph I'm not sure what would happen besides disintegrated deer. But I think the heavy duty brush guard would at least reduce damage to the truck.

I see people with light weight brush guards around town, maybe 1 1/4 inch. Those might not be very effective.

[austingta]

Ranch Hand is certainly the best.