Ford F150 Brush Guard with Winch Mount
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The Ford F-150 was designed to be a rugged and capable truck with function and purpose dictating its design. The function-driven design is all the more apparent in the bumper, an attribute that has contributed immensely to the growth of its aftermarket industry.
Today, there’s a whole range of aftermarket bumpers that you can add to your Ford F-150 to personalize and give it a new look. This piece will focus on Ford F-150 brush guards with winch mounts.
Let’s kick this off with;
What’s a Brush Guard?
A brush guard (otherwise known as grille guards) is a piece of metal hardware installed on the front of a Ford F-150 truck to protect it from damage during collisions and off-road protection. Most brush guards feature a unique H-shaped frame. The vertical bars that make the H are called risers, while the horizontal line that connects and supports the structure is called a crossbar.
Brush guards come in different designs, with the headlight cages being the most popular feature. Other designs include wraparound wings that extend these cages to the side, a grille plate for extra protection, predrilled holes for light setup, and a slot for winch mounts.
Note that grille guards are different from bull bars. Grille guards have an H shape, while bull bars have an A shape and are significantly smaller than brush guards. Usually, they only reach below the bumper and don’t feature headlight cages.
Along with the cosmetic differences are functional differences too. Bull bar designs focus on the protection of the region under the bumper. To improve their efficiency, most manufacturers add skid plates to deflect rocks and other debris. But like brush grilles, they include aftermarket lighting setups.
Why Do I Need a Ford F-150 Bumper Guard?
Grille guards were designed for crash protection, but they’re also dependable on beaten paths. Off-road adventure has potential hazards, including trees, stumps, fallen branches, and rocks. These guards help defend the truck from these hazards, even when you accidentally hit large animals like deer. Other practical uses aside from defense include mounting winches and aftermarket lights.
Ford Truck Bumper Guard Buying Guide
With many manufacturers offering uniquely different brush guard designs, picking the best can be a problem. To avoid paying top dollar for a low-quality or faulty product, you should know which manufacturers to trust. In addition, you need to know what your Ford F-150 brush guard needs – in this case, a winch mount is necessary.
Below are some factors to consider to ease your buying process:
Material
The most popular materials used are steel, aluminum, and in some cases, carbon steel. Of the three, aluminum is the lightest yet resilient. On the flip side, it’s less dense, so it suffers more damage on collision with tough objects. And although its corrosion resistant and more affordable, aluminum loses its luster faster.
On the flip side, steel is heavier, denser, and tougher than aluminum. This feature comes at a high initial cost that’ll save you money in the long run. Unlike aluminum, it lasts longer and preserves its luster.
Carbon steel
Carbon steel has all the benefits of regular steel with the added advantage of being lightweight. But because it offers the best of both worlds, carbon steel brush bumpers are the most expensive.
Durability
If the brush guard won’t last long, there’s no point in buying it since you’ll be back shopping in a couple of years. Now, brush guard metal frames come in a range of thicknesses, with the smallest being 1.5 inches and the largest 3 inches thick. Thicker models will protect your radiator and the front of the truck better. And if you go for a full front-end grille guard, your headlights will be protected too.
Airflow
Regardless of how long you drive to and from work or go offroad, you’ll need to consider airflow. You want to get a nice balance between airflow and protection. This means that the brush guard should not stop or extensively affect airflow as it’ll cause serious overheating issues.
Finish
There are several finishing options available. The goal is to get one that’ll work, is corrosion resistant, and is stylish enough. The common options are a polished stainless steel and a black powder coat finish. They seem to deliver the same, so the choice comes down to cost and personal preference.
Price
How much do you wish to spend on the Ford F-150 grill guard with a winch mount? While some less expensive options can serve you well, spending a little more will pay off with longer warranties and better durability. Most brush guards (that are of good quality) will set you back in the $500 – $2000 range.
Ease of Installation
Ensure the brush guard you purchase works with the Ford F-150. It’s best to work with a design that doesn’t require any modifications to install.
Pulling Capacity
Different grille guards with winch mounts come with varying pulling capacities. These may be 10,000 lbs. or 16,000 lbs. and more. This rating is important since it guides you on the type of winch you can mount. Consider your winching needs and pick the right grille guard.
Ford F-150 Brush Guard with Mount Review
Westin is an Automotive aftermarket product manufacturer and the parent company of Superwinch, Brute, and FEY winch products. Westin automotive products provide its clients with the look and function needed to match your active lifestyle.
Their commitment to quality and high standards is evident in the Westin HDX Winch Mount Grille Guard. The HDX grille guard is constructed from 304 stainless steel and finished with a black powder coating. The steel construction is used to support a winch pull of 16,500 lbs.
The full punch plate grille guard comes with tray brackets you can mount directly to the vehicle’s frame and has sufficient space to mount a 10.25-inch winch with a 12,000 lbs rating.
- Long-lasting
- Bad-ass looking!
- Easy to mount a winch
- Perfect fit
- The installation instructions and diagrams are confusing
- Since it’s heavy, your pickup will sit an inch lower after install
The winch tray is solid. The first time you handle it, you can tell it’ll last long. To guarantee this, the stainless steel construction has a lifetime warranty, while the black powder coating has a 3-year warranty. We loved that the winch tray is predrilled for easier winch and fairlead mounting.
Fab Fours Ford F150 Full Grill Guard Winch Mount
Fab Fours is one of the industry’s leading manufacturers of truck and Jeep bumpers and other accessories. They are dedicated to pushing innovation boundaries in their product. Fab Fours’ confidence in the market is evident in this Full Grill Guard Winch Mount.
The full grille guard has a strong design, and the winch mounts directly via tow hook slots. The guard can hold up to 16,500 lbs of winch pull. Unfortunately, the design isn’t compatible with Ford F-150 sensors.
- Has an aggressive look
- Strong and durable
- Easier winch mounting
- Incompatible with sensors
The full grille guard winch mount has a strong construction and supports 16,500 lbs. The installation is easy, and the product will look good on your truck. Unfortunately, the incompatibility with sensors should make you think through the purchase.
WARN 103014 Gen III Trans4mer Full Grille Guard Tube Bar
The WARN brand doesn’t need an introduction in the off-road industry. They design most of their products to enhance performance for off-road vehicles like the Ford F-150. The WARN 103014 Gen III Trans4mer Full Grille Guard Tube Bar is a testament to its excellence in design and manufacturing.
This grill has extra welds and lesser bolts for an easy and clean install that doesn’t require drilling, grinding, or cutting. The WARN guard has 2-inch tubes and cross members, a mounting bracket, and replaceable rubber trims. It’s also worth noting that the guard installation process doesn’t need you to remove the factory bumper, which is a plus.
- Extra protection
- Works with the 2020 F250 (as well as 2021 ford f150 brush guard)
- Quick installation
- Won’t fit on the 2014 F-150
The heavy-gauge steel construction makes this bumper guard strong and durable. It has a minimalist design but is highly functional. To protect your truck’s bumper, you can use a replaceable rubber trim.
Do Ford F-150 Brush Guards Protect Against Deer?
Generally, F-150 brush guards are designed to protect the vehicle from damage during a crash or a collision with a moderately large animal like a deer, usually at low to moderate speeds. It won’t give much protection at higher speeds or a larger animal. However, some brush guards offer more crash protection than others.
The grille guard will protect the front of your Ford F-150 by transferring the impact energy to the vehicle’s frame leaving the headlights, grille, and body panel untouched or with minimal damage.
In addition to protecting the vehicle from collision damage, brush guards will keep the deer from flying over the hood and onto the windshield. Instead, it deflects the deer to the side or downwards, reducing the damage.
Are Brush Guards Universal?
No, brush guards are designed for specific vehicle makes and models. A mismatched grille guard might interfere with the headlights, sensors, or air intake. However, some simpler, smaller brush guards may fit a range of vehicles. With that said, the most effective grille guard is the one designed specifically for the Ford F-150.
Are Brush Guards Legal?
Ford F-150 brush guards is legal in North America and the US. However, in the UK, they are regulated or prohibited. In the US, the law in some regions requires that the brush bumper guard doesn’t have loose edges, hanging wires, sharp edges, or any feature that might put other pedestrians or vehicles at risk.
Moreover, it’s illegal to fit them with flashing lights like law enforcement and emergency vehicles use.
Do Brush Guards Affect MPG?
Some brush guards can affect your truck’s MPG, although minimal. Smaller brush guards will make no difference, but larger and heavier brush guards create slight wind resistance and add extra weight to the front, which can affect fuel economy.
With that said, the changes in fuel economy before and after grille guard installation might be unnoticeable since they are aerodynamic.
Conclusion
From our guide, there’s quite a lot to consider before making your purchase. It’s crucial to ensure that your brush bumper guard is compatible with your Ford F-150. Keep in mind that some brush guards compatible with the Chevy Silverado may not be compatible with the F-150.
