First Mod, Bumper Guard

[RacerZX]

Even before I purchased my Path I had my eye on this guard, it adds some much needed muscular purpose and poise to the truck. At $400 that ain't bad at all for what you're getting, but be prepared for the shipping, $140 for 70lbs of truck freight.

The install is absolutely bone-head easy. Two brackets mount to the frame where the tow hooks go, you need to trim the plastic hole out on the driver's side, and the rest just goes together like an erector set.



The bolt holes for the brackets to attach to the frame are slotted, as are the holes in the guard that attach to the brackets, so make sure to leave them all loose at first and get everything lined up just the way you like it before you torque them down (having a second person to help with this is really really helpful, Thanks Michael!)



The skid plate piece is a little flimsy for my taste, definitely of the one-hit-and-replace variety. Not a huge issue, the truck already has another stock plate just behind it protecting the bottom of the radiator. If at some point I wonk it good I'll probably just have a stronger one made of thick aluminum.


Here's the finished product in the setting sun, I love the look!, and it'll be very functional when I go off-roading. Now for a little something in the rear to fix that dreadful box-butt-syndrome...

[amr40509]

Looks good!

I like the look, but keep my rolling tool box on the side of the garage that I park on (the wife isn't a percision parker) and don't have enough room to add any length to the truck -- I can't even close the garage door if I have my draw bar / ball in my hitch, so I'll have to sit this one out.

[Chatham]

That's pretty cool looking! Any plans on putting on those rally lights like are shown in the catalog shot of this brush bar?

[RacerZX]

Might do the lights in due course, I don't know, kinda worried about blocking airflow.

[Triffid]

Nice install RacerZX!... I like the look!... The off road lights would look good also... I changed the headlights and the fog lights on my Pathy to PIAA... It really helped!... See my Album/Mods below........ Triffid

[mtbpath]

have you found another style similar to yours but lower in price.
I like this guard because it doesn't sit high up covering the headlights.
It blends in well with the bumper.
at $400 plus shipping. that's pricey. but it does look nice.

[blink32]

Back from the dead. I just found this post today. Does the guard block the fog lights at all? It doesn't look like it but just making sure.

[SilverGhost]

The skid plate piece is a little flimsy for my taste, definitely of the one-hit-and-replace variety. Not a huge issue, the truck already has another stock plate just behind it protecting the bottom of the radiator.

How do you keep the underside so friggin' clean?!? I've had mine for a month, and already it looks like I've driven all 800 miles through mud flats!

[falcondrgn]

HI,

I have been looking for a front guard for my pathfinder but never liked the ones that blocked the headlights. I really like the one u have but my question is will these just fold in the the grill in a light impact like a bull bar or is this guard actually functional and hold up during a light impact? thanks so much!

Even before I purchased my Path I had my eye on this guard, it adds some much needed muscular purpose and poise to the truck. At $400 that ain't bad at all for what you're getting, but be prepared for the shipping, $140 for 70lbs of truck freight.

The install is absolutely bone-head easy. Two brackets mount to the frame where the tow hooks go, you need to trim the plastic hole out on the driver's side, and the rest just goes together like an erector set.



The bolt holes for the brackets to attach to the frame are slotted, as are the holes in the guard that attach to the brackets, so make sure to leave them all loose at first and get everything lined up just the way you like it before you torque them down (having a second person to help with this is really really helpful, Thanks Michael!)



The skid plate piece is a little flimsy for my taste, definitely of the one-hit-and-replace variety. Not a huge issue, the truck already has another stock plate just behind it protecting the bottom of the radiator. If at some point I wonk it good I'll probably just have a stronger one made of thick aluminum.


Here's the finished product in the setting sun, I love the look!, and it'll be very functional when I go off-roading. Now for a little something in the rear to fix that dreadful box-butt-syndrome...

[RacerZX]

It's more a brush guard than a second bumper, I wouldn't expect it to hold up to a serious hit.

[markspath]

Hey falcondrgn,

None of the bolt-on bumper guards or bull bars provide much in the way of functional protection other than from low-speed encounters with shopping carts. The problem is the brackets needed to clear the front bumper fascia have to extend down and out so much that it's impossible to make them heavy enough to bear any real force.

Worse -- at least from my perspective, as I actually do off-road my Pathy -- is you give-up your front recovery point (tow hook) when installing these kits. I wind-up having to wrap a recovery strap around the frame behind the bracket before heading-off on any more difficult terrain.

If you're looking for functional protection, the only option I've found are ARB winch bumpers, which replace the stock bumper. At about $1k and 130 pounds, this is a substantial investment.

I put on a bull bar expressly to mount lights, and I'm thinking about going to go to a local welding shop to have a modified front tow hitch receiver made with extended flanges that I can mount the bull-bar to. This way I can either put a D-shackle adapter in for a recovery point, or even mount a recovery winch on a hitch mounting plate.

[falcondrgn]

Hi Markspath,

Thank u so much for your reply. When u say low speed encounters do u think like a 15mph impact would hold up? I mean i saw the $1k fully functional bumper but that is for extreme off road which i never do, lol. Thank you again for your input!!!

Hey falcondrgn,

None of the bolt-on bumper guards or bull bars provide much in the way of functional protection other than from low-speed encounters with shopping carts. The problem is the brackets needed to clear the front bumper fascia have to extend down and out so much that it's impossible to make them heavy enough to bear any real force.

Worse -- at least from my perspective, as I actually do off-road my Pathy -- is you give-up your front recovery point (tow hook) when installing these kits. I wind-up having to wrap a recovery strap around the frame behind the bracket before heading-off on any more difficult terrain.

If you're looking for functional protection, the only option I've found are ARB winch bumpers, which replace the stock bumper. At about $1k and 130 pounds, this is a substantial investment.

I put on a bull bar expressly to mount lights, and I'm thinking about going to go to a local welding shop to have a modified front tow hitch receiver made with extended flanges that I can mount the bull-bar to. This way I can either put a D-shackle adapter in for a recovery point, or even mount a recovery winch on a hitch mounting plate.

[falcondrgn]

It's more a brush guard than a second bumper, I wouldn't expect it to hold up to a serious hit.

Hi RacerZX,


Do u know if this bumper guard is still available? I went to the website u linked but cant seem to find it, what is the name or model# of that particular guard? Thanks