08 Trailblazer, Hunter Brush Guard Going to Work?

[Fratblazer08]

I've been interested in the Hunter brush guard because of the low price and seemingly decent protection, is this going to fit on my 08 trailblazer? If not, how much fabrication would have to be done to enable installation? I'm referring to the one from Truck Gear Direct:

http://truckgeardirect.com/?ITEMID=GC-805

It says here fits 02-09, but to access the full list of TB parts, it only says applicable for the 02-06 TB's. Kind of confusing..

Also, if anyone has one of these brush guards, how have they stood up to collisions? (Small trees, deers, accidents, etc). There are a ton of deer around my area, and my insurance has a large deductible to repair damage.. If this brush guard could stand up to a mid-size deer going ~45mph it would be a sure buy for me.

Thanks guys.

[djthumper]

Do you have the LS or LT? You haven't given us enough information to be able to answer your questions. Did you try to use the search function on this site? How did you find this site? How about an introduction thread for a post?

[fishsticks]

Those brush guards are cosmetic. Their mounting scheme doesn't allow much in the way of rigidity... So they are going to collapse with any significant impact, and will bend if used for a recovery point. For real protection, you'll want a replacement bumper.


Save up a little more and buy one of Mike's bumpers. You could always have headlight loops or a center guard welded onto one of them if that's the look you're going for.

viewforum.php?f=35

[Trail X]

Or if you want to spend more, and get less protection than Mike's bumper, you can get a WAAG guard. It is sturdy enough that I used it for a light side-pull once, but it still won't withstand a front end collision.

[Fratblazer08]

Djthumper - My trailblazer is an 08, there isn't a LS model available for this year, it's an LT. Yes I searched. I found the site via Google. I didn't think an introduction was necessary.

Fishsticks & Jamesdowning - Thanks for the advice and recommendations. I think Mike's bumper that you're referring to would be an awesome choice for a serious off road enthusiast, but I'm not sure I would want to sacrifice the overall look of my vehicle. Unfortunately, WAAG states that their grille guard is only intended for installation on the 02-06 models.

Thanks a lot for warning me about that hunter guard.. I would not have been thrilled to find out on my own that it is a piece of junk.

Am I just out of luck as far as grille protection goes? (Besides Mike's bumper of course)

[djthumper]

Hmmm Unfortunately you can't even get Mike's bumper right now. They changed the LT grills on the newer Trailblazers to match the Envoy. I think I remember Mike saying he was going to work on a bumper that will work for the LTs and Envoys.

You could probably do a mod to get the WAAG to work. Once again I read someplace that the grill is the reason it is only listed up to 06.

[Jon A]

A replacement bumper with guard welded on is certainly the way to go for protection against significant impacts. However, the WAAG will protect better than nothing against many types of things, gives you a great spot to mount some lights and it doesn't hurt your approach angle as much as the Manik or the Hunter. If you're looking to save some money I was planning to put my lightly used (less than 1 year old) WAAG in the classifieds, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[janesy86]

Hmmm Unfortunately you can't even get Mike's bumper right now. They changed the LT grills on the newer Trailblazers to match the Envoy. I think I remember Mike saying he was going to work on a bumper that will work for the LTs and Envoys.

You could probably do a mod to get the WAAG to work. Once again I read someplace that the grill is the reason it is only listed up to 06.

I have a 07' LT with Mikes bumper... just cut the grill flush with the headlights. Works perfect and looks great. I have also had the WAAG on my TB for a while as well. Mounts up perfect with the lower mounts, the upper support brackets which eliminate wiggling just need to be adapted.