SMA Brush Guard installed on RA bumper

[cinci]

I finally managed to install the SMA Brush Guard last weekend and it was a lot more work than I thought it would be.

The difficulty comes from the fact that the folding forward of the hood has to clear both the mounting brackets and the mounting arms of the brush guard itself. This is complicated by the fact that the new bumper changed all of the clearances and mounting points from the factory bumper.

In the first pictures with the brush guard clamped to the bumper with the stock mounts you can see that the guard is positioned too high and is tilted back too far due to the incline in the mounting surface of the new bumper. The required us to lower the mounting point of the bumper and to try to change the mounting angle.

Our first attempt was with a spacer made from 1"x2" boxed steel bar that was angle cut on the bottom to fit the angle of the bumper. However, this wouldn't clear the hood when it was tilted forward so back to the drawing board.

We finally decided that we would need to mount the stock brackets to the bumper but they would require two cuts. One cut was straight across the bottom as close to the original mounting hole as possible and the second on an angle to match the angle of the bumper, behind and below the mounting hole. This allowed the bracket to be positioned as low as possible to help clear the hood and to lower the position of the brush guard.

The final problem was the hood tilted too far forward and would touch the grill to the mounting bars of the brush guard when folded forward. The required the relocating of the springs on the retaining straps for the hood in an effort to shorten the straps, thus limiting how far forward the hood would tilt and giving us the clearance that we needed.

I like the look of the SMA guard but the installation took about six hours.

[cinci]

I finally managed to install the SMA Brush Guard last weekend and it was a lot more work than I thought it would be.

The difficulty comes from the fact that the folding forward of the hood has to clear both the mounting brackets and the mounting arms of the brush guard itself. This is complicated by the fact that the new bumper changed all of the clearances and mounting points from the factory bumper.

In the first pictures with the brush guard clamped to the bumper with the stock mounts you can see that the guard is positioned too high and is tilted back too far due to the incline in the mounting surface of the new bumper. The required us to lower the mounting point of the bumper and to try to change the mounting angle.

Our first attempt was with a spacer made from 1"x2" boxed steel bar that was angle cut on the bottom to fit the angle of the bumper. However, this wouldn't clear the hood when it was tilted forward so back to the drawing board.

We finally decided that we would need to mount the stock brackets to the bumper but they would require two cuts. One cut was straight across the bottom as close to the original mounting hole as possible and the second on an angle to match the angle of the bumper, behind and below the mounting hole. This allowed the bracket to be positioned as low as possible to help clear the hood and to lower the position of the brush guard.

The final problem was the hood tilted too far forward and would touch the grill to the mounting bars of the brush guard when folded forward. The required the relocating of the springs on the retaining straps for the hood in an effort to shorten the straps, thus limiting how far forward the hood would tilt and giving us the clearance that we needed.

I like the look of the SMA guard but the installation took about six hours.

[cinci]

I finally managed to install the SMA Brush Guard last weekend and it was a lot more work than I thought it would be.

The difficulty comes from the fact that the folding forward of the hood has to clear both the mounting brackets and the mounting arms of the brush guard itself. This is complicated by the fact that the new bumper changed all of the clearances and mounting points from the factory bumper.

In the first pictures with the brush guard clamped to the bumper with the stock mounts you can see that the guard is positioned too high and is tilted back too far due to the incline in the mounting surface of the new bumper. The required us to lower the mounting point of the bumper and to try to change the mounting angle.

Our first attempt was with a spacer made from 1"x2" boxed steel bar that was angle cut on the bottom to fit the angle of the bumper. However, this wouldn't clear the hood when it was tilted forward so back to the drawing board.

We finally decided that we would need to mount the stock brackets to the bumper but they would require two cuts. One cut was straight across the bottom as close to the original mounting hole as possible and the second on an angle to match the angle of the bumper, behind and below the mounting hole. This allowed the bracket to be positioned as low as possible to help clear the hood and to lower the position of the brush guard.

The final problem was the hood tilted too far forward and would touch the grill to the mounting bars of the brush guard when folded forward. The required the relocating of the springs on the retaining straps for the hood in an effort to shorten the straps, thus limiting how far forward the hood would tilt and giving us the clearance that we needed.

I like the look of the SMA guard but the installation took about six hours.

[DRTYFN]

Oh look, it's smiling.

[sKauGhTiEe]

I love that look. Good Job on the install... Now didnt you have to do those mods regardless of having the road armour?? Not the mounting brackets but the spring and such for the clearance of the hood? Or was the hood clearing it fine before you had the road armor?? Looks good none the less... OH ya, i wanted to ask you about your Gobi Rack... Most Gobis that i see have a gib space betweent the flairing and the top bar to fit the big lights most Gobi owners put in there.. (Gobi) (http://www.h2source.com/gh2t.htm) Now yours has a nice small space for those tight lights.. Was that a special order??

[DURAMAX TIM]

Cincih, looks good but do the 2 bolts hold the pivot mounts on?

Or did u weld it all up after the trial fit.

Seems that would be a little weak if u hit a deer.

[cinci]

sKauGhTiEe,

I had to do these mods because the SMA Brush Guard is made to mount to the valence above the factory bumper. With the RA bumper, in an effort to provide a higher mounting point for the winch, the valence in built into the bumper. Not only is it not as tall as the factory valence but instead of sticking out past the grill, as with the factory, it is actually even with or slightly recessed from the grill. It also has a slight tilt back from the bottom to the top. All of these changes to the mounting points necessitated all of the mods to the stock mounting brackets and the tilt of the hood.

The Gobi rack is their stealth model which is lower than their standard rack. This gives you the ability to mount a rack and still get in a standard 84" garage door opening, provided you don't add 37" tires and a high lift jack mounted to the top like I did http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif.

Tim,

Good to hear from you again. It appears that you have a new truck. Some of us are planning to go to the Badlands at Attica, IN in April, you should think about going.

The mounting brackets are held on with the two bolts per side. These are the same grade 8 bolts as the factory used. However, with this mounted directly to the bumper instead of to the brackets cut into the plastic valence, factory install, the brush guard is very sturdy. With the factory install you could grab the guard and wiggle it back and forth due to the mounting system. In fairness it probably moved about the same amount as the factory wraparound guard that is attached to the hood but I was expecting something more substantial from looking at the pictures. This new set up provides that and more.

You can grab the guard and try to shake it but there is no movement. It is very solid.

[Zing]

That is very sharp. I love that look.

[Detonate]

Ok, now it really does look like a face.

2 big Hella Eyes. A roller fairlead mouth, with his little red tounge sticking out.

http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

All kidding aside. I like it!

[Dan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Detonate:
Ok, now it really does look like a face.

2 big Hella Eyes. A roller fairlead mouth, with his little red tounge sticking out.

http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

All kidding aside. I like it! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The fairlead looks like a silver toof.