Hey everyone.

There's seems to be a lack of grill/brush guard options for the Vitara/Grand Vitara.

I can't really seem to find any other than the Calmini one.  Are there any others?  Am I just not looking in the right places?  The Calmini would not protect the headlights on my Vitara

I thought about fabbing one...  but don't really want to if I don't have to.

Thanks.

well
if you want headlight protection
manik, cobra, and T&H makes full on front end covering ones

cobra also has a bull bar sorta like the calmini one

and westin makes a safari light bar

the aforementioned are the easiet to obtain in the states

Manik's looks great, will cover your headlights, is one piece, but kind of pricey. 

well
if you want headlight protection
manik, cobra, and T&H makes full on front end covering ones

cobra also has a bull bar sorta like the calmini one

and westin makes a safari light bar

the aforementioned are the easiet to obtain in the states

who is T&H?

Jeff

thats from T&H


http://www.thoffroad.com/

their site only features the newer gv and xl7 but its still in production for the older ones

I say fab one. I'm not sure I'm going to stick with the one I fabbed but I like it a ton better than anything on the market and it protects allot more on the lower portion.

you won't have what you want unless you make it yourself I'd say. if you don't get it right the first time you can always make a new one.. that's what it's all about

I say fab one. I'm not sure I'm going to stick with the one I fabbed but I like it a ton better than anything on the market and it protects allot more on the lower portion.

you won't have what you want unless you make it yourself I'd say. if you don't get it right the first time you can always make a new one.. that's what it's all about

well said!

Thanks for all the input.  The products other than Calmini's look pretty nice.

I think I'll take a poke at fabbing one however.  It will just depend on how energetic I'm feeling.


Anyone had experience with various materials and how to bend the tubing?

when bending tube, its a good idea to pack it with sand so that it doesnt kink when your bending it

when bending tube, its a good idea to pack it with sand so that it doesnt kink when your bending it

sounds like a good idea. my "pre runner bar" was bent at the exhaust shop just how I requested and my horizontal bar was bent with a friends bender and he used a tree to make a gradual curve to match the factory bumper. I cut all the angles for the lower portion which was tricky and welded the whole thing together.

I am not 100% happy with it seeing as how I wanted to make an entire bumper from the beginning but like I said, don't like it the first time, do it again

good luck fabbing

Okay...I few more questions. 

What kind of pipe would you all recommend? Diameter?  Would EMT conduit be adequate?

Maroon Monsoon...do you have pictures of your setup posted anywhere?

Thanks again.

the tubing diameter and thickness is all personal preferance. keep weight and strength in mind as well as how you want it to look. if you don't want something really heavy you'll want to use a little lighter tubing where you don't need protection as much probably.

almost forgot... my brush guard/bumper is pinned into the recievers for towing it behind a motorhome. very strong spot. I can lift it with a jack by that point and I have had like 4 people (big people) stand on it at once. it's decently strong. the bottom is 1/8 ish tubing and the main horizontal bar that contours with the bumper is about as thin as exhaust as well as the pre runner bar. the bedliner adds allot of weight to it but strenghtens it as well and hid my beginners mistakes (my first welding project) I wouldn't do such thin tubing for the upper parts if I did it again. I'd go just a notch or two thicker.

I'd just go to an exhaust shop for bends if you don't have your own bender. harbor frieght probably has some okay benders that are hydrolic like a jack

be sure to avoid galvenized steeel
the conduit they havce over at the local home depot is galvenized and horrible to weld with

almost forgot... my brush guard/bumper is pinned into the recievers for towing it behind a motorhome. very strong spot. I can lift it with a jack by that point and I have had like 4 people (big people) stand on it at once. it's decently strong. the bottom is 1/8 ish tubing and the main horizontal bar that contours with the bumper is about as thin as exhaust as well as the pre runner bar. the bedliner adds allot of weight to it but strenghtens it as well and hid my beginners mistakes (my first welding project) I wouldn't do such thin tubing for the upper parts if I did it again. I'd go just a notch or two thicker.

I'd just go to an exhaust shop for bends if you don't have your own bender. harbor frieght probably has some okay benders that are hydrolic like a jack

i got a hydraulic tube bender from harbor frieght and its great and was real cheap