02 Renegade brush guard and tow hooks.

I rather like the look of a brush guard I have in my Amazon list, but it is backordered for a few months. Luckily I have been thumbing through this sites threads since joining earlier today and realized a cosmetic brush guard typically is mounted in lieu of tow hooks. Tow hooks came stock on my 02 Renegade.

Yet I found a link to a wj modular kit on the jeepforum for brackets that allow for both tow hooks and bull bar. I would imagine a brush guard could be substituted for a bull guard.

Do you suppose this could be modified or even fabricated for my kj? Has anyone done this?

I can't seem to link the jeepforum thread... but it was from Fawks. Modular recovery and bull guard.

Thanks all. Happy to be here and excited to dive into my new jeep addiction

Godric said:

I rather like the look of a brush guard I have in my Amazon list, but it is backordered for a few months. Luckily I have been thumbing through this sites threads since joining earlier today and realized a cosmetic brush guard typically is mounted in lieu of tow hooks. Tow hooks came stock on my 02 Renegade.

Yet I found a link to a wj modular kit on the jeepforum for brackets that allow for both tow hooks and bull bar. I would imagine a brush guard could be substituted for a bull guard.

Do you suppose this could be modified or even fabricated for my kj? Has anyone done this?

I can't seem to link the jeepforum thread... but it was from Fawks. Modular recovery and bull guard.

Thanks all. Happy to be here and excited to dive into my new jeep addiction

Click to expand...

WJ Modular Recovery & Bull Bar Relocation Packages https://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1995761

I have seen and installed,both the wj hooks/brackets (on a wj of course...) And the kj. They are not interchangeable.
The brush guard / bull bar brackets hang down where the hooks,would be on the KJ. There just isnt room for the hooks still...would be a very custom part that I'm sure is doable....

That is disappointing. I really like the look of a brush guard and have found it useful on my old truck. I just don't want to lose the functional tow hooks. I wonder what a custom job like that would cost... probably more than I can do... for awhile anyway. Thanks for the quick reply

https://jeepinbyal.com/jeep-liberty-kj-matrix-brush-guard.html

This doubles as both.

Godric said:

That is disappointing. I really like the look of a brush guard and have found it useful on my old truck. I just don't want to lose the functional tow hooks. I wonder what a custom job like that would cost... probably more than I can do... for awhile anyway. Thanks for the quick reply

Click to expand...

Have not see a brush guard yet on a KJ except for the Matrix Brush Guard that is worth installing.
Have removed a few of them and tossed them since they were so thin and cheaply made
The Matrix Brush Guard has great tow point etc included .

HoosierJeeper said:

https://jeepinbyal.com/jeep-liberty-kj-matrix-brush-guard.html

This doubles as both.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the suggestion. It looks pretty good. I was hoping for a full brush guard tho. Also, it will take me some time to save 700 for it. I have bookmarked the page. Thanks again

HoosierJeeper said:

https://jeepinbyal.com/jeep-liberty-kj-matrix-brush-guard.html

This doubles as both.

Click to expand...

tommudd said:

Have not see a brush guard yet on a KJ except for the Matrix Brush Guard that is worth installing.
Have removed a few of them and tossed them since they were so thin and cheaply made
The Matrix Brush Guard has great tow point etc included .

Click to expand...

I was tossing this idea around myself, as a substitute for the much heavier ARB bumper... but honestly, I'd really rather just spend the $300 more and get the ARB.

Godric said:

Thank you for the suggestion. It looks pretty good. I was hoping for a full brush guard tho. Also, it will take me some time to save 700 for it. I have bookmarked the page. Thanks again

Click to expand...

Got a pic of what you were hoping for in lieu of the Matrix? You mean something with the wire racks in front of the lights for brush protection?

Like this:

That s what I was thinking. I am using my phone and still learning the buttons for adding media. There is another brush guard for the kj that is a bit more tapered and round on Amazon.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIBxAC&usg=AOvVaw2u_L5in5Aix3EAdYajfX1-


I know that this is a mostly cosmetic addition but I really like the look of it lol. If there is a way that I can be pretty and still use the recovery hooks that I can afford, then I will be happy. The actual one on my Amazon list is powder coated black and $200. So there is also the price I like

Don't do it, have seen those things after hitting a squirrel
Best bang for the buck has always been an ARB bumper, save me 1000s of dollars over the years

Just to Hijack, what would I need to remove my stock renegade towhooks?

I may shame myself and go with the brush guard. I don't do crazy off road stuff. I know many on this thread don't endorse purely cosmic mods especially since one would cost the practical recovery hooks. Ideally I would love to have both but the only option I've seen is just a bull bar and $1000. The brush guard looks nice and is $250. Is a Barbie jeep decision enough to get me banned from the rest of the real jeep enthusiasts? Lol

Godric said:

I may shame myself and go with the brush guard. I don't do crazy off road stuff. I know many on this thread don't endorse purely cosmic mods especially since one would cost the practical recovery hooks. Ideally I would love to have both but the only option I've seen is just a bull bar and $1000. The brush guard looks nice and is $250. Is a Barbie jeep decision enough to get me banned from the rest of the real jeep enthusiasts? Lol

Click to expand...

You say you go off road
what are you going to do when stuck and nothing to hook to ?

tommudd said:

You say you go off road
what are you going to do when stuck and nothing to hook to ?

Click to expand...

That is a good point.

Godric said:

That is a good point.

Click to expand...

I'm not against purely cosmetic modifications... but for something like this... the thing is that bull bars, brush guards... if you ever do collide frontally with something, those things are known to come crashing into your grille, headlights, split the bumper cover into 3 pieces, and bend the ever living heck out of your core support and split radiators.. that's a good quick way to get your Jeep totaled by insurance (if you still have full coverage).

The only legitimate reason I could see for having an actual BRUSH guard is to guard against.. well, brush. But who cares if tree limbs and shrubbery rub up against the headlights and fenders of our 17 year old, $2500 Jeep Liberty's? Really... we have more serious body damage issues to worry about like rocker panel corrosion. lol.

Don't get me wrong, I like the look of the OE bumper cover with a cop car style push/bull bar... but especially as I reconsider the insurance coverage I have on my ever dwindling in value KJ, investing $1100 into an ARB steel bumper may save me twice that in repairs if I ever hit a deer (I live in MI, so that's almost a guaranteed certainty), or lose control on black ice again and whack into another steel guard rail, AGAIN. That damage I had repaired to factory spec by insurance... it was $2400 repair for bumper cover, one fog light, washer tank, some minor wiring repair, one fender flare, 1 tire, paint and labor.

If I had had the ARB steel bumper, I might have tweaked some mountings underneath, but otherwise would not have had nearly any of that damage.

Plus, if I go from full coverage to just PLPD-Liability only (the min in MI), I'd pay off the ARB within a year and a half's time in cost savings.

Just something to consider.

My take on an ARB
I bought one in early 05 used for a GREAT price
So over the years hit 4 different deer, each one at 55-65 MPH, no damage except for hair
Now I have 500 deductible, so right off the bat there would of been 2000 bucks and lots of time without my Jeep
I also hit and totaled a Toyota Camry ( had to be hauled away. )
Damage, bit of scratched paint , cop that watched it happen couldn't believe it ( that there was no damage)
And was going to make the kid pay for touch up paint LOL
( he was responsible )
We won't even get into the GMC pickup that someone abandoned on a single lane road sitting right over the crest of a hill ( well was when I hit it ! )
But all in all that ARB saved me 1000s of dollars
and I stupidity sold it ............for 4 times what I paid for it after 10 years of running it LOL