03 renegade grille guard!HELP!

[2003renegade]

i went on good ol ebay and saw a wonderful grille guard that i wanted to purchase. but it said on the site that it doesnt fit renegades. so i emailed the guy and asked why it doesnt fit. he didnt know why. so, my question to you is.. WHY DOESNT IT FIT! all the grille guards i find say they dont fit. i dont see any difference in the bumpers or anything. so whats the deal? posted is a pic of my kj so u can investigate

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[HoosierJeeper]

The only thing I can think is you have tow hooks. Grill Guards usually mount to the frame where tow hooks would normally go, so what's more important?

 

[KJ zGal]

It could also mean something to do with the '05+ Renegades' hoods, but yeah, I never thought of the tow hooks getting in the way. Hmm.

 

[Atrus]

could be that some renegades came with the bumper lights as well.

 

[twack]

can you take a picture of the grille guard that you got and another picture of where you cant get it to fit, just saying it dosnt fit dosnt really help us help you

 

[2003renegade]

well we sized it up and everything. seems to fit. just gotta take the tow hooks off. so i dont know why all the guys at westin and aries were telling me it doesnt fit. i dont have bumper lights just tow hooks. i guess that was the prob.

 

[Powerslave]

Yes, the grille guard has to mount somewhere, and the only place, is where the tow hooks are, and I can see from the picture you have both in front. Remove the toe hooks, and the bolts holes should match up with the guard mounts.

 

[LibertyTom]

Yes, you have to remove the tow hooks and use two of the three bolt holes for the grill guard. There is a thread somewhere either here or LOST, that someone put on the guard and was able to mount the tow hooks next to it, on the outside edge of the guard mount. I know I saw it somewhere.

 

[tjkj2002]

Why put something on in place of a very useful item(tow hooks).Plus the grill guard will cause more damage in a front end wreck then not having one on at all,worked at a bodyshop and seen what damage grill guards cause.For about $200 or so more you can get the ARB bumper.

 

[desertkj]

Why put something on in place of a very useful item(tow hooks).Plus the grill guard will cause more damage in a front end wreck then not having one on at all,worked at a bodyshop and seen what damage grill guards cause.For about $200 or so more you can get the ARB bumper.

Some of us personally like the look of the Westin and spend the majority of our time on paved roads, so the loss of tow hooks is not a huge sacrifice, especially when not equipped in the first place. It's also more like $500 more. Westin goes for about $300 and all ARB guards I have seen are around $800.

Oh, and the OP, it's possible they thought you were referring to a newer Renegade. After the slight redesign of the front end of the KJ, Renegades did have a different hood and grill structure than the other KJs.

 

[J-Thompson]

Some of us personally like the look of the Westin and spend the majority of our time on paved roads, so the loss of tow hooks is not a huge sacrifice

If you EVER leave the pavement in your Jeep you NEED tow hooks
give up tow hooks for some "bling" grill guard and take a wrong turn and find your self stuck with the only option being from the front what will happen then

That $300 grill guard will be destroyed and you may get out
Keep the town hooks and be worry free

In fact try to go on a Jeep Jamboree with a grill guard and no tow hooks
or try to come on a local "easy" ride with now tow hooks and try to tell me
how you dont really need them because you dont go off road that much

 

[desertkj]

If you EVER leave the pavement in your Jeep you NEED tow hooks
give up tow hooks for some "bling" grill guard and take a wrong turn and find your self stuck with the only option being from the front what will happen then

That $300 grill guard will be destroyed and you may get out
Keep the town hooks and be worry free

In fact try to go on a Jeep Jamboree with a grill guard and no tow hooks
or try to come on a local "easy" ride with now tow hooks and try to tell me
how you dont really need them because you dont go off road that much

If I went with you on a Jeep Jamboree, wouldn't I be offroad? The point I'm making is the OP asked whether or not it would fit, not whether or not everyone on here supported or was against their purchase of a brush guard. I knew I was going to aggravate some people on here with that, but it's like walking into a place of business and having them constantly trashing another product or competitor, rather than answering relevant questions. I'd go elsewhere.

 

[Powerslave]

Maybe someone can install a Winch to the Grille Guard, that's better than tow hooks...

Make an adapter plate for one of the mounts, use longer bolts to fasten the mount, then install a winch to the custom plate. There has to be a way to keep one of the tow hooks, or install a winch.

 

[LibertyTom]

I agree, if you go off road at all, tow hooks are funcitional, but 2003Rene was asking for help, his reason for getting whatever "bling" he wants or not is totally up to him. You don't know what he's going to be using his vehicle for or where.

 

[JeepJeepster]

I know tow hooks are useful but I worry a lot about deer. If I hit a deer with one of those on and it does more damage then Im not sure I would have one.

 

[tjkj2002]

Maybe someone can install a Winch to the Grille Guard, that's better than tow hooks...

Make an adapter plate for one of the mounts, use longer bolts to fasten the mount, then install a winch to the custom plate. There has to be a way to keep one of the tow hooks, or install a winch.

Yes and no,besides you'd have some major modifications to make any brush guard that fits a KJ able to support a winch and be able to use that winch.


Just because you don't venture off the pavement does not mean the towhooks are useless.When I had tow hook on the front I never used them offroad,only when on pavement pulling stuck people that tried to venture out in 2' of snow in there crv's.

 

[J-Thompson]

If I went with you on a Jeep Jamboree, wouldn't I be offroad? The point I'm making is the OP asked whether or not it would fit, not whether or not everyone on here supported or was against their purchase of a brush guard. I knew I was going to aggravate some people on here with that, but it's like walking into a place of business and having them constantly trashing another product or competitor, rather than answering relevant questions. I'd go elsewhere.

If you show up to a $200 JJ with no tow hooks then they send you home
with no refund
Now by the time you posted they knew the answer
The point I am making is that it is unsafe and irresponsible to promote that is is ok to go off roading after you have removed IMPORTANT recovery gear

heck man I dont care if you want to run 22" bling chrome wheels
it is not my thing but if you are not promoting it as being ok to go off road like that then go for it
because tow hooks or not with less than 3" of rubber between you rim and the dirt is going to make for a bad day off road

safe and responsible are key to enjoying a day on the trail and removing tow hooks is neither

 

[Powerslave]

I see he is thinking that a grille guard is going to stop a deer. If under 35MPH, maybe, but not on a highway... I hit a deer with a Neon at 35, and it was not an adult. Did some good damage, but luckily it rolled up over the roof and saved the windshield... If you hit a deer head on at 45+, nothing is going to save your front end (grille); the grill guard will just become part of it.

 

[2003renegade]

thanks everyone for the responses! my question was deff answered.

 

[Treyz02KJ]

When I had tow hook on the front I never used them offroad,only when on pavement pulling stuck people that tried to venture out in 2' of snow in there crv's.

LOL

*runs out and buys a set of tow hooks in the hopes of rescuing some idiot in a CR-V*