Hey guys - wife had a little fender bender in the 17 250 and I need to replace the bumper. Been thinking about a possible upgrade to a bumper replacement with grill guard. Seems to be a bunch of options out there ranging from 800 to 1500. Which brand and models are y'all running? Any issues? Any noticeable fuel economy decrease? Appreciate the help! Oh and don't forget the pictures!!!

 

Ranch Hand
Probably does reduce fuel mileage a tad.



In my pre-Ford days:
This one did about $3k worth of damage to a Buick SUV. Barely a scuff on the bumper.


This one (different truck) hit a tire that came off a semi at 65-70 mph. It did bend the mesh a tad, but barely noticeable.

 

I would look strongly at Fab Four. They are true bumper replacements not grille guards which don't do anything to help an impact like your wife had. In more cases than not those grille guards get pushed back into the truck and do more damage than if you had nothing out front. Ranch hands like the one above will work and to each their own but I would never own a truck with one. The Fab Four lineup is much more aesthetically pleasing to my eyes and every bit if not more functional.

 

The Ranch Hand bumper/guard Robb81 posted is a full bumper replacement. I have the same one and it's a beast.

 

Frontier bumper replacement and Caribou color matched...$1400ish. No ACC issues whatsoever but reduced front camera view, which I'm okay with. No noticeable reduction in fuel mileage... 2017 F250 KR Fx4, 49,500 miles. Good luck with your decision as there are a lot of options.

 

Finally with a picture, hopefully......

 

 

I mentioned that in my response above but can see where it might be mistaken as to what I was referring to in each instance. Yes his is the full bumper replacement but in my area those are the exception as most use grille guards which are mostly worthless for impacts.
I had Fab Four bumpers on my old Chevy. The front one smoked a whitetail doe when I was cruising down the interstate at 75 just below the passenger headlight. The only damage was a small crack in the plastic guard around the spotlight in the bumper. The Fab Four bumper design pushed the deer away from my truck so there was no other impacted areas. I called Fab Four to order the plastic ring and explained what had happened. They sent me a free replacement and asked if they could use my story in their marketing materials and of course I obliged.

 

Any grill guards and rear bumpers that work with the cameras and parking sensors? I've looked at a handful of products and they don't always mention this specifically (I assume it might vary between makes/models).

 

I got the Luverne Journeyman HD because I hated the diamond plate look of the Ranch Hands.

Works with ACC too I'm pretty sure and the mesh can be taken off for the camera.

 

I have the steelcraft replacement front and rear bumpers. Very sturdy and almost half the price of ranch hand

 

I put a Ranch Hand grill guard on my truck 3 weeks ago. Took it in for warranty replacement yesterday. its already starting to rust. The truck outfitter said that Ranch Hand QC has really gone down hill. Just an FYI.

 

2nd King Ranch (03 6.0 348,000 miles &17 6.7 49,700 miles) 2nd Frontier bumper replacement. Some years ago in 03 KR and Dallas traffic, a guy tried to cut me off at 60mph.... destroyed left rear quarter of his Honda ....and I ended up with a paint burn!

 

 

Looks great. Is this stock rake or is there a level on your truck in this pic?
Did the bumper lower the Front end any?