A good use for the poseur grille guard (?)

[ycookmd]

I am trying to figure out a way to make doing the fore and aft tiedowns for a roof-mounted kayak rack a quick and easy matter. I am considering going with a WAAG center guard (without the light "protectors") and rear bumper guard.

http://www.everythingsuv.com/waag_brush_guards_Toyota_newlc-esuv.asp

I know these are useless for protection. Plus they look totally stupid. However, it seems like they would be ideal as simple/secure points to anchor the tie-downs.

If anyone has had these -- are they sturdy enough for anchoring the front and rear of roof-mounted boats? Also -- how much does one of those front guards usually weigh? I don't want to add a ton of useless weight to the front end.

My other option would be to just run the ropes down over the front of the hood and the front bumper to the tow-hook points, but even with padding, that's going to ruin the paint, not to mention being a bit of a PITA.

If any of you have canoes or kayaks, how do you do the tiedowns? Any other ideas?

 

[2garfields]

I have the WAAG rear bumper guard & a Nissan grille guard on my Nissan Pathfinder, since I don't go off road at all, and it works great for city parking.

I ran a rope on the guards once, when I was transporting the mattress home. It worked out great, but it was only 2 miles drive.

 

[1loudLX]

i had a WAAG Center guard on my LX. when it arrived the box said it weighed 44lbs. Where are you located? I could sell you mine...its just been sitting in the garage since augest.

 

[TRFCSUX]

What?

Did he say Nissan

 

[2garfields]

YEP! Trying to sell my 01 Nissan Pathfinder, so I can get a LC. I had driven a few of 03 LC within the last few weeks, read of of my recent posts.

 

[TRFCSUX]

03 is a great choice,can't go wrong with LC,Good luck in your search.Try to find factory locker.If I had it to over i would look for factory lockers

 

[ycookmd]

2garfields, do me a favor -- put that mattress back on the roof and do a couple hundred miles highway driving at about 70 and let me know how things hold up.

1lound LX -- I'm in Texas, so I don't think it would be practical to buy yours. Plus I think state law forbids us from having anything to do with New York.

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to mull this one over bit more, and maybe search around some kayak/canoe forums and see what I can find.

 

[cruiserheadrat]

The easiest rear tie down is to get a pintle hook to slide into the trailer hitch reciever. You can get them with a ball for a lower jaw if you need to pull a trailer with a hitch more conventioal to the USA.

 

[hoser]

A couple of members here have the TJM nudge bar. I believe it is aluminum. Not sure about it's strength. Then there is also the stainless steel Jaos bar.

Personally, I'd consider having a fab shop make a hitch bracket that goes behind the bumper and a removable ball mount that goes through the front behind the license plate. Get one of those spring loaded hinged license plates--pull it down, insert ball mount and you're good to go. Hidden when not in use.

Excuse the Ford but notice the hitch. Made by drawtite but they have nothing available for a 100.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

My 100 came with one from the dealer and they are really flimsy. Dent easily, bent into my hood (required painting) and vibrated down the road.

 

[1loudLX]

1lound LX -- I'm in Texas, so I don't think it would be practical to buy yours. Plus I think state law forbids us from having anything to do with New York.

oh well fine be that way.

I think you should just get the ARB Sahara bar or the TJM T3 and be done with it.

And hoser, if we are going to start posting pictures of fords on here...

 

[hoser]

haha, what the heck is that? For the bumper to bumper New York traffic.

 

[1loudLX]

haha, what the heck is that? For the bumper to bumper New York traffic.

well, sometimes the taxis need a re-awakening to life...i guess that gives it to them. I know my WAAG center guard did a time or two...


...na i bet that is just for parking on the street. For some reason, people here always decide to wait till they bump the car behind them to stop backing up. When a lady did that with her suburban to my friends ferrari dino....it bumped halfway up the hood. I have the two supports from my centerguard still mounted, they stick out the front.

 

[spressomon]

haha, what the heck is that? For the bumper to bumper New York traffic.

...or bumper to bumper parking. Have you ever seen a New Yorker curbside park with vehicle to the front and rear: This is why they call them "bumpers" for sure!!!

 

[1loudLX]

...or bumper to bumper parking. Have you ever seen a New Yorker curbside park with vehicle to the front and rear: This is why they call them "bumpers" for sure!!!

yeah my back bumper has markings of people BUMPING. The days of being able to bump a car without making damage are gone with the passing of chrome steel bumpers.

 

[ycookmd]

Decided to go with the WAAG. Don't much care for the look, but it's very functional for this purpose.

Here we are in front of GF's apartment with her playboat on the Thuke rack.

 

[1loudLX]

Nice, interesting how the LC one goes straight up but the LX one flares out like this

 

[Wellcraft19]

OK, not high jacking this post, but since it sort of slipped in on bumper guards a bit...

I have no need for one, and don't really like them, APART from that they make a great mount for driving lights. I have tw large Bosch lights that I removed from the Audi a few years ago, and I was hoping to be able to mount them on the LC 100 with the same type of "hidden" brackets that are used in Europe (Sweden). But, no working :-(

My plan is now to have a shop fabricate mounts that will come up from a cross bar in front of the radiator (there's room), anchored to the frame members, and then have the brackets poke up from the cross bar and out through the grill. Lights are stabilzed by supports that goes from top of lights to top grill (actually required on all driving light installations in northen Europe).

Anyone of you seen anything along these lines? Pictures?

Bottom line. I want the lights (the LC's main lights are crappy in North America), but do not care for the "bumper/grille guard". Not until I can plunk down the money for a real ARB...

 

[1loudLX]

do what the Toyota Auto Body team did for the Dakar Rally, just mount them straight to the bumper.

http://4x4.caradisiac.com/IMG/jpg/Toyota-Dakar-2.jpg

 

[Wellcraft19]

Thought of it but "really" want to leave the stock bumper untouched. And, w/o having taken it apart, it seems that the beam inside the bumper is far too deep below the plastic shell to really make it work.

Interesting though on the picture, they have the small top supports between the top of lights and grille. My lights are significantly bigger and would anchor at the very top of the grille.
Now poised to fix this "rack" once and for all...

Thanks for the photo and the inspiration!