A lot of people think of bumpers purely as an aesthetic element of any motor vehicle; however, numbers are so much more than that.
Bumpers are your first line of defense should an accident occur and just as important, if not more so, as seatbelts and airbags.
We can blame car designers for the assumptions about bumpers being there to complete the look because this is where a lot of the exterior design elements come to play.
Your car, SUV or truck gets it's sleek or aggressive looks mostly from what its front silhouette looks like and the design of the bumper.
How Far Has The Bumper Come?
Original vehicles did not have bumpers; yet over time, manufacturers had to find a way to minimize the damage when a heavy duty vehicle like a truck had a head-on collision.
The first replacement bumpers were heavy and expensive to manufacture and also did not provide the necessary cushion in a head-on collision.
As technology improved, the design changed as well.
Bumpers became these structures made with light, yet heavy duty materials often with a tubular grille and a winch mount to handle rugged terrains.
Truck bumpers would arguably be more rugged than standard ones that are often made of fiberglass.
Different Types of Truck Bumpers and Their Purpose
There are different types of bumpers and each serve a different purpose.
- Front Bumpers - Front bumpers provide full frontal protection, are typically made of steel, and you can probably find interchangeable bumpers for specific brands like Ford and Dodge.
- Rear Bumpers - Rear bumpers provide protection in case the vehicle is hit from behind. Every manufacturer adds something special, but most of the time rear bumpers for trucks are the same. You can probably find one rear bumper type that fits all makes of heavy duty vehicles and trucks.
- Grille Guards - Grille Guards are the most heavily used part of the front guard. They may include things like fog lights and can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
- Bullnose - A lot of SUV and truck brands provide their own special made bullnose-type bumper. For SUV's and small trucks, bullnoses can provide the appealing off-road rugged style.
Conclusion
If you own an SUV or small Truck that you take off roading, you should give a serious thought to the bumpers fitted on your car.
Unlike car bumpers that have become easy to find with the proliferation of bumper kits on the markets, truck bumpers are a whole different ball game.
It would be prudent to rather choose a professional who understands, knows, and works with replacement bumpers all the time.