Which steering guard?

[Disco_Stu]

After spending what seems like weeks to make up my mind about which steering guard to buy, I'm still no further on!

What features do you guys think a good guard must have? Steel or Ally? What price would you pay?

Your thoughts...

Stu.

[Eeyore]

Me?

I'd either buy the tubular job from Freespirit or fit the standard LR tubular one which costs a fiver at boot sales. Or not bother with one.

I would however spend the money on the reinforcing sleeves for the steering bars. Direct impact isn't the only thing that bends steering  

Just when you thought the decision would be easy!  

Cheers
 8)
Eeyore

[Jake]

Buying a steering guard is a science
I bought a Rebel 3 piece one on my first car but it wasn't compateble with my Scorpion bumper (which came later) so i had to change
I then brought a Southdown one.
The reason?
Some steering guards fit on the inside of the chassis legs, some on the outside.
Work out if your going to change the front bumper in the future, then base your guard plans on what bumper you require/want
Upgrading the steering arms to heavy duty ones is a great idea.
It maybe the better route to take for now.
Then, when you have the money for a bumper (that is, if you want to fit one) buy a steering guard to suit.
 :D

[Disco_Stu]

Cheers lads, good advice.

I've just changed my bumper so thats stayin on for the forseeable future. It has no recovery eyes or jacking tubes so I'd like these to be features (If possible) of whichever guard I buy.

The fittings of the new bumper are very similar to standard, just slide over the front of the chassis members and bolt on.

I'm slightly concerned about weight. I plan to fit a winch in the near future, and would be unlikely to be able to afford synthetic rope just yet. I'm told that the steel rope the winch is supplied with weighs quite a lot. Add that to the winch itslef, winch bumper and a steel guard and I'll loose most of the 2"  lift I've fitted!
Are the ally ones robust enough though? And are they that much lighter?

Stu.

[ian101]

I fitted a Guardian steering Guard a few weeks ago, its a 3 piece affair and fitted easily inside my HD front bumper, its a good bit of kit.
(Keep your eye out for Spence, he 's on this site and owns/works Guardian. Also check e-bay for the e-shop)

Good Luck

[Jake]

The ally ones are lighter for sure
The ally one i had took the abuse with ease  :lol:
All steering guards will bend if you hit them hard enough  :shock:
Its pretty certain that your nose will drop with a heavy winch if you dont have a high enough rating on your springs
When you do deciede to go for a winch, uprate your front springs to suit
Or, go for spacer blocks that sit under the front springs to bring back the lift. (although your springs will be still be carrying the extra weight so it *might* affect the ride)
 :D

[POTASH]

or you could make your own

[Disco_Stu]

Do i need to be a welder by trade?

If not, tell me more :)

[POTASH]

you need someone to weld the the shape if that makes sense :roll:  then you find something thick for a guard, my photo of mines in my gallery

[extreme90]

if it was me i wouldnt bother  
i found a steering guard to be more of a hinderence than help so i binned it
take a look at most winch challenge tucks now, you'll see that they arnt running them for the same reasonse i aint.....damn cheese grater and a brilliant natural jack  :shock: o and not to mention a farmers best freind ( plough)

spend the money on something more worth while....like h/d steering arms, cos sooner or later your going to bend your track rod and wish you spend the money on the arms rather than a steering guard which wont protect the most vunreble bit of all  :roll:

ive got solid steel arms, run them for a year now...no problems and i dont worry one bit about not having a steering guard

thats my opinion anyhow and is how i see it  :twisted:

dan

[crazymac]

I must admit that I like my guard, but as has been said already they do not prevent everything.

I still bent a steering rod while setting out the hill rally, and it is definately a hindrance in deep snow, as you ride up on the snow lifting your wheels off the ground!

[Wolfie]

I still bent a steering rod while setting out the hill rally

I seem to have done exactly the same thing  :D though I'm not certain whether it was on the Hillrally or the first round of the BORC.

My steering guard is of the plate type and bought on the basis of the cheapest I could find at wahtever show it was. The racer currently has a vety nice Matt Lee alloy guard that has certainly been used as intended, but is going to be replaced with a Green Oval one when I get my act together.

And I suppose I better let H have a present of a new set of steering rods now  :D  otherwise she'll just sulk even more.

Regards

Wolfie

[Disco_Stu]

Hmm, seems like I may have to reasses my decision. Anyone know a good source for solid steel steering arms? Cheap but not crap if you know what i mean.

That said, I assume Diff guards are still worth having?

stu.

[Jake]

Britpart sell a heavy duty set now including the ball joints
Avalible at all good stockists
 8)

[extreme90]

ive got diffguards and britpart solid steel steering arms
the only problem i have had is snapping a track rod end due to the arm not giving but the ball joint did  :lol:

thats where carrying spares and thanking youself about copperslipping everything before fitting  :roll:

but ill never fit a steering guard to anything again, it makes a rear recovery a PITA as it lifts front end of vehical of the ground as winching back ( which was why i kept burning my huskey solenoids out  :shock: )

dan

[Disco_Stu]

Having had a look at the britpart ones, there almost the same price as a steering guard and come complete with track rod ends as you say.

http://www.paddockspares.com/scp/OFF_ROAD/HD_Steering_Rods.html

Would I be correct in thinking that this type are for relocated damper set ups? What else will I need? Its the eternal question isn it....

Oh, one more question. Why does a STEERING GUARD not protect the STEERING COMPONENTS? This is a concept which I'm struggling with :)

Stu.

[Jim-Willy]

Worst bit of kit i ever bought, bent the track rod for the third time since fitting the guard this weekend.  I'm going for sumo bars.

[Xtremeteam]

run southdown steering & axles guards & have reduced bending my steering to 0 since fitting them,

Dan..... I just think your a "£$% driver  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

have moded my steering guard so it extends all the way up to the bumper to stop it getting packed with mud & whats with all this going backwards caper?

forwards is the only way

[extreme90]

run southdown steering & axles guards & have reduced bending my steering to 0 since fitting them,

Dan..... I just think your a "£$% driver  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

have moded my steering guard so it extends all the way up to the bumper to stop it getting packed with mud & whats with all this going backwards caper?

forwards is the only way

wait till you have a rear winch my friend...then you find out what i mean.....  

as for not protecting steering components, the main component that the guard protects is the drop arm
the track rod lies behind the axle and underneath..and in my eyes is far more vunerable than the draglink and drop arm

i found out that when on rocks and you drop down and land onto the guard, it lifts landy off ground and your stuck...so out with the highlift (which results in time lost...less punches)

without the guard, you wouldnt bottom out and no the rocks wouldnt come close to any components

as for you asking about damper kits, just state you model..i.e disco and they will supply the correct bars, so your damper will stay in its normal place

hope that helps.....and mike....shut up  :lol:

rubbish driver peh...not a big girls blouse like you  :twisted:
dan