ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Model Specific Suzuki Forum => Suzuki Grand Vitara, Vitara, Chevy Tracker (Gen. 2 Platform) 1999-2005 => Topic started by: Shockwave on June 23, 2010, 12:24:43 PM
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I am looking for a grille guard for my 03 chev tracker and have been unsuccessfull. Is there anyone that can point me in the right direction? Also, does anyone know if there are any other vehicle makes that are similar that I may be able to order the grille guard for and then use a bracket to install? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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http://www.puresuzuki.com/brush_guard.htm (http://www.puresuzuki.com/brush_guard.htm)
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Thanks for the link.
I have seen this one, but i am actually looking for the full grille guard that also covers the lights.
looks like this.
http://www.carpartswholesale.com/images/cpw_performance/thumbs200/big_game/biggameBLACKgrilleguard.jpg (http://www.carpartswholesale.com/images/cpw_performance/thumbs200/big_game/biggameBLACKgrilleguard.jpg)
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Manik used to make one. You may be able to find one. Best of luck.
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Westin and a Saddle Man division called polarbear used to produce them also I like the polar bear grille guard but can't find a carrier in NWPA.
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Try this link for AFC Truck Center:
http://commerce.idmi.net/ecommerce/catalog.asp?CID=131&CI=1203&PT=A&page=3 (http://commerce.idmi.net/ecommerce/catalog.asp?CID=131&CI=1203&PT=A&page=3)
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I've already called there they nolonger carry the polar bear line
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OK, so i lucked out with a bar from a 92 pathfinder, not what i was looking for... but it will have to do (and it only cost me 60 bux). It will take a bit of work, but im sure i will be able to make it work. I will post pics once it get it on.
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Shockwave, this one looks JUST like the pic in the link you posted. I just picked this up yesterday from a Craig's List add. The mounting tabs are 29" from outside to outside and the entire guard is right at 68" wide. A little wider than my Tracker fenders... but only by an inch or so on both sides. There is a manufacturer label on the front of the push bar which tells me it was made by a company called "Go Rhino" located in Orange California. I don't know if this company is still in business, but one of their brush guards made it all the way out to Indiana. The verticals on the brush bar appear to be made of about 3/16 inch steel. It's fairly sturdy and weighs around 30-35 pounds. I wouldn't want to be pushing more than brush and small samplings with it though!
A rough measure on the inside of my frame indicates the frame rails are 29 1/2 inches wide in the front. I'm thinking I can get the Brush Guard properly centered and located, mark the mounting holes, tap the four holes, then come back with a couple 1/8 inch thick 1 1/2 inch washers and tack weld them around the mounting holes to beef up the frame surface on both sides then mount the brush bar. I have a little cleaning up to do on it first. It has some light surface rust and I'm thinking I'm going to clean it, then coat it with POR-15, then spray some black semi-gloss Rustoleum rattle can paint on it to finish it off.
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Appears Go Rhini is still in business. I'm thinking you can provide them your measurements and they can find a model that will work or is very close (like the one I found).
http://www.gorhino.com/descargas/catalog.pdf (http://www.gorhino.com/descargas/catalog.pdf)
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I know you were looking for a larger grille guard but this one looks good on the Tracker. I saw a pic of one on it and I'll eventually pony up the chump change and get one. I personally call it a bull bar. It has a couple of light mounts on it too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Westin-30-0025-Grille-Guard-Safari-Bar-Steel-Black-/370412202339?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AChevrolet%7CModel%3ATracker (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Westin-30-0025-Grille-Guard-Safari-Bar-Steel-Black-/370412202339?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AChevrolet%7CModel%3ATracker)
BoGiggers
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Well I sized up the GoRhino brush bar I had found on crags list (bottom pic) and found the verticals were about 6.5 inches taller than I needed. So I made a template out of heavy card board and traced marks on the lower middle of the frame where the 6.5 inches would have to be removed. I came down 1.5 inches from the broad channel bar towards the top to start the cuts. I cut these sections out with my sazs-all. After cutting the 6.5 inches out of the verticals I tacked them into position with my hobby welder and then took them to a real welder and had him join them back together... permanently. I coated the brush guard with Herculiner to resist chipping from rocks bettter (and the aggravating rust that follows). I tried to use just the liquid and avoid the rubber particles for a smoother coating. Then I coated the Herculiner with Rustoleum semi-gloss rattle can paint. Herculiner just doesn't survive exposure from the sun for long without a protective coating of paint. The top pic below show a reduced height brush guard and the next two the welds Dave laid on it. The last pic is the "before" cut pic of the brushguard.
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Next I had to design a frame mount that would firmly hold the brush guard to the front frame and also provide the additional 1/2 inch of width I needed to attach the brush guard to. Since the brush guard verticals were 29" wide outside to outside measurement and the frame was 29.5 inches inside, I opted for 1/4 inch plate steel to construct the frame mounts. I made the templates out of card board again and started experimenting with different shapes that would provide adequate support. Once I had the template shape completed for one side, the template was interchangeable with the other side EXCEPT for the fact that the driver side had the factory steel recovery loop welded to the frame so I had to cut a relief in the driver side tab to clear the recovery point. I thought I had the shape nailed down, then it occurred to me that once I had the plate welded into shape, I could not maneuver the brackets over some of the frame obstacles... so I began reducing the bulk of the frame mounts with some major cuts then some fine refining on the grinder. I built a wooden template of the Tracker frame where the mount would rest (2 - 1/16th inch wide) with the bevel included and clamped the plate parts together, tacked them together, then trial fitted them again. I added a gusset to the lower part to reinforce the mounting tab. 1/4 inch plate is probably over kill, but i had access to a machine shop band saw which made the cuts quicker and more accurate. When they fit I beveled the edges on all the plate edges and ran them over to my local welder who laid some great bead on them.
For final assembly I have to remove the plastic bumper cover off Buster, paint the mounts and frame area with Herculiner, then tap holes through the brackets and frame assemblies (one in the front and one in the rear) then add an inverted "U" shaped 1 inch steel strap (12 inches long) over the top of the frame (tap holes to accept the front bracket mount bolts) to provide more vertical support to the mount. Then put the plastic bumper cover back on, align the brush guard evenly with the grill and headlights, clamp and mark the holes on the brush guard to the tabs on the fabricated frame mounts, remove the plastic cover once more, tap the mounting holes, reassemble and bolt the brush guard onto the mounting tabs. I hope to get the final assembly done this week.
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Cool! Lets see them mounted up!
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Stripped off the plastic bumper cover and removed the grill then the tires and mounted the brackets. The last pic should be rotated counter-clockwise. I rotated it when i saved it but it obviously didn't save. It shows the relief I cut into the bottom of the bracket to retain the front factory tow strap.
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It took an extra person to get the brush guard into position. Thankfully my neighbor Lonnie stopped by and lended a hand. I unscrewed the chrome piece out of my grill and I am stripping the chrome off of it. I had a small section that was de-laminating and it looked like crap so I will either remove the balance of the chrome and paint it flat black or I will go to the bone yard and find a replacement. Anyway, we got the brush guard mounted just as darkness caught up with us. Again, one photo below needs to be rotated counter-clockwise. Don't know what the deal is, but there it is. I took it out for a drive in the darkness to see how much the brush guard reduced my headlight beam. It appears to be negligible.
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Was able to adjust the brush guard a little today. I tilted it backwards about one inch which leveled it out better with the hood. I painted it flat black and then completed the grill insert mod and called it good.
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Looks like it fits good!
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Nice job. Looks real good.
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Thank you much.
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Fits so good, it looks like it grew there. ;)
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Oh yeah, and I got tired of the aluminum rims that I had on Buster so I went to my local "man mall" (junkyard) and found 5 steelie stock rims from a '96-'98 Tracker, cleaned them up then sanded them down, wiped them down with Xylol then painted them semi-gloss black and ended up with an inexpensive set of black steelie rims to mount my Courser AT2s on. The AT2s have a solid tread strip down the center which reduces the road rumble the straight Courser ATs had quite bit more. I have just a very slight rumble when cruising down the highway. Barely noticeable.