Grille enhancement mod
- Thread starter Whoknows
- Start date
This could not have been posted at a better time.
Planning a road trip this week via Las Vegas. They are having locust swarms for the next few weeks. These bug can get messy.
I might install this on the outside of the grill for easy clean up. But just for this trip. Great Idea.
This happened in 1998 during the Laughlin Nevada Ride (anyone remember).
Planning a road trip this week via Las Vegas. They are having locust swarms for the next few weeks. These bug can get messy.
I might install this on the outside of the grill for easy clean up. But just for this trip. Great Idea.
This happened in 1998 during the Laughlin Nevada Ride (anyone remember).
ElectroBoy
Banned
Nice looking grille mod. I wish Toyota put in a finer mesh in the first place. The wide spacing is useless.
I was so plagued with radiator bugs this spring that I installed nylon window screen mesh on the front surface of mine. I wanted a flat surface to be able to clean it with a soft brush and not have to dig out petrified bug carcasses with toothpicks from all the nooks and crannies if it was installed from behind the grille. Plus the wind pressure keeps it place rather than having it bow inward like a sail if it was attached on the inside. After 2+ months and many high speed miles it’s still in place and working well.
Here’s a link to some more details:
Bugscreen for radiator grill
I was so plagued with radiator bugs this spring that I installed nylon window screen mesh on the front surface of mine. I wanted a flat surface to be able to clean it with a soft brush and not have to dig out petrified bug carcasses with toothpicks from all the nooks and crannies if it was installed from behind the grille. Plus the wind pressure keeps it place rather than having it bow inward like a sail if it was attached on the inside. After 2+ months and many high speed miles it’s still in place and working well.
Here’s a link to some more details:
Bugscreen for radiator grill
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90Duck
New member
Brilliant idea. I found a 3’ long metal gutter guard screen in black at Home Depot for just over $3 that fit in nearly perfectly behind the lower grille without the need to cut at all. Since it is metal, it can be bent slightly to mimic the shape of the front clip and for the most part it wedges in to the space on its own without need for much attachment to hold it in position. I added a few zip ties around the edges and I’m good to go. I don’t see much need for adding mesh behind the upper grille since it doesn’t open directly onto the radiator condenser anyway. I used the opportunity to brush out the bug carcasses from the radiator while I had the shroud off. Yuck.
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Charlievee
Senior Member
Sonoran_Desert
Member
Thanks for posting a photo of the material used.
Possibly I remove when going to dealer for issues that could be remotely related to restricted airflow / overheating.
Possibly I remove when going to dealer for issues that could be remotely related to restricted airflow / overheating.
CharlesNellis
New member
Where did you find the 7" version?
last time i searched i could not find one 7 inches. where did you buy it?
16RedRunner
New member
Amazon.
Daftjungle03
Member
Link? Is this plastic or metal? If metal after you cut it did you paint it to keep it from rusting?
NVM, found and ordered on amazon~!
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TRDTommy
New member
Do you mind sharing the link? I bought a roll at Lowes and used it. But was only 6" and did have gaps. 7" would be better.
Daftjungle03
Member
Here's what I ordered but it's not here yet.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MZFLR42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MZFLR42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
16RedRunner
New member
That's it.
Charlievee
Senior Member
Amazing how much crap this stops from hitting the radiator.
TRDTommy
New member
Yup! No kidding! I just did a trip to Monument Valley, North Rim Grand Canyon, and stopped by Vegas. I cleaned the radiator before putting the gutter guard on, and drove the next day. Got back home a few days ago,and was amazed how much crap the guard collected. Radiator was same as when I cleaned it. I should have snapped some photos, but forgot.
Daftjungle03
Member
Alright I got my roll of Amazon mesh but what's the secret? This stuff seems so floppy I don't think I could put enough zip ties on it to keep it in place. Anybody find something similar but semi-rigid and not steel?
Chris In Milwaukee
New member
That’s really sharp. I also provided some visual screening of the bits behind the grill. Excellent idea.
