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Mesh Grill Mod.....with Pics!

170K views 245 replies 136 participants last post by  Jeepinbeauty 
#1 ·
So this weekend I finally got around to doing the mesh grill mod. i've had the parts sitting around for a couple of weeks now.....so here's a quick how-to for anybody who wants to do the same......its rediculously easy....

The components are:

Plastic gutter guard:


1x1 Mounting bases with adhesive backing



Plastic zip ties


1. Start out by removing the grill. Just pop the plastic retainers out of the top of the grill and pull on the bottom and it comes off. Then remove the turn signal bulbs.

2. With the grill off, clean the back of the grill (I used rubbing alcohol).

3. Place the mounting bases around the holes in the grill. Spread them out evenly so the mesh will be pulled evenly in all directions.


4. Cut the gutter guard into strips slightly longer and wider than the spaces in the grill.

5. Attach the gutter guard to the bases using the zip ties.


6. With all of spaces covered and all of the zip ties tight, re-install the grill and you're done.



 
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#162 ·
I'm towards the end of finishing this mod up myself. Didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped for me. I tried using Rustoleum Undercoating instead of just regular black spraypaint. DON'T DO IT! This stuff would not dry for anything. It stayed tacky and kept peeling off when I tried to touch it even though I let it dry inside my house for an entire day. Turned what should have been a few hours project into a full day and a half, and I wasted $5 on a stupid can of undercoating. I sprayed satin black regular spray paint over the top of the undercoating and let it sit overnight. It seems to have worked. We'll see if it holds up. I have a bad feeling I might end up buying new gutter guard and just doing it over with regular spray paint and a good primer.
 
#164 ·
Ditto. I used gate mesh from Lowe's, already black, needed no paint. I ended up using the sticky clips from Radio Shack, 18 of them. And tie wire. BEEF! Also did this to my Tacoma with the same mesh. I hate bugs between the fins! :nono:
 
#166 ·
Can't be done in one strip if you use gutter guard. Gutter Guard is only approximately 6" wide. You'd have to find some other sort of mesh to use in order to get it done in one single strip.

Well I actually got the undercoating to work. I was able to paint a layer of Rustoleum acrylic over the top of it and it dried perfectly fine. Looks awesome! I have no idea why they didn't include some sort of mesh behind the grill from the factory.



 
#167 ·
My anchors broke loose so I approached the problem a little differently the 2nd time around.

I got the rugged ridge bezels and drilled holes top and bottom to bolt the mesh on. Decided to try white mesh instead of the black I used last time, the contrast against the bezels looks pretty cool.

 
#172 ·
Did this DIY mod today. It protects the radiator and looks cool. Cost about $20 at Lowes and an hour of my time, and I have plenty of supplies left. I used Gorilla glue to hold down the mounts, as I heard others had problems with the adhesive strips for the zip-ties. The gutter guard mesh rolls were in the far right-end of the store at my particular Lowes. I was extremely surprised at how easy it was to remove the front grill and do this :cheers2:.

 
#176 ·
08Heltos - Any issues with overheating? Looks really similar to what I am getting ready to do to my grill, but wondered about the effect of restricted airflow.

Image is of the Rugged Ridge XHD Aluminum Bumper and the material I am considering for the grill. Grill will be plasti dipped black.
 

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#177 ·
CONative said:
08Heltos - Any issues with overheating? Looks really similar to what I am getting ready to do to my grill, but wondered about the effect of restricted airflow.

Image is of the Rugged Ridge XHD Aluminum Bumper and the material I am considering for the grill. Grill will be plasti dipped black.
No not at all. Even in the texas heat at 105+ there were no problems!
 
#180 ·
Started this yesterday and was super-gluing the wire-tie bases down this afternoon when - sploosh - the tube of glue let go. Very luckily I didn't adhere to anything, but my fingers will have a peculiar coating for a couple of days.

I now know all about cyanoacrylate and was re-introduced to my old friend acetone.

I'm off to cut and spray the metal mesh (Lowe's gutter guard) black. Should look great on my Rescue Green Jeep!
 
#184 ·
I was having a hard time keeping 3 of the stick on tie wrap mounts to stay stuck. And I kind of figured that with what we all spend on parts for our Jeeps, why skimp on this. It cost me $25ish for the DIY and $60 for the Rugged Ridge. If I had just gone that route to begin with, it's $35 difference. less than .5% what I've already spent.
 
#185 · (Edited)
Grill DIY for just over $10

I was looking to install grille mesh for some time now. Mostly to protect radiator, not the looks, but ended up liking the way it looks in the end. Everything I've seen sold online is either too expensive or has unimpressive quality for cheap sets. I didn't like the idea of drilling holes in the grille either. As far as DIYs I didn't like the idea of attaching a mesh with stickies. So, here is what I came up with.
 
#187 ·
davison0976, excellent, elegant solution, I love it.

I pick up my first Jeep on Monday and knew I wanted a wire mesh protector. This might be it.

Only thing I wonder is debris hitting the screen and falling down between the screen and grill?

Thanks,

John
Hey John. First of all Congratulations on the first Jeep!

There is actually nothing to hold the debris between the screen and grille, they should fall right down unless caught in the mesh itself, which is true of any wire mesh in that case.

Also, you may be able to avoid the small gap between grille and wire mesh by not stretching it as tightly as I did when fixing to those 4 bolts. It should give the mesh a forward concavity because of the plastic ridges on the inner sides of where the bolts are. You'll see what I am talking about when you take off the grill, or even from the pictures posted. This gap is there in my setup because mesh is flat and grille is slightly concave. So the gap is only in the middle.

And, what I like is you can always take it off an no one will ever know it was ever there because there are no wholes to drill, no glue to mess with.
 
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