Grill Mod

[riknapora]

the screen I used is the same kind you'd find on your typical porch/entry doors. It is deceptively strong, corrosion resistant, heat resistent, and paintable.

[riknapora]

Hey folks! first a shout out to the cool looking grille mods many of you have done thus far. I was looking at my Jeep the other day, while messing with my new front bumper, and I noticed that my fins in the condenser were already starting to get tiny rocks and bugs and whatnot stuck in the holes...and decided that I needed something to keep my fins safe from frontal attacks and foreign object damage. Although I like the looks of the various patterns many of my fellow Jeepsters have experimented with, I don't like the idea of blocking that much airflow...and yes even the most "open" design blocks a lot of airflow. In addition to blocking mega airflow, the larger openings in the screens will still allow small stuff in. I opted for a roll of aluminum screen from Home Depot, for about ten bucks, which is the most free-flowing stuff out there that will also keep out even a mosquito. I then grabbed a roll of Gorilla duct tape, and went to town. I removed the grille and cut my aluminum to cover from the top of the radiator support to the bottom of the cross brace that the grille attaches to on the bottom. I then made sure that my screen spanned from one side of the opening to the other (to those outward-protruding "fins" that run from the top of the radiator support to the bottom on either side). Then I folded my 4 lengths of tape in half, so that one half covered one side of the edge of the screen and the other half covered the other side. The end result is simply a rectangular piece of screen with about a one-inch border of tape on all four lengths of that screen. Then I positioned the screen so that 4 of the 6 push-fasteners on the upper radiator support go through my top edge of the screen (and I cut the holes in the taped edge), and 4 of the bottom slot push fasteners go through the bottom taped edge of my screen. Once I cut my guide holes, I set the grille aside, and used 1/4 speed nut brackets (from Pep Boys or Home Depot) to clamp the side tapd edges of the screen to the vertical fins. Then I put the grille back on, and the upper and lower mounting points, in conjunction with the 4 speed nut brackets, hold my screen firmly. no, it doesn't look as cool as the screens many of you have used, but it keeps bugs and pebbles out, and to clean it I simply remove the grille and brush it off or hose it off. It was cheap, and in SoCal it is all about airflow...and I get plenty of it.

[bluesurf09]

Originally Posted by riknapora

Hey folks! first a shout out to the cool looking grille mods many of you have done thus far. I was looking at my Jeep the other day, while messing with my new front bumper, and I noticed that my fins in the condenser were already starting to get tiny rocks and bugs and whatnot stuck in the holes...and decided that I needed something to keep my fins safe from frontal attacks and foreign object damage. Although I like the looks of the various patterns many of my fellow Jeepsters have experimented with, I don't like the idea of blocking that much airflow...and yes even the most "open" design blocks a lot of airflow. In addition to blocking mega airflow, the larger openings in the screens will still allow small stuff in. I opted for a roll of aluminum screen from Home Depot, for about ten bucks, which is the most free-flowing stuff out there that will also keep out even a mosquito. I then grabbed a roll of Gorilla duct tape, and went to town. I removed the grille and cut my aluminum to cover from the top of the radiator support to the bottom of the cross brace that the grille attaches to on the bottom. I then made sure that my screen spanned from one side of the opening to the other (to those outward-protruding "fins" that run from the top of the radiator support to the bottom on either side). Then I folded my 4 lengths of tape in half, so that one half covered one side of the edge of the screen and the other half covered the other side. The end result is simply a rectangular piece of screen with about a one-inch border of tape on all four lengths of that screen. Then I positioned the screen so that 4 of the 6 push-fasteners on the upper radiator support go through my top edge of the screen (and I cut the holes in the taped edge), and 4 of the bottom slot push fasteners go through the bottom taped edge of my screen. Once I cut my guide holes, I set the grille aside, and used 1/4 speed nut brackets (from Pep Boys or Home Depot) to clamp the side tapd edges of the screen to the vertical fins. Then I put the grille back on, and the upper and lower mounting points, in conjunction with the 4 speed nut brackets, hold my screen firmly. no, it doesn't look as cool as the screens many of you have used, but it keeps bugs and pebbles out, and to clean it I simply remove the grille and brush it off or hose it off. It was cheap, and in SoCal it is all about airflow...and I get plenty of it.

[levosgien]

Especially that one, punctuation and pics and you're set!

[riknapora]

I KNEW I should have taken pics as I was figuring it out, but I was so excited that something was working out right that I couldn't stop until I had snapped the grille back into place. I'll take pics the next time I pull the grille off to brush the bugs and the other debris off the screen...

[db1]

Mine is in process right now. Should have some pics tomorrow!!!

[cwhitfield]

Originally Posted by riknapora

I KNEW I should have taken pics as I was figuring it out, but I was so excited that something was working out right that I couldn't stop until I had snapped the grille back into place. I'll take pics the next time I pull the grille off to brush the bugs and the other debris off the screen...

How about at least a pic of the finished mod? I'm curious to see what it looks like.

[riknapora]

this is it...Home Depot screen, and I feel much more protected. For anyone that doesn't believe the more restrictive screens shapes don't block a lot of airflow, hold a piece in front of a fan and compare the difference!

[riknapora]

Here it is in another size.

[Phoenix07013]

Well, yet another, very similar to the latest one.

Reason I went this route is...Expanded aluminum is a b%tch to find, well really I was just too impatient, but ultimately, I was curious, plus, if the aluminum screen proves to be insufficient I'll get expanded aluminum or something alike, while keeping the screening in front for the finer stuff, though I don't think I'll need it, let's be honest, if you get something to make you worry about getting through your radiator, the least of your worries is going to be what's in between those slots. Anyway, I'm on my phone so I'll post pics as soon as I drunkenly figure it our.