 |  | | | In another article, after installing a bed extender we briefly covered how to bolt on brush guards for the taillights since those are relatively easy to install. Front brush-guard installation is more complicated, however, largely because they're part of a massive piece with big, police-style push bars. These are not your basic black units found on cop cars, but instead made of chromed stainless steel, which should inspire envy among the local constabulary, not to mention your fellow 4x4 enthusiasts.
About Stainless | Back To Top
Why chromed stainless steel? Although non-chromed stainless steel is more resistant to corrosion than mild steel, the name of the metal is misleading. Stainless steel is not really stain or rust proof. When it comes into regular contact with road salt, stainless steel will discolor, rust or even corrode. For that reason any rust spots that may develop should be removed as soon as possible with a metal cleaner. Irreversible pitting will develop under rust that remains on stainless steel for any period of time. The basic resistance of stainless steel occurs because of its ability to form a protective coating on the metal surface. This coating is a "passive film" that is resistant to further oxidation or rusting. Raw stainless steel is actually quite dull in appearance. Polishing the metal brings out more luster by smoothing the surface for better light reflection. However, this process can leave polish marks. In addition, polished non-plated stainless steel has a duller, yellow tint by nature. No amount of prep work or polishing can match the brilliance of chrome plating as shown in these photos.
Plating stainless steel with chrome provides a combination of corrosion resistance through the nickel and chromium content of the base tube material and the nickel in the plating process. The chrome finish requires minimal maintenance to preserve the finish quality while common polished stainless requires extensive maintenance to prevent the corrosion damage.
With that in mind, to see how to install these chromed stainless steel brush guards with pusher bars just click on the sequence of photos.
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Westin Automotive Products, Inc., 5200 N. Irwindale Ave., Suite 220, Irwindale, CA 91706 (800) 793-7846
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