Protective mesh on the radiator: features, types and reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Big beautiful bumpers, giving a modern look to the car, at the same time create a number of worries for their owners. Volumetric inserts in the radiator grilles are designed to emphasize the individuality of the car. They also create problems related to the protection of the radiator.

More than once, car service workers had to repair and change radiators pierced by small stones flying from under the wheels of cars. Protective mesh will help to avoid this problem, protect the elements of the cooling system and give a unique look.

How it works, the need to install a grid on the radiator

The cooling system allows you to maintain the optimal temperature regime of the engine. Its malfunction leads to overheating of the motor, followed by costly repairs.

The most vulnerable spot in this system is the radiator. For its best cooling, it is installed immediately behind the bumper or radiator lining. Wanting to make the look of the car the most attractive, manufacturers put decorativegratings with too large cells that do not provide protection.

In addition to flying stones, the radiator is clogged with dust, fluff of plants, flying insects crashing into the car at high speed. All this leads to the fact that the radiator cells become clogged and the coolant that circulates inside is not sufficiently blown by the passing air.

The mesh installed for protection has small cells that do not let small fragments through. It is also made of metal, which prevents it from breaking when struck by a stone.

Disadvantages of grid setup

Often the shape and design of decorative grilles is dictated not only by design ideas, but also by design solutions aimed at improving airflow. Protective mesh on the radiator grill: is it needed in this case, will it interfere with lowering the temperature?

To answer this question, you need to look at the design of the cooling system. A cooling fan is always installed behind the radiator, the deflectors of which direct the air flow in the right direction. The radiator itself is made of aluminum, which has a high thermal conductivity, so cooling will occur even with minimal airflow.

After considering these factors, we can conclude that the mesh to protect the radiator will not be superfluous.

Varieties of defenses

The car tuning market offers different types of protective nets for the grille. They differ in price and quality and can be divided into several categories:

Factory. Made industrially for the mostpopular car models. For example, the radiator grid "Rio". These products feature a precise fit and minimal installation modifications.

Homemade. Made to order or independently, such grids for a radiator have an insignificant cost, which is formed from the cost of materials and fasteners.

Mount type: rigid, removable. Each of these varieties has its own advantages. Removable nets can be easily removed and the cells can be cleaned at any time. But the rigid structure will not shake and rattle when driving on rough roads.

Material of production. There are three types of nets: plastic, aluminum and stainless steel. Each of these materials has its own advantages and disadvantages. Plastic is easy to work with, easy to install, but not strong enough. Aluminum is light in weight and has good strength, but over time it tarnishes and loses its presentable appearance. Stainless steel is a quality material that retains its appearance for years, but is expensive and difficult to install.

Grids on the radiator can also be classified according to the shape and size of the cells.

Exterior protection or decoration

Tuning will help you to distinguish your car among similar cars. Changing the look of bumpers, grilles - this is one of the simple solutions to make your car stand out from the crowd. Adding a mesh to the grille will add a personal touch to your look.

In thiscase, the grid is installed on top of the factory decor elements. Tuning bumpers are very well suited for these purposes. They already have elements for attaching nets.

After removing the factory decorative grilles, many bumpers lose their rigidity, therefore, when installing a tuning radiator mesh, you need to further strengthen the structure.

The most common and successful Bentley-style decorative steel mesh measures 1.12 x 0.48 m. Two such pieces are enough to transform the look of a large bumper. For example, for cars such as Nissan x-trail, Mitsubishi lancer, Renault duster.

Such tuning does not have a protective function, so a protective one is placed under the decorative mesh from below. Sometimes, when changing the design of the bumper, it is necessary to additionally make a podium for attaching license plates.

How to make your own

Due to the high cost of installing a mesh on a radiator, you can do this work yourself. To do this, you need a set of tools, a viewing hole or a lift. In some cases, these works can be done on level ground.

The first thing to do is to determine what mesh size to purchase. To do this, you need to measure the size of the decorative inserts in the bumper and the size of the grille.

After purchasing the necessary materials, proceed to the installation:

1. Dismantle the bumper. To do this, turning the wheels, unscrew the fasteners of the bumper and plastic fender liner. Then, being in the inspection hole, after removing the anthersunscrew the lower bumper mounts to the body or subframe of the car. And finally, unscrew the top fasteners. If the top mount is not visible from the outside, then it is under the grille. In this case, we remove it first.



2. Lay the bumper face down, after laying a soft material so as not to scratch the painted surface.
3. We impose a grid on the inside of the decorative inserts and lattice. This is necessary to determine the final dimensions. We outline the grid along the contour, with a small margin. After that, cut it off.
4. Fix the grid with self-tapping screws. Self-tapping screws, popularly referred to as "bugs", are best suited. They have a wide flat hat that will fix in the best way. Self-tapping screws must have a short threaded part so as not to pierce the bumper outward. They should roll into amps.



5. We assemble in the reverse order. We put the bumper in place. With light, patting movements we bring it to its seat. Then tighten the fixing screws. Often the bumper is fixed by snapping. If this does not happen, then a clear fit of the edges of the bumper to the car body will not work.

In addition, the protective mesh can be installed from the outside without removing the bumper. In this case, it will be attached with plastic clamps. This installation is easy and simple, but the appearance suffers. Fixation qualityalso leaves much to be desired.

Do I need to clean the safety net

In order for the mesh not only to perform the function of protection, but also to freely pass the flow of air into the engine compartment, it must be periodically cleaned of fluff and insects. The easiest way is to wash under a car wash. Pressurized water will break through the cells and the grate will recover throughput.

The second option is to blow it out with compressed air. But this requires an air compressor and a blow gun. You can do this at a tire fitting station.

The third method is to brush with a soft brush and detergent by hand.

Reviews from car owners

Drivers who frequently hit the highway note that driving at high speeds leads to the risk of damage to the radiator. Moreover, movement around the city does not cause such problems due to low speed. But, if you move faster than 60 km / h, then a stone flying out from under the wheels of an oncoming truck acquires the power of a bullet. And a trip to a vacation spot can end not only in a waste of time, but also in a solid financial outlay for radiator repairs.

Car owners who installed protection, not only were not disappointed in this, but also gained peace of mind. And the doubts associated with the fact that the grate becomes clogged with dirt and insects over time are easily solved by a car wash.

Where to buy protective mesh for cars

Gone are the days when such products were rare, and you had to put what was at hand. Now radiator nets are sold in most automotiveshops. Also, these products are available in the car market. But the widest range is presented in stores that specialize in car tuning. Here you can buy products of well-established companies. Such as Arrow, Teorin, Arbori.

Prices

Motorists note the high cost of such work in service centers. The price is in the range of 3-7 thousand rubles. Masters in private garages take about 2.5 thousand rubles. Many consider it unfair - to give such an amount for 1.5-2 hours of work. Therefore, they prefer to install radiator protection with their own hands.

The price of the mesh ranges from 300 to 2.5 thousand rubles. Such a range of prices is associated with the materials from which it is made and the manufacturer. Tuning nets are more expensive than protection nets.

Additional recommendations

Some bumpers are multifunctional. Headlight washers, fog lights can be built into them. Taking them off is much more difficult. In order not to damage the wires and tubes going inside, it is better to do the dismantling and reinstallation work together.

Do-it-yourself installation is not always the best solution. There are cars that require specific tools and skills to dismantle. Such work is best left to specialists who know where the fasteners are hidden. In this case, the risk of damage will be minimal.