Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY

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Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 6:05:07 PM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline JUST SO I DONT GET ANY CRAP FOR SOMEONE NOT DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PROBLEMS, INJURIES, OR ANYTHING ELSE BAD THAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAPPEN TO ATTEMP THIS. GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE IT HELPS AT LEAST SOMEONE. So i've had the mesh (gutter guard) for a while now and finally got the chance today to make my homemade grill so I took some pics and figured i'd do a write up on it incase anyone else wants to give it a try. I plan on doing the lower grill as well but its a little more involved so I am going to wait till I am at home with all my tools and stuff to start that. When I do get around to doing that ill let you guys know how it comes out and probably do a DIY for it. GOOD LUCK! Tools and Materials -Gutter Guard from Lowes or Home Depot-I got mine at Lowes it came in i think 6"x36" sheets in a 5 pack. -Zip ties-I used black ones i got at AutoZone. -Tin snips -Something to cut out the fins that are in the grill-I used a pair of wire cutters and then a file to make it look smooth. -If you take it off of the truck like i did you'll need the tools to do that its just a few bolts im not sure what size though. I will be doing the write up the way I did with taking the grill off the truck so disregard the first step or so if you decide to leave it on and try it. First thing I did was remove the 7 or 8 bolts that hold the grill on on the top and then there are 4 that hold it to the brace on the bottom. It took some wiggling but it came off. If your having trouble try loosening all the bolts on the top that seemed to help me get the top bolts out easier. Second once the grill is off take the wire cutters or whatever you have and cut out the black fins that are on the grill. I cut them out and cleaned them up with a file. Next take one of the full pieces of gutter guard and either make some marks and cut it down or eye ball it to make your first insert. I then took the first one and used it as a template to make 3 more. I found out later that i still had to cut them down once they were on but its a good starting point. Now it is time to start attaching the inserts onto the back of the grill. There is space between where you trimmed off the fins and the grill that you put the zip ties through. I did the right and left sides first with zip ties and then did 4 across the top and bottom. This seemed really solid to me so i didnt add anymore. I would go one insert at a time and just take your time. My hands got cut up pretty bad so be careful because that stuff is sharp. When you are putting the inserts on make sure the pattern is all the same. Its hard to see but there is a certain pattern and it might look weird if you have one right side up and the other upside down. Final Step is to put the grill back on the hood and just sit back and enjoy. Hopefully you did a good job and like it, I sure do. I hope this helps anyone that wants to make a custom grill for their truck but doesnt want to spend $100 plus on a kit. Got the grill back on today and here are some pics of it on the truck. And here are some pics of the hood release I rigged up. You can't see it from the outside unless you look for it really hard and it works like a charm. Once I get home from school for good in 3 weeks I might try and fab something up that looks better and is a little more sturdy but this works great for now. from the outside when the hood is popped the whole contraption behind the grill bottom of the hood release extention from the inside top part of the hood release hood release from the outside as you can tell from standing 3 feet away you can't even really see it If I think of anything else that I forgot or anyone has any questions let me know. < Message edited by pitkanen44flyers -- 4/16/2008 8:35:18 PM > _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! Post #: 1

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 7:46:15 PM    Brummo   Posts: 44 Joined: 3/30/2008 Status: offline That looks pretty good. Nice Idea.  I may just have to try it too.  Thanks for the info. _____________________________ ''04 QC 4.7 4x4 SPORT PLUS LINE-X K&N Drop in Autolite platinums ''90 SAAB 900 Turbo 252,000 (sold to my brother) ''03 SAAB 9-3 Vector ''08 SAAB 9-5 ''02 Harely 1200 Custom (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 2

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 7:54:55 PM    varsis Posts: 1254 Joined: 10/8/2006 Status: offline Looks awesome. I should do that. _____________________________ dakotaramwire.com (in reply to Brummo) Post #: 3

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 8:01:31 PM    ricbrk Posts: 211 Joined: 10/13/2007 Status: offline I have been wanting to do something like that only in the bumper openings.  The kits I've seen, you have to buy all 5 pieces. Will have to look into seeing if that would work for the bumper area. That gutter guard even comes in black. Thanks for the idea. (in reply to varsis) Post #: 4

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 8:14:56 PM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline no problem guys and i plan on doing the lower bumper area i just have to wait till im home because i plan on taking the lower fascia off and building brackets to do it right. i didnt have all the tools up at school to do the bottom part. let me tell you its a pain in the ass to do just because its so sharp when you cut it my hands are beat but when i see the final product it made it all worth it. _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! (in reply to ricbrk) Post #: 5

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 8:41:51 PM    JCFChamp   Posts: 50 Joined: 11/17/2007 From: G-Vegas, NC Status: offline That looks pretty awesome, if i can find some time and extra money i'd love to try this myself. My only question is, how are you going to access the hood release handle? I've heard of runnin some type of cable to open it. What did you do? _____________________________ '01 Dakota SLT 3.9L 4x4 Flowmaster 40 single out K&N Drop-In UWS Toolbox 15x8 American Racing Baja's (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 6

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/15/2008 8:53:27 PM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline oh i forgot to mention it was like 7 bucks for the gutter guard and if i didnt have to get zip ties and a file thats all it woulda cost. I ended spending like 16 bucks total. and im glad you mentioned that cuz i forgot about that lol i didnt get the grill back on the truck yet but ill have to make a release. i know there is a easy way to do it with a wire coat hanger so once i figure it out and do it ill take some pics and post them up. _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! (in reply to JCFChamp) Post #: 7

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 4:51:27 AM    JasonA Posts: 348 Joined: 3/24/2008 Status: offline I was gonna ask, "so how you gonna open the hood?"  :)  It looks nice...if you can figure out how to re-do the hood latch. _____________________________ 1997 Dodge Dakota Sport Club Cab 5.2L V-8 / 44RE / Emerald Green Pearl 255/70R15 Firestone Firehawk Indy 500s Flowmaster 40-series Dual Exhaust Pioneer DEH-2900/Sirius Stratus Receiver (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 8

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 5:40:05 AM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline yep i remember now how to do it so once i get it done ill take a pic and post it up. pretty much you just hook a wire coat hanger to the latch then zip tie it to the middle post and put a little hook on the end so when the hood is popped you pull down on the coat hanger and it pulls on the latch. _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! (in reply to JasonA) Post #: 9

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 9:36:07 AM    JCFChamp   Posts: 50 Joined: 11/17/2007 From: G-Vegas, NC Status: offline Lol, lucky i reminded you there. What would you have done if you had put it back on and closed the hood? Ready to see what the finished together product looks like, for 7 bucks of gutter guard you can't beat the look of that. _____________________________ '01 Dakota SLT 3.9L 4x4 Flowmaster 40 single out K&N Drop-In UWS Toolbox 15x8 American Racing Baja's (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 10

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 10:35:07 AM    scandal669 Posts: 318 Joined: 1/16/2008 Status: offline wow thats awesome!!! im not much into cosmetic mods myself, i like the exterior to look stock, but that is one i would do for sure! i used to work at home depot and sold those all the time. they also make that stuff in a rigid plastic in rolls for about $3, could use that too...i think ill try this but i think ill paint mine black since all the other trim is black and it will hide the radiator and all the crap that shows thru, very cool idea! for the hood latch, you could take some snips and cut a finger sized hole just big enough to pull the latch and then bend the metal over so it isnt sharp...just an idea _____________________________ 99 Dodge Dakota Sport 4x4 Extended cab PB3 - Intense Blue, Pearl Coat 5.2L 318 5 speed manual 31x10.5x15 http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/scandal669/010.jpg (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 11

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 10:52:06 AM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline that is one option for the hood latch but then you have a hole there. i think once i take some pics and show everyone how im gonna do it, it'll make more sense because its a really easy fix. _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! (in reply to scandal669) Post #: 12

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 10:55:59 AM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline update: im in class right now but i should be able to get it all back together and get pics of it on the truck and with the hood latch sometime between 4-7. that is if im motivated and nothing else comes up. _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 13

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 10:58:45 AM    scandal669 Posts: 318 Joined: 1/16/2008 Status: offline cool, im looking forward to seeing pics...my thought was the hole for your finger would be real small and up high and not really visible unless someone was really looking for it, plus someone wouldnt have a problem if the coat hanger thing was to break or something. anyways, this is a great idea! _____________________________ 99 Dodge Dakota Sport 4x4 Extended cab PB3 - Intense Blue, Pearl Coat 5.2L 318 5 speed manual 31x10.5x15 http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/scandal669/010.jpg (in reply to pitkanen44flyers) Post #: 14

RE: Homemade Mesh (gutter guard) Grill DIY - 4/16/2008 11:07:52 AM    pitkanen44flyers Posts: 583 Joined: 1/10/2007 Status: offline yeah i know what you mean i've seen a couple though and it just looks outta place at least to me. _____________________________ 00 Dakota 4.7, 5 spd, 4x4, 9.25 rear/3.92 LSD, HF Cat, Aerochamber Duals, Hurst Shifter, 105k 96 XJ, 4.0, auto, 4x4, HF Cat, 40 series, K&N, Accel, M/T, 186k miles! (in reply to scandal669) Post #: 15

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