For ocassional off-roading, you can get get by with a grill guard / brush guard. But don't expect it help reduce damage. You are more likely to damage the guard itself. I have wheeled for several years with the factory brush guard, and the guard has been been to beat hell and has gotten loose in its mounts. However, if I wheeled without the guard, I would not have damaged the front of the truck. This is because the guards greatly cut down on your angle of approach. This means that the guard will hit obstacles that a truck without a guard would otherwise clear. Having been stuck several times because the guard would not clear obstacles that stock trucks readily cleared, I am in the process of getting rid of it and switching to steel bumper which offers both better protection and better clearance.

k_enn