Hey, guys, Justin with americanmuscle.com.
Here is my detailed review of the Iron Cross Full Guard HD Front Bumper, available for
your 2015 and up F-150.
All right, guys, in this review I'm gonna cover a few basic topics in regards to the
Iron Cross HD Bumper here.
Basically, what you can expect as far as functionality and styling, what you're gonna be looking
at when it comes to construction materials, and then finally, what it takes to get this
mammoth installed.
Yes, it's as heavy as it looks, guys.
So believe me, you're gonna wanna have an extra set of hands on hand, to help you get
this thing installed.
But still, one out of three wrenches on my difficulty meter, basic nut and bolt stuff
here, but we will have a little bit more detail on that later on.
So, who is this thing going to be for?
Well, as you can see, this is gonna be for the F-150 owners out there, who are looking
for the ultimate level of protection for the front end of his or her new truck, and don't
mind spending a little bit of money to help get you that.
This thing is gonna be packing some extra functionality, thanks to the winch mount and
the recessed light mounts, that's also gonna help add some very aggressive styling to the
front end.
It is gonna add a little bit of weight as well, but overall, a very solid bumper, so
let's get into it.
All right, guys, the HD series from Iron Cross is without a doubt the most popular lineup.
And what I really enjoy is, they offer it a few different configurations, depending
on your wants or your needs.
Now, first and foremost, they offer the HD base, which is basically, there are no frills,
barebones options.
They're gonna give you some additional stuff here with the winch mount, but overall, it's
just gonna be the bumper portion.
And as you might expect, that's going to be the most affordable in the group.
The next step up is their HD Push Bar Bumper, which is basically going to incorporate a
Bull Bar style overbar to the bumper itself, along with the base here.
A little bit more money, and that's gonna give you a little extra protection for the
front end, in addition to giving you some extra lighting mounts as well.
Finally, guys, we have the big boy here, right?
The Full Guard option for the F-150 owners, again, that want the ultimate level of protection.
But as you might expect, this thing is gonna be the most expensive of the three, falling
right around the $1,500 price point.
Now, all three of those options are available here at AM, so if you want to compare, contrast
those, feel free to do so at any point.
With that said, though, however, all three options are gonna share the same basic instruction,
when it comes to the base bumper portion here of the HD series.
We're gonna be looking at 10-gauge heavy duty steel plating, comprising basically, the bumper
here itself.
This thing is hand-built here in the USA, and it's all been CNC laser cut.
All of the Iron Cross HD series bumpers are double-welded both inside and out, and that's
just to ensure a very solid construction throughout.
And again, this thing is built like a tank, backed by a lifetime warranty, I doubt you
ever need it, but it's nice to know you have it.
Finally, they finish everything off in a very attractive textured black powdered coat here,
got a bit of a gloss finish to it.
It looks great in person in the shop, probably will look even better on your truck.
When it comes to protection for the front end, the Iron Cross Full Guard option is going
to be the clear cut winner in the line of steel bumpers.
Now, the base bumper itself here is gonna feature that 10-gauge heavy duty steel, again,
just a huge upgrade of your factory bumper in every way.
However, a factor in that included brush guard up top.
And again, you just have the ultimate level of protection for your new F-150.
Guys, taking the protection even further, again, with the Full Guard option, you're
getting heavy duty steel tubing here, protecting the headlight area.
In case you do take your rig off-road, this is gonna help you out against any trees, shrubs,
obstacles, whatever.
You're also getting full coverage for the front end, and this is something that's really
cool here with the Full Guard option.
And, of course, you got the steel supports and all that stuff, the steel tubing protecting
the majority of the grille area, but even further, the Iron Cross Full Guard includes
this measure, which is very unique in my eyes.
A lot of times with these brush guards, this is all open, so you can still smack a tree
or an obstacle or something like that, take a little abuse to the grille.
Not the case here with the Full Guard option from Iron Cross.
As you can see, they got you protected pretty well.
So again, if bulletproofing the front end of your truck is your number one goal, this
thing is probably the best option out there.
As far as additional functionality, besides the protection aspect here, which you're obviously
getting plenty of, all of the HD series bumpers from Iron Cross include this winch mount up
front, capable of handling a 12,500-pound winch.
So again, if you do a lot of heavy off-roading or hard core wheeling, the HD Full Guard Bumper
will definitely be a solid option for that reason.
Iron Cross also offers an interchangeable two-inch receiver plate that would take the
place of the winch here with the HD series bumpers, and this thing is just gonna give
you a little-added versatility.
You could throw a class three style hitch upfront if you wanted to, or you could even
add a removable winch mount, just in case you want to take it on and off, giving you
again, just a little bit more flexibility with the bumper itself.
Along with that winch mount, Iron Cross does also include a very burly deering mount here
that is incorporated into all the HD series bumpers.
Again, this is just gonna make for a really nice recovery point, for again, those F-150s
that do some pretty serious off-roading, along with a set of shackle.
But just a heads up here guys, Iron Cross does not include those shackles.
So, if you wanted to add those, you're just gonna have to pick them up separately.
Iron Cross also incorporates four-inch holes here for some recessed lighting, whether it'd
be auxiliary lighting, fog lights, whatever.
Now, unfortunately, you can't throw your stock fog lights in there because they will simply
not fit.
However, there are a number of different four-inch options available here on the site or in the
app market, that should work just fine.
Finally, guys, I do want to point out that Iron Cross, the CNC laser cut their name and
logo into the front end of the HD series bumper here.
Some of you guys might like that, maybe others not so much, but it is worth pointing out.
Now,I do also want to address the concern that some of you guys might have as well watching
this at home, and that is the added weight to the front end of your truck.
When installed, I will say even though this thing is very heavy, it did not sag the front
end of our shop truck here at AM, so that should help alleviate some concerns you might
have at home.
Now, I did drop the price quickly earlier in this video here, but again, you're gonna
be dropping right around $1,500 for the Full Guard option from Iron Cross.
It is a lot of dough, I'll give you that, but you have to consider what you're getting
here.
A ton of projection, a ton of coverage for the front end, and therefore, a lot of materials.
So, it's pretty easy to see why this particular option is gonna be a little bit more than
their push bar or just their base option.
However, you also have to compare this to similarly priced ADD or road bumpers out there.
And again, you're gonna be getting a lot more for your money here with the Iron Cross Full
Guard option.
All right, guys, on to the install, and like we mentioned earlier, this is a bolt-up job,
there's really no cutting or no permanent modification needed when it comes time to
get this thing onto your rig.
Iron Cross does throw in some brand new quarter-inch steel plate brackets for this kit here, in
addition to brand new hardware as well, which should help you get the job done.
As you might expect guys, this thing is going to be heavy.
So call a buddy, call two buddies before getting started with the install.
It will definitely make your life a whole lot easier.
Trust me, when it comes the time to bolt this thing up.
Now, could you do it by yourself?
Maybe, but it's going to be very, very difficult.
Ultimately though guys, you're looking at basic hand tools here, strong one out of three
wrenches on my difficulty meter, maybe an hour or two before you're all set and done.
The Full Guard option here from Iron Cross is going to be a solid investment for any
F-150 owner out there, looking for maximum protection for the front end, whether on or
off-road.
Now, for my money, there's really nothing quite like this on the market that's gonna
offer the same level of protection, coverage, and versatility at this price point, and that
very aggressive look certainly doesn't hurt either.
So, that's my review of the Iron Cross Full Coverage or Full Guard HD Bumper, which you
can find right here at americanmuscle.com.
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