It can lead to an obsession with good looks. Entrance to the grills.

The vehicles we drive are a reflection of our own identities. That’s why shopping around for a new wheelset isn’t simply a matter of choosing whatever vehicle is for sale on the lot. Rather, we all have our own complex list of criteria that guides us through the decision-making process. For some, nothing is more important than engine size and transmission type. For others, it’s all about trunk space.

However, the only unifying criterion that is at the top of everyone’s list is style. There is something about the unique design of certain cars, trucks and SUVs that appeals to us, often in very primitive and inexplicable ways. Like moths in the warm glow of a light bulb, we are drawn to the curves, lines, and contours of certain vehicles. And, once they catch our attention, we are forced to acquire them, or at least another vehicle that looks quite similar.

Even after our thirst for the right car is quenched, we still want to project our own unique personality into its design. While there are cursory ways to do this (for example, a fuzzy pair of dice hanging from the rear view mirror or a custom license plate frame that often says “I’d rather play golf”), there are more substantial ways to alter your attitude. vehicle.

A simple but meaningful way to personalize the presence of your vehicle is by upgrading the original grille to a more powerful and expressive ticket grille. AutoAnything has a large variety of high-quality billet gratings in an almost infinite number of designs, so you are sure to find one that perfectly matches and reflects your individual sense of style.

Before you begin to peruse an extensive stock of premium billet gratings, take a moment to learn a little about the basics of their construction, installation, and other important features. Use this resource as a guide to choosing the perfect entry grill.

Billet grill style basics

Billet racks are made only from materials that have proven to be strong, reliable, and durable.

Billet Aluminum Grilles

The most widely used material in the billet grating industry is aluminum, for good reason too. Aluminum is known for its strength, versatility, low density, durability, and resistance to corrosion. Due to its malleability, aluminum can be easily rolled, stamped, drawn, spun, hammered, or forged into almost any shape, making it the ideal metal for the automotive and aerospace industries. While there are 7 different types of aluminum alloys, billet grating manufacturers use the 5xxx or 6xxx series. The difference between these two types is that they are forged from different alloy components. 5xxx series aluminum uses magnesium as the main alloy, making it mild to moderately strong and resistant to corrosion. In the 6xxx series, a mixture of magnesium and silicon is used, producing a higher strength aluminum with excellent corrosion resistance.

Stainless steel billet grates

Known around the world for its strength and resistance to corrosion, stainless steel is a popular metal used to make billet gratings. The reason it resists rust so successfully is that it is high in chromium. In fact, for steel to be considered stainless, it must have at least 10.5% chromium content. Additionally, stainless steel is incredibly strong, tough, and easy to mold into a multitude of shapes and forms.

Like aluminum, there are two types of stainless steel that are used in billet gratings. The more economical of the two, 409 series stainless steel, is commonly used for many different automotive accessories due to its robustness. The other type of stainless steel, 304, is another popular metal for automobiles. It has a higher chromium content for the ultimate in corrosion resistance.

ABS plastic billet gratings

The most cost effective billet grating material available is ABS plastic. Widely used across the entire spectrum of automotive accessories, ABS plastic is a lightweight, rigid, and durable thermoplastic material. While not as strong as stainless steel or aluminum, ABS plastic is still an excellent means of constructing billet gratings because plastic is impervious to rust and quite durable. For further customization, it can usually be painted to match or accentuate your original painting.

Ticket or not Ticket

After deciding what materials you want your grating to be made of, billet gratings can be divided into two camps based on your installation type: bolt-on-billet gratings and replacement billet gratings. Its installation is quick and easy. In fact, my 8 year old son installed our bolt over the grill on our ’02 Ford F150 in almost 5 minutes! 🙂