I'm looking for a set of bull bars that can actually be used to protect the front of my truck. The stock bumper we have will not stand up to anything. If a car backs up into any one of us our front end will sustain pretty nice damage. I particularly like the lower cowl that seems like I can rip off with my hands. I like the westin's Ultimate bar, its actually the nicest one around, but note that they emphasize the "tough look"


http://www.accessconnect.com/images/ChBB301WPR.jpg


The bar with the best combination of form and function that I have found is Ramsey's Patriot bar. It costs about 2.5x more than Westin's but actually protects your truck, although that winch plate would look awfully ugly without a winch. ...good for some PIAAs i guess


http://www.ramsey.com/img2/mountingimages/chevy1500grilleguard.jpg


I don't want to replace my bumper. Its useless but it looks good http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif. Does anybody have a bar they would recommend? I'm not looking for a wrap-around grille, I've yet to see a nice one, and they're too bulky for my tastes.

I like the looks of the Westin bar you have in your first picture. I wouldn’t put it on the front of mine because I really like the stock looks of the GMC.
I will agree with you on the “wrap around” types. I never could understand why anyone would put such an ugly (IMHO) contraption on the front of their trucks to keep it looking good?
I have seen Deer hit a couple of them, they still do damage to the hood & fenders.
I wonder how they affect your air bag deployment?

Those bars are garbage. The only way to protect your grill is with a replacement bunper. The only thing those knock off bumper guards do is cause more damage when you hit something.