They're pretty stout and offer a bit of protection as well. Yesterday, a lady in her Escalade backed into the front of my truck in a parking lot. Zero damage to my truck or light bar. Can't say that about her tailgate.......
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I went full on bumper, but that was because my Silverado 2001-2006.5 classic did not take much to make the stock bumper create a FROWN if seen from the front due ro a lightl hit. No real denting, but the bumper wings would easily take a 4 o'clock angle (instead of horizontal looking from the side) due to the minimal support rods that attached the bumper to the chassis. I have seen a dozen or more trucks with this issue over the years. They just bend too easily.
Was it the mid 80's? or early 90's where Ram truck seemed to suffer the same issue, as the front bumper's seemed to have the strength of a empty soda can. I remember seeing so many trucks with bent bumpers back then. It was after they went more aero styling instead of the older square body generation trucks.
The cost of body work can quickly add up, so the expense on aftermarket upgrades becomes easier to make. Those fancy new LED headlights........sit down $$$..........along with front camera systems etc, If some or all replacement is coming out of pocket, it is really expensive. Now upgraded protection is easier to justify. I also wanted the ability to hang some supplemental driving lights on the front for additional safety after having a few close calls with deer.
I read a story from a off road magizine, where they were driving to a photo shoot, and clipped a deer. The deer bounded away. The damage when inspected was substantial. A headlight bucket was slightly pushed back which in turn caused the front right fender to move slightly back also. When they got out, to inspect, the passenger front door bound into the fender and creased. Total repair was slightly over $2000 Quite a bit for a glancing hit. Compare what the cost would be today with the camera systems, OEM safety features.....sensors etc.
