Have you ever tried to install an aftermarket billet grille before? It's not that easy, is it? There's usually odd-shaped L-brackets that don't quite fit like they should, bars with gaps that aren't quite symmetrical, and by the time you're finished with the install you probably feel like you went ten rounds with Rocky. Well, this is not that billet grille. By the time we were done with this install, we were in a better mood than when we began, which is amazing.
Carriage Works bolt-over-logo billet grille is the real deal. We didn't have to cut, modify, drill holes, or otherwise molest our '08 Nissan Titan, and the parts fit perfect. The same can be said for the company's billet bumper insert as well. Industrial Motors, a shop in Anaheim, California, which specializes in building sport trucks, literally installed everything in under an hour and without tempers flaring or tools flying. Check it out.
What's In The Box?
These billet inserts (part number 44162 polished upper grille and part number 42152 lower grille) can be ordered in black powdercoat, brushed, and polished finishes. We opted for the bling look. The grilles come with everything needed to install them.
1.The best way to tackle this...
1.The best way to tackle this job is to take a flathead screwdriver and twist out all eight plastic retainers for the grille and remove it.
2.Then, you can pop off the...
2.Then, you can pop off the two upper retaining clips in the lower bumper insert and unthread the two 13mm side-mounting bolts before pulling the bumper insert out.
3.It's best to assemble the...
3.It's best to assemble the lower bumper grille insert first so that you can work from the bottom of the truck upward. You'll need to access the bumper from behind anyway, so not having the upper grille in the way makes this job much easier. We test-fit the Carriage Works part in the lower insert and it fit nicely.
4.There's four L-brackets...
4.There's four L-brackets that bolt onto the grille. A pair of speed clips is then slid over the plastic bumper insert. The new grille will be screwed to the speed clips via Phillips head screws. The plastic is easily penetrated by the screw using a cordless screwdriver.
5.The three-piece upper grille...
5.The three-piece upper grille assembly requires no speed clips. It's held in place by four Allen-head bolts, powdercoated steel braces, and Nylok nuts. Our only gripe about this install is the bolts were a tad too short for our liking. Unless you tightened them enough to seriously crush the plastic grille shell, the bolt wasn't long enough to thread all the way into the Nylok portion of the nut. This will be fine on the street, but if you were to do any serious off-roading, we'd suggest purchasing longer bolts to prevent them from vibrating loose or at least put some thread locking compound on these ones.
6.The outer sections of the...
6.The outer sections of the new grille required popping up the plastic air vents from behind the grille shell in order to access the installation hardware.
7.Once the grille shell and...
7.Once the grille shell and bumper insert were re-installed with the factory hardware, we took the time to clean off the front end of our truck, take a few steps back, and appreciate the upgraded look of the Titan. Here's a before-and-after comparison to illustrate the improvement we made in less than an hour.
The Final Word
There's nothing worse than bad billet. It's a pain to install, never looks right afterward, and ends up being a huge waste of time and money. Thankfully, there are companies like Carriage Works producing quality parts. Like we said before, with the exception of four bolts being a bit short, this was a quick and painless install and the result speaks volumes.