Adding grill mesh ahead of active shutters in bumper?

[hturnerfamily]

the shutters are designed to ONLY active(open) when CHARGING, and fans run loud, as the battery is heating up...

there are not designed to 'open' any other time...
they are ALWAYS closed when driving...

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[jeff_h]

I bought the above mesh screen based on the PP's reference, below are some pics for those who may be interested:

Here's how things come out of the box, there are 8 zip ties included:

Here was the front grill before starting (shame that it can't protect against bug splats):

Here is a pic with it in place before the ends of the zip ties were snipped off, it was pretty easy to slide up into place. A few quick notes:
1 - The hardest part was getting the zip ties started in the existing upper brackets as noted in the instructions in https://www.customcargrills.com/proddetail.asp?prod=F150-Lightning-2022 as there are already small metal straps in there to hold the existing grill pieces in place, so it may take a few tries to get it fed through each one.
2 - Once the mesh is pushed up all the way into place, it's handy to have a small tool to hook behind it and pull the bottom of the mesh into the groove at the bottom of the grill.
3 - Plenty of real mechanics will have rugged and durable petzl headband lamps to use, but you can get a cheap knockoff at Walmart for $1.88 and if you only need it occasionally it works perfectly and definitely better than trying to hold the iPhone flashlight in one hand and thus only having one hand to manage the rest of the positioning.

Here's the finished pic, took less than 10 minutes even for a definite non-pro like me:

Since there are 4 connection points at the top and 8 zip ties included, I thought about using a couple extra and securing on each side in the middle, but decided to hold off on that unless I find that it gets pushed back a bit and pulling it forward against those two pillars might help:

That's all there was to it!

 

[MaintGrl]

the shutters are designed to ONLY active(open) when CHARGING, and fans run loud, as the battery is heating up...

there are not designed to 'open' any other time...
they are ALWAYS closed when driving...

This may be so, but I could swear that there were some folks that had pictures of Debris that hat worked it way in to the radiator surface. Hence the reason folks have been installing the screens.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I wonder if all this modification would be needed if we realize that the shutters are actually always CLOSED while driving... but, yes, if you just like the 'look', that's a different story.

I did mine because we hit a tumbleweed on the highway and had to vacuum out the debris. Whether the shutters stay closed on the freeway or not, debris manages to get in there.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I bought a roll of anodized mesh and snipped it to fit myself.

https://www.amazon.ca/AggAuto-Unive...gonal+mesh+aluminum,aps,568&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1

 

[MaintGrl]

I bought a roll of anodized mesh and snipped it to fit myself.

https://www.amazon.ca/AggAuto-Universal-Grill-Mesh-Multifunctional/dp/B09G94X3H5/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3FOHD2GABXUEJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jJrGntcd4ovAqyFISygI2jRUtQ0qUvg3UKUSOmZJkKPMdOKgx0gVu2PYxnXpKfsjvIo0f9edt_Fz4VqLBbmwGGkaHilD_pOdEcaXEGMv35ufP3iWx0wHAF44LOnFoN0j6DFAufPXbtFGeSxf0N77nKbGRky7CkW3ccr8SM4SkcgNIZtOCWg5tGhkHottgxM58uCZRqSnHHLXGITbvdtNiQ.Whv4nZZIdRO-xbu8f5xgv9pFiapGWlgTIrNOTPLQOnI&dib_tag=se&keywords=hexagonal+mesh+aluminum&qid=1722048577&sprefix=hexagonal+mesh+aluminum,aps,568&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1

I did too. AND . .even if @hturnerfamily IS right, and it only opens when sitting & charging, I figure is is cheap insurance....

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

On the roads and highways I drive, dry weeds tumbling across the roadway is a common event. Since I've already had a 70 mph encounter with one, all I can say is that either the louvers were open or they were forced open by the debris. Either option is reason to put the mesh in.

 

[hturnerfamily]

This may be so, but I could swear that there were some folks that had pictures of Debris that hat worked it way in to the radiator surface. Hence the reason folks have been installing the screens.

well, almost every F150 in recent years, gas, diesel, or ev, has these shutters...so.....

 

[hturnerfamily]

I did mine because we hit a tumbleweed on the highway and had to vacuum out the debris. Whether the shutters stay closed on the freeway or not, debris manages to get in there.

I think that you'll find that just because the shutters are 'closed', there is still open areas and room BEHIND the shutters/under the front bumper, where anything can work it's way into this opening/radiator area... the shutters are just a way to CLOSE the Aero aspect of the front end, while Driving, and NOT necessarily to limit or inhibit totally any air coming into this space...

I think that you'll likely find that simply adding a 'screen' in front of the shutters is not going to change anything....well, other than looks.

 

[Rlevans]

Did mine a couple weeks ago.
simple aluminum mesh and zip ties.
I’ll probably paint it or powder coat at some point.
I’m not so sure about the shutters closed all the time.
I scooped up a bird that flew up from a flock sitting on the road and had to remove it and about a pound of dead grasshoppers from the surface of the radiator.

 

[dustintinsley]

I just did this after watching the previous shown video. I bought a large mesh piece for $20, cut it out, and installed it same way they note with zip ties, I like the look.

any advice on how to run the zip ties. I can find the tabs they mention but do not see holes to route the zip ties through.

 

[dustintinsley]

I bought the above mesh screen based on the PP's reference, below are some pics for those who may be interested:

Here's how things come out of the box, there are 8 zip ties included:

Here was the front grill before starting (shame that it can't protect against bug splats):

Here is a pic with it in place before the ends of the zip ties were snipped off, it was pretty easy to slide up into place. A few quick notes:
1 - The hardest part was getting the zip ties started in the existing upper brackets as noted in the instructions in https://www.customcargrills.com/proddetail.asp?prod=F150-Lightning-2022 as there are already small metal straps in there to hold the existing grill pieces in place, so it may take a few tries to get it fed through each one.
2 - Once the mesh is pushed up all the way into place, it's handy to have a small tool to hook behind it and pull the bottom of the mesh into the groove at the bottom of the grill.
3 - Plenty of real mechanics will have rugged and durable petzl headband lamps to use, but you can get a cheap knockoff at Walmart for $1.88 and if you only need it occasionally it works perfectly and definitely better than trying to hold the iPhone flashlight in one hand and thus only having one hand to manage the rest of the positioning.

Here's the finished pic, took less than 10 minutes even for a definite non-pro like me:

Since there are 4 connection points at the top and 8 zip ties included, I thought about using a couple extra and securing on each side in the middle, but decided to hold off on that unless I find that it gets pushed back a bit and pulling it forward against those two pillars might help:

That's all there was to it!

how did you get the zip ties through the upper brackets? I can not seem to run mine through any of the brackets due to the straps already there. any suggestions on how you did it?

 

[Karlos]

Works very well to keep grasshoppers out of the radiators - at least the Oklahoma variety that sound like gunshots when they hit the truck

 

[butterfb]

any advice on how to run the zip ties. I can find the tabs they mention but do not see holes to route the zip ties through.

They need to be the thiner or smaller zip ties, on the sides of the clips there are gaps that you can run them through

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