Tony's Truck and Car Part Blog

Why is Using an OEM Grille So Important to Prevent Your Truck from Overheating?

13 July 2017 by Bryan Collins

When you're looking for new truck parts, you should always look for OEM parts instead of aftermarket ones. OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, meaning that the part was made by the manufacturer of your vehicle. Aftermarket parts are copied from the original by another company.

Most people understand the importance of using OEM parts for internal components, but it's common for truck drivers to think that a grille is a grille. After all, it doesn't function like an engine or a transmission system, so what's the harm in saving a few dollars by picking up an aftermarket truck grille instead of an OEM one?

The role of the grille

Most people understand that a grille is what allows air to pass through to the radiator, which in turn cools components down and prevents overheating. You might be telling yourself that any grille can perform this role, but you'd be misunderstanding just how far automotive technology has advanced.

The importance of design

Modern trucks are painstakingly designed to ensure optimal performance and efficiency, so your grille will have been engineered to precise specifications to ensure ideal airflow at all times. Some will incorporate aerodynamic features, and many will utilize special airflow paths in the hood that directly feed in towards the grille. If you use an aftermarket grille, it's likely that the precisely structured airflow system will be compromised by a grille that doesn't fit around the original plan. Overheating will be more likely; even if you don't break down, internal components will wear down faster and you'll find yourself consuming more fuel.

The demands on a truck

It's worth keeping in mind that these considerations are even more important with a truck than with a sedan, compact, or other such smaller vehicle, which can often get by just fine using cooling vents located along the underside of the body. But trucks tend to have much larger engines designed for heavy-duty work. They are also often used to head off-road, where dust, dirt, and mud is more common, so many trucks aren't fitted with under-vehicle cooling vents as large as those of a vehicle that tends to stick to city or highway – it's just too risky having air intakes so close to the unpaved ground. Truck grilles are often designed a lot larger than those of other vehicles in order to pick up the slack.

An aftermarket grille will perform the same basic function as an OEM grille – it just won't do so nearly effectively, and you need a grille that's working at 100 percent when you're dealing with a truck. For more information, contact companies like Moore Truck Parts.

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