Picked up this 03 Silverado with 180,000 miles on it today. She'll need some work, but overall pretty decent. I'm thinking of putting a brush guard on in case of a deer hit, what's your guy's take on brush guards for deer strikes?

Any rockers or cab corners left on it ???

Yea, it's actually surprising well maintained.

A steel bumper soaks up animal collisions better, brush guards are mostly for looks, they fold right in and you’ll mash up the front end anyways. I also picked up a new to me 2003 today (f-350 with a 7.3 and a 5 speed)

Brush guards look good on some trucks, and crappy on others. Your model is one that looks good in my opinion.

Better off finding yourself an after market heavy duty off road steel bumper. Like mentioned already brush guards are looks they fold up easier then your stock bumper would with hitting a deer. That year of Chevy is a great truck the 4.8 or 5.3 motors just ran for ever body’s and bumpers rot off long before you kill them two motors. When I was 17 had a 2003 short bed 5 speed 203,000 mile when I sold it to a friend and it went another 100,000 miles before Pa salt roads finally took enough of a toll on its body and frame. The stock bumper doesn’t handle deer well at all I’ve wrapped corn on the cob in thick tin foil then them Chevy bumpers are made of haha only was doing 45 when I hit my first one with it yeah they almost totaled the truck with how much the repair cost was going to be. Pretty much entire front end needed replaced lots of plastic up there haha but it came in just shy of the threshold.

I' m guessing those bumpers ain't cheap especially after installation...nice purchase!

Smart for buying a pre-2012 model. The newer ones are having some serious issues.

Keep the oil and filter changed, and check the transmission fluid. Plugs and air filter if needed. The older Chevy/GMC trucks would go a long time if maintained.

Did they still have grease zerks on the drive train in 2003?

The ole cat eye Chevy eh? I had an 04. One thing about the GMs and Chevys is they always seem to sit so low unless you do some work to it. My tranny was on the brink of catastrophic failure at about 170000 miles. I’ve currently got a 12 Sierra with 220000, it’s OK, but I’m tired of dumping $ into GM products, it’s always something. Never had to do that with my fords. I’ve given them a chance. I’ll run this one into the ground and move back to the blue oval.

Very nice.

Congratulations

Glad you found a decent truck Chippewatrapper!! Hope to see you at the D5 rondezvous Saturday (dont worry D2 is welcome ) I have a feeling that truck is going to be full of critters soon enough.

The proven best deer guard for me in my neck of the woods was a front-mounted spare tire! Our main road of 6 miles was “deer ally”. My sons hit a total of 5 in 2 years with their cars and I hit 2 with zero damage! On my way to work one morning there was a gal in the ditch from just hitting a deer in front of me. She was OK and it was her families #5 for the year!

Nice truck, congrats! A steel cattle guard type bumper like ranchers use can help in a deer collision but they are heavy and expensive. Better to have a 3/4 ton for those. All of the light ones can actually cause more damage if you hit a deer. Whack deer with corner of cheap grill guard and the whole thing folds over damaging the whole grill, hood and lights.

I just got rid of my 03 Silverado last year, they are great trucks. Check the brake lines because they prematurely rusted, should have been a recall imo. Dorman sells a complete stainless set all prebent.

Seldom that is interesting...good idea!

What Trapset said. I had a Ranchhand guard on my 2008 chevy. Hit 3 deer with it and zero damage.

Have one exactly like it with 210K I bought new. That thing is perfect. Mine has major rust on every body part except the doors and hood. My brake lines rusted but the body was shot before that. Replaced the alternator which is still very easy to do, basic maintenance including drain and filled the transmission fluid twice.

nice truck. I guess the guys that done like brush gards have no experience with Texas ranch hand products. But to be fair that are a steel bumper with solid built in brush gards. Heavy though.

Check with your state laws in regards to aftermarket steel bumpers as well as your insurance company before installing one. Bumpers are designed to absorb energy on impact. Steel bumpers are not. Seldom's suggestion is more practical as it's also easier to get to the spare since it's not under the truck.