Truck and SUV Billet Grills

A Buying Guide:

For many truck and SUV owners, a billet grill is one of the first truck accessories that they purchase. They’re inexpensive, easy to install and offer classic styling that looks great on any truck or SUV.

What is Billet?
Billet is any type of metal that comes in a solid bar or block. This can be steel, lead, magnesium or in this case, aluminum. Typically, when someone refers to a "billet" piece on his truck, it means that the item in question started out as a solid piece of metal and was machined to its final shape.

In the past, this was true of billet grilles, as they started out as a single piece of aluminum with the voids in-between the bars being machined out. Modern manufacturing has eliminated the need for this process. Today, many companies are able to produce a grille that maintains the look of the original billet grilles, but is of much higher quality and much easier to manufacture. So, even though it's not technically a "billet" grille anymore, the look is the same and the name sticks.

Billet Grille Styles

Billet grilles are broken into two main styles, Horizontal (sometimes called Traditional, or Classic), and Vertical. Both styles of billet grill feature classic, high-class styling for any truck or SUV.

Horizontal Billet Grilles
Horizontal billet grills are exactly what the name implies. They are bars of metal, arranged in a grille pattern, running horizontally across the front of your truck’s grill opening. This style is sometimes called traditional or classic.

Vertical Billet Grilles
Vertical billet grills are just like horizontal billet grilles, but their bars run vertically – up and down. While this design was popular for many early model luxury cars, it is still fairly new to the truck accessory marketplace and is building a steady following.

Billet Grill Materials

While the look of many popular billet grilles can be similar, the materials used can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Aluminum Billet Grills
Aluminum is the most popular material from which billet grills are manufactured. It is lightweight, inexpensive and easy to machine and form. Most manufacturers make billet grilles from aluminum.

Stainless Billet Grills
Stainless steel billet grilles are only available from a few manufacturers. Stainless steel is more expensive than aluminum, but for some people, the price difference is worth it. Stainless steel billet grills, being harder and more durable than their aluminum counterparts, hold a shine longer and require less maintenance to keep them looking showroom new.

Aluminum Billet Grills w/ Stainless Fronts
Featuring the best of both worlds, stainless steel fronted Aluminum billet grills are a hot product on the market right now. You get the benefits of a lower cost aluminum billet grille, with the low maintenance and high- durability of a stainless steel billet grill.

Billet Grille Finishes

Though many truck owners choose to accessorize their sport truck with a billet grille, most owners don’t realize the billet grill finish options on the market.

Polished Billet Grilles
The most popular finish. During the manufacturing process, the billet grill is covered in a black powdercoat. Then, the front edge goes through up to seven different cleaning and polishing stages. This results in a billet grille that sparkles with a glossy, chrome-like shine.

Brushed Billet Grilles
The most durable finish. Brushed billet grilles first start out with the whole grille coated in black powdercoat. Then, the leading edge (the front) of the billet grill is scuffed to an industrial-looking, raw metal finish.

Black Billet Grilles
The most unique finish. At the end of manufacturing, most billet grilles are finished with black powdercoat and then the front has the powdercoat removed to receive the desired finish. Black billet grills actually leave the black powdercoat on the grille. After a few steps of buffing and smoothing, the front edge of the grill shines gloss black. A very unique, and desirable look.

Billet Grill Installation

Billet grilles can be installed onto your sport truck in any number of ways. The most popular options being the bolt-over billet grill, the cut-out billet grille and the direct replacement billet grill.

Bolt-over Billet Grills
The easiest installation. Bolt-over billet grilles are by far the easiest to install. Using simple clamps or other included attachment devices, they literally bolt to or attach to your current factory grill. Installation time varies from a few minutes to about a half-hour, depending on the installer’s skill level.

Cut-out Billet Grills
The installation choice of professionals. Though being the most time- consuming, cut-out billet grilles are not at all difficult to install. Basically, your factory grill insert is cut out of the factory grille shell and replaced with your new billet grill insert. Installation time varies from an hour or two to an afternoon or evening, depending on your skill level.

Direct Replacement Billet Grills
The cleanest installation. Direct replacement billet grilles are only available for vehicles that have a removable grill. You simply remove the factory grille, and bolt this direct replacement billet grill into its place. Installation time varies from one to two hours.

We hope that this guide helped you pick out the appropriate billet grill for your specific application. Whether it is Aluminum or stainless steel, brushed or polished, or is installed by bolting on or by cutting out, you’ll be rewarded with great looks and superior style.

In short, a billet grille is a great option to spruce up the looks of any truck or SUV. Don’t forget to check out the links below to find your favorite billet grill.