Plastic Gutterguard as radiator protector.

Gday Farmboy
Sounds like a good idea. What you have to know is how much the gutter guard is restricting the air flow. You have to measure the width and length of the mesh bars and work out the surface area of mesh. You could find that you are cutting out 25% of the radiator air flow.

I also have a Ford Ranger

If you go to a screen door manufacturerand get some Aluminium fly wire normally used for widows this stops a lot of debrie getting thru and blocking air flow.
Its fairly tough

G'Day
I replaced the standard grill in my PJ Ranger
with some perforated mesh.It stops most things from
getting to the radiator The low mounted cooler
you mentioned is the inter cooler on mine
Norm

Hi Farmboy,
Every vehicle I've ever owned I have always attached a piece of fly screen in front of the radiator just behind the grill, whether it be Aluminum or fiber glass flywire.
Never had a problem. with overheating. The main reason for it was to stop bugs and seeds clogging the fins. which it did really well, and I could just hose it out without put water pressure on the fins.
If you travel a lot of dirt roads, maybe some 5mm x 5mm mesh, 900mm wide, from a hardware store I think they call it mouse wire, or as suggested some Crimesafe. This might not allow enough air flow.
Cheers.

I had a few rocks break the headlights covers years ago so when I got the Toyota I made a stone guard. 3/8 rod shaped to the bullbar and 2/2" square chicken wire secured to the rod with cable ties and then some garden hose over the rod to cover any sharp bits and just tidy it up a bit. For the locusts I just secure a bit of fly screen to it over the chicken wire.

I had to change the wire after a Kimberley trip. It saved the lights and the radiator as well. Its secured to the front side of the bullbar also with cable ties with cable ties. I take it off when home.

Cheap as chips and has saved the front of the car several times.

A couple more photos here

Phil

Stone guard:

Stone guard on car:

hi farmboywa

i have been using fiber glass fly screen behind my vehicle grilles for neary 20 yrs and have never had any overheating problems when towing

its so easy to poly tye in place and super easy to wash or brush the bugs and grass seeds off

prior to fiber glass i did have some brass fly screen mesh on another 4wd but it eventually rubbed a hole in one of the aircond pipes
so if your putting any mesh what so ever behind the grille be aware of how and what you secure it to and with what as with corregation it will eventually rub through pipes etc tryed aluminuim flyscreen but it like the brass i used can cause prolems
cheers