Here we go again, another grille install on another new truck. Nissan has stepped up to the plate with its new '05 Frontier design. What's nice about seeing a new truck sitting at the dealership are the visions it stirs inside our heads. Some will close their eyes and see a big lifted monster, while others will see a slammed scraper, pressed millimeters from the road (yup, that'd be us). What modification will these two polar opposites most likely share? Many of those trucks will have a custom set of aluminum bars stuffed between the headlights.
Accepting that challenge is Stull Industries. This company has been in the grille business since 1974, when William "Bill" Stull closed his eyes and pictured something besides the stock "egg crate" (as Bill calls them) grilles. Back then, Stull was making chromed square-tube grilles for show trucks. Truck builders wanted something different, so the company evolved and produced just what people were craving -- billet bars.
The grilles are built on-site at Stull from 6063 T-52 aluminum bar stock. They're then chucked into a jig and welded using linking bars. After powdercoating, the faces are polished to a high luster, producing the custom bars seen here.
With more than 1,000 different grilles available, Stull should have just what you're in need of. With a two-year warranty, you know they'll last, or you'll be taken care of. For more information, please use the information listed in the source box.
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 The grilles are assembled...  The grilles are assembled through a combination of MIG- and TIG-welding. This keeps the welds small and almost unnoticeable, but still retains the strength needed. Once the units have been welded, they're sent through the powdercoating oven. The face is then polished before being packaged for shipping. |
 This is the three-piece billet...  This is the three-piece billet grille insert kit that will soon change the face of the Frontier in a big way. |
 The instructions say you can...  The instructions say you can install the grille on the Frontier without removing the grille shell. We tried, but our fat hands didn't fit, so we just took it out. The clips require you to rotate the head to loosen them. |
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 The Frontier has a few pull-up-style...  The Frontier has a few pull-up-style clips holding the top of the grille shell under the hood. |
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 With that done, the shell...  With that done, the shell can be removed. The Frontier will require the removal of the Nissan emblem, which is just snapped into the grille. Pushing the tabs in will get it off. |
 The Frontier's inserts are...  The Frontier's inserts are held on with a bunch of screws and these backing plates. They run through the factory mesh. This is why the instructions say it can be done on the truck -- again, if your hands fit. |
 Once you have the inserts...  Once you have the inserts in the Frontier, just turn the screws to lock the grille in place. Obviously, make sure that all the bars line up before tightening. |
 The Frontier grille shell...  The Frontier grille shell can then be snapped back in, and you are done with the install. The Frontier now looks much better without the stock honeycomb mesh, with a lot more style. |