How to Install a Luverne Prowler Max Grille Guard on a RAM 1500

What You Need Before You Start

The Luverne Prowler Max grille guard ships with a full installation guide directly from Luverne, and that guide should be your primary reference throughout the entire install process. If your RAM 1500 has the optional active air dam system installed, that component needs to come off first in order to access the bolts you will need for the remainder of the install. If your particular truck does not have factory tow hooks, the overall process is somewhat simpler since you will not need to loosen those tow hook bolts at all; if your truck does have tow hooks, you will need to loosen those bolts to create enough clearance for the lower brackets, without fully removing them from the vehicle.

Step-by-Step Installation

Step 1: Remove the Active Air Dam

If your truck has the optional active air dam, unplug its electrical connector first before doing anything else, then remove the four 11mm bolts holding it in place, two on each side, and slide the entire air dam assembly off the mounting studs.

Step 2: Remove the Plastic Center Cover

Carefully pop loose the roughly nine plastic clips holding the plastic center cover panel in place, then fully remove and set the cover aside in a safe location for reassembly later if needed.

Step 3: Loosen the Bumper Bolts

Loosen, but do not fully remove, the three 18mm nuts located on each side that attach the front bumper to the truck's frame. This deliberately gives the bumper just enough play to work the mounting brackets into position behind it without needing to remove the bumper entirely from the vehicle.

Step 4: Apply Foam Tape and Position the Upper Brackets

Luverne's brackets are individually stamped PR, DR, PF, and DF, corresponding to passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, and driver front positions. Apply the included foam tape anywhere a bracket will make contact with the vehicle's painted surfaces to prevent rubbing damage over time, then carefully feed each bracket through the narrow gap between the bumper and the grille, working it into position on the corresponding frame mounting stud.

Step 5: Install the Spacer Washer

At each upper mounting point, remove the factory nut and washer that were originally there, install the dedicated spacer washer that Luverne provides in the kit, slide the bracket itself into position directly over that spacer, then reinstall the factory nut, leaving it intentionally loose until both sides of the truck are fully complete.

Step 6: Repeat on the Driver's Side

Apply foam tape to the driver's side bracket contact location, then carefully feed and position that bracket using the exact same process you used on the passenger side.

Step 7: Attach the Smaller Upper Brackets

These smaller secondary brackets are also individually stamped by their correct position, and the curved edge of each one should point downward and outward once correctly oriented. Set them directly on top of the larger brackets already installed and secure everything together with the provided washer, lock washer, and nut.

Step 8: Address the Tow Hooks (If Equipped)

If your truck has factory tow hooks installed, loosen the tow hook mounting bolts without fully removing them, which provides just enough clearance to remove the factory trim panel and access the area where the lower brackets need to physically pass through. If your truck does not have tow hooks, you can skip the tow hook bolt step entirely and simply move on to removing the trim panel.

Step 9: Install the Lower Brackets

The lower brackets, which are also individually stamped for driver and passenger side, feed up through from underneath the truck and hook directly onto the existing tow hook bolt location. Secure them firmly to the frame using the bolt, lock washer, and washer provided by Luverne at the threaded factory mounting hole, leaving some intentional play in the connection for now.

Step 10: Mount the Grille Guard

With both the upper and lower brackets fully in place, lift the entire grille guard assembly into position against those brackets (a second set of hands is strongly recommended here given the overall weight of the guard) and hand-thread the mounting hardware just enough to hold it temporarily in place without fully tightening anything yet.

Step 11: Level and Final Tighten

Starting at the frame connection points and working systematically outward toward the edges of the guard, tighten all hardware while continuously checking that the guard sits straight and level across the front of the truck. Make small incremental adjustments as you go until everything lines up cleanly and evenly, then finish fully tightening every single connection point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to remove the air dam on every RAM 1500?

Only if your specific truck is equipped with the optional active air dam system. If your truck does not have that particular option installed, you can skip straight ahead to removing the plastic center cover and loosening the bumper bolts.

What if my truck has tow hooks?

You will need to loosen, but importantly not fully remove, the tow hook bolts in order to create enough clearance for the lower brackets to pass through. Trucks without tow hooks skip this particular step entirely.

How many people does this install genuinely take?

Most of the individual bracket installation work can be done solo without assistance, but lifting the fully assembled grille guard into its final position is genuinely much easier and safer with a second person helping support the weight during that step.

Is foam tape really necessary, or can I skip that step?

It is strongly recommended. The foam tape prevents the metal brackets from rubbing directly against your truck's painted surfaces during installation and over time as the truck experiences normal vibration, which helps prevent scratches and finish damage that would otherwise occur.

How long does this entire installation typically take?

Based on the full process described above, including air dam removal, trim removal, bracket installation on both sides, and final leveling, plan for a multi-hour project, particularly if this is your first time installing a grille guard of this type.

Order the Luverne Prowler Max grille guard for RAM 1500 at Upfit Supply.