Bra, yes or no?

so the new cummins come with a bra for in cold whether, I want to know how much this really benefits the truck and if its even worth taking the time to put it on. The temp right now is averaging between 10-25 F, but in the winter here in the city I live in we see anywhere from 40F all the way down to -30F

Totally was not expecting this after reading the title....
But.....I would assume yes, it has it's benifits. I know during the winter here (down to -15C) I put a piece of cardbord behind the grill to cover up at least a 1/4 of the radiator to help warm the truck up faster.

i say no, by blocking the rad and tranny cooler is a bad idea. just let your truck run a few mins longer in the morning. no air flow throught the cooler equals heat and good bye tranny.

I say correct any sagging in your front end the correct way, with a lift....

sorry but i prefer my ladies with no bra.

no, eww

As another cold weather driver, I vote no. Aside from the points above, even the best designed bras will chafe your paint on any corner/angular surface and you'll regret it years down the road. They can also hold grit, small rocks and debris which works itself in between the bra and the paint, causing sever marring and deep scratches. If you're concerned about front end scratches etc you may want to look into a clear film protection instead.

Naw the only reason I was wondering is it goes over the grille to help keep heat, I was never really worried about it since I heat it up for about 15 minutes in the AM and 15 before I leave work. Just wanted to know if there's any benefit besides quicker warm up that im missing. I guess the bra will stay in the garage, thanks guys

I use mine any time temp.is below 30. Truck warms up and doesn't drop temp as bad, plus mileage on road actually goes up. There are some on Ebay that are metal inserts into the grill.

I detailed for years and Bras cause a ton of damage. Sand and grit get through and when traveling at freeway speeds they rub the paint. You are much better off getting high tech insulation for under the hood. I think I would opt for gas if I could get away with it too. Do you tow or something? I loved my Cummins back when I had it, but hated it in the snow.

If you really need to block off the radiator to make heat, just use a piece of cardboard, or Lund makes inserts for the grille openings that block them off.

Too many nay Sayers on this topic. The winter front on my 2500 is on now and I must say the fit is amazing and the design is nice. It will in no way damage your paint or your grille. Diesels need this cover in the winter as they take longer to heat up. If your truck is a diesel and does not have the high idle feature turned on then you will regret if you don't use it. It takes minutes to put on and try. Everyone here that got one with the truck that I know uses them. The vent flaps are Velcro and can be left open if your worried about total airflow blockage. Letting your truck idle for 15 mins twice or more a day is more unhealthy for your diesel than adding the "cold weather" front.

Burla said:

I detailed for years and Bras cause a ton of damage. Sand and grit get through and when traveling at freeway speeds they rub the paint. You are much better off getting high tech insulation for under the hood. I think I would opt for gas if I could get away with it too. Do you tow or something? I loved my Cummins back when I had it, but hated it in the snow.

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Ive got a few things to tow, not that I need a diesel to tow them. I may start a business in which I will need to have a diesel to tow. As far as diesels in the snow most everyone up here prefers them especially when you get farther up north. Places like Fairbanks or up on the north slope that will get down to anywhere from -60 F to -100 F they prefer diesels, because if you plug them in the diesels actually start when the gas engines wont and up on the slope they actually never shut them off the diesels operate way better in the extreme cold (exception of diesels with DEF systems).

Well maybe I will put the bra on then, because it never touches the paint just the grill and bumper from what I've seen.

As far as high idle feature I would venture to guess they set it up at the dealership because they always order and set them up for cold whether and snow such as they always order block heaters on all vehicle that you can and they always order them with AWD or 4WD if they can.

If not I work at the dealership so Im sure I can have them set it up for me real quick with out a problem

OP, it sounds like it doesn't get cold enough where you live to justify using it. I have driven diesels all my life, with the exception of my current truck, and believe me when it gets cold, you want a bra.

I remember when we got an early cold snap one year, and I made an hour long drive, and my truck got colder the further I went. It started the morning in a heated shop where I idled for a couple minutes before pulling it outside. The heater was kind of working, and I was warmer in the truck than outside. After about ten minutes on the road I realized the temp guage was at the bottom/below the "normal operating range" marker. My toes started to get really cold in my whites packer boots lol, and by the time I got where I was going my ass was about frozen to the seat.

Granted this was around -50, but a bra would have made a huge difference considering the truck was cooling down because of the highway speeds, and very cold air. I drove home in 5th gear instead of 6th, and went about 50 instead of 75-80. I put my normal cardboard insert in that night.

You probably don't NEED one, but I won't hesitate to put mine on the ranch's 2011 ctd 3500 when it starts to get cold.