I broke 3 taillights this last summer (broke as in completely ripped away from the truck, I'm not counting just the cracked lenses). Two of those times also took out some/all of the bulbs. The biggest problem is that the lens appear to be stronger than the inner casing.......every one that I broke also managed to rip out the mounting bosses for the lens so the entire assembly had to be replaced.
Granted I could get complete units from the junkyard for less than $5, but at the rate I was going that would quickly add up. The other issue is the drive from the end of the trail back to the tow rig, usually at least 5-10 miles, around some areas where the cops are not overly fond of the fourwheelers.
My solution was to switch over to some flush mount oval trailer lights that mount recessed inside the stock taillight opening. It cost me about $16 for a pair of lights, a couple dollars in sheetmetal, and a couple hours of work.
The guards shown in the original post (I'm guessing they were not made for this application since they fit like crap on that K5) probably would not hold up. It looks like they would easily get snagged on trees and rocks and I doubt they are made that sturdy. The ones of similiar design I've seen on newer trucks were definitely made for looks and not real useage, especially since most of them just mounted using a couple of the original sheetmetal screws that hold the taillight in place to begin with.
they are nearly indestructible.
