Sorry that it has been so long since my last post but all I can say is COVID! That seems to be the thing to do right, blame everything on COVID, I missed my trips to Disney - COVID, I did not get to any of the Jeep events I planned to attend - COVID, I have not purchased as many Jeep parts or could get together with friends for the install - COVID!!! COVID Sucks as we all know but there are still plenty of opportunities to have some great experiences while still being safe. Masks are Key as is frequent hand washing, and if you couple these simple steps with social distancing, then you can still enjoy and explore. I do tend to avoid crowded places as much as possible and will turn around and go home if it looks to "People-ly". Lastly, I tend to head places where others are not, that's part of the fun with Overlanding, it's socially distant by design.
Anyway, I wanted to catch you up on my bumper installs as I finally pulled the trigger and purchased ARB's Bondi full width bumper and ARBs rear bumper. I got tired of waiting for AEV to release their JL bumpers and the fact that they do not seem too concerned about their loyal customers with their frequent changes to the release date without any information or reasons. The great news is that I am really happy with ARBs products and love how the new bumpers look.
First, here are some observations:
- Well packaged!
- Really well built bumpers with a high quality matte powder coating
- Well engineered tow points front and rear
- Multiple jack points front and rear
- Plenty of space for my Warn winch
- Mostly "plug and play"
As always, I found something to hit with the rattle can, I sprayed the shackle mounts the proper shade of orange before the install for both the front and rear sets. Prior to this I had the original factory plastic bumper installed on the rear so removing it was very easy. Once it was gone, I test fit the new bumper and this is where I hit my first and only real "snag". The shackle mounts fit snug up against the frame rails and have to align perfectly to fit the bolts through and still have the ability to tighten them.
There are two, (one on each side) sections of the frame that interfered with the install that I could not figure out how to make it work without the grinder! The are not structural but just seem to be "extra" flaring of the metal on the ends. I simply ground off the two edges and it fit like a glove!
Looks awesome! Have any of you seen a custom bumper extension? To take the protection of the steel bumper beyond the profile of the rear wheel mount? I recently had a run in at low speed (2-3 mph) with a tree that cracked my rear tailgate on the interior due to the tire mount taking the (ridiculously small) impact... It's going to be a $1500-2000 repair... If tge rear bumper was expended beyond the tire, there would have been no damage at all.... Ideas?
ReplyDeleteInteresting, sorry to hear that. I have not seen such an extension anywhere. I am wondering if a heavy duty tire mount might have helped with dispersing the impact - something like the one from KING 4WD BAUMER HEAVY DUTY TIRE CARRIER - NorthRidge 4x4 sells them for around $500. Might be an option to beef things up a bit...
ReplyDeleteBecause the tailgate is cast aluminum, any stress on the tire mount gets absorbed into the casting and its (apparently) designed as a crumple zone (UMMM WHY?) for any impact. I don't know if a beefed up tire carrier would make a difference.... Oddly I have a Boomerang color matched tirecover on the wheel that has absolutely no damage to it from this impact... The tire mount pushed in at the top passenger side approximately a 1/4 to 1/2 inch and then proceeded to split the aluminum on the back vertically through the top at the center of the door...
ReplyDeleteGot it - I was just thinking that the heavy duty tire carrier might not flex as much and be able to absorb the impact without passing it along to the tailgate but maybe not. eBay might be your best chance to get an inexpensive replacement tailgate. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteOne other idea, it's expensive but should do the trick - https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/tire-carriers/tcjl-02-dv8-offroad-body-mounted-tire-carrier - This would spread out the impact I would think, might be something to look into further, maybe reach out to the mfg for their perspective.
ReplyDeleteHmmm..... Interesting. I actually contacted them yesterday. The purpose of the bumper is to prevent the vehicle from damage from obstacles. The placement of the tire so far arrears of the bumper totally eliminates the primary protection. If this had been my 2002 JK with the steel door/bumper it probably wouldn't have happened. I'm not sure. The rig you sent probably would work to stabilize the door against a similar strike - but, yeah, costly.
ReplyDeleteI suddenly feel like my jeep is made of porcelain, not steel and aluminum.
ReplyDeleteSorry man, I know the feeling. I can tell you that they are generally great, having just returned from Uwharrie in NC, they can definitely take a beating. Unfortunately, not in your situation - "Perfect Storm" as they say. Hopefully your future experiences with it will be much better.
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