Trying to decide on a new bumper

[ljvsnyder]

So i am getting ready to buy my front bumper and have narrowed it down to these:
Rockhard
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/27/e375e613243ebd61e4a2a08a2ad38aea.jpg
Body armor
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/27/2c5fd9363e74ab7aae035f77f3db04ce.jpg
Smittybilt
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/27/6ba629b7e3248ea3c5cfc94e640d6c54.jpg

Different than the others but this is a consideration as well I like the light weight, but the added parts gets the price a little more than I would want to go, but since I could buy the parts over time it might not be a bad idea.

http://www.lodoffroad.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16232&cat=23&page=1

True stubby bumpers will not work as I see them as a safety issue on a daily driver and that they are illegal, and with me working as a prosecutor I don't need anything to get in trouble over.

[WhiteRavenRR]

Of those choices I would choose the LoD. I really like their products and quality. My second choice would be the Rock Hard or Body Armor. Smitty would be a last resort.

[ljvsnyder]

With the Armor Lite bumper do I have to move the vacuum pump, I wouldn't think so, but northridge4x4's ordering system requires you to select it. Also does anyone know of an discounts for any of these bumpers?

[Timmy]

I like the Smittybilt because of how the winch integrates in the bumper.

[Pznivy]

With the Armor Lite bumper do I have to move the vacuum pump, I wouldn't think so, but northridge4x4's ordering system requires you to select it. Also does anyone know of an discounts for any of these bumpers?

If you have a 12 or newer you have a vacuum pump. Select it.

LOD is a good bumper. I think JG wears one. It also leaves the options open for flares. Since its kinda in between full and stubby.

[ljvsnyder]

Thanks for the replies. The smittybilt was my first choice, but it has been delayed several times. I believe the appeal of all of these is the fact they will all work with factory or flat fenders.

[FLIPmeOVER]

I say..... Look at the AEV bumper if you are staying stock. BUT look for the one without that silly bar on it. That is a very sexy look.

1526

[ljvsnyder]

Aev bumpers are nice but it looks to stock to me plus they are extremely proud of their products. What silly bar thing are talking about.

[Timmy]

I say..... Look at the AEV bumper if you are staying stock. BUT look for the one without that silly bar on it. That is a very sexy look.

1526

Haha, to me, the bar is the best part of the AEV bumper! They are the only one that got it right. It's a nice thick bar, positioned with a slight back slant to it, and low enough that the Jeep logo peers out just above it. Second is the ARB bumper with bully bar, but you'll notice they position the bar slightly higher and you can't see the Jeep logo as well.

AEV
1528

ARB
1529

[ljvsnyder]

Man those are some huge lights, anyone ever see the output of those?

[Yoinkers]

no air is getting to that guys radiator

[ljvsnyder]

Well decision is made, showed my wife all the different bumpers and she said she liked the Smittybilt. Before it is asked I didn't lead the witness in anyway, as that is the one I was leaning towards. The deposit is put down and the product should be here sometime before the turn of the century, it has been delayed several times, now those lazy union dock workers are holding everything up. No offense if anyone works at the docks.

[Timmy]

no air is getting to that guys radiator

Haha, the Jeep's can handle Moab temps in 4-low without any air being forced across the radiator other than what the fans pull. I think it'll be fine ;-)

[ljvsnyder]

Well I finally received and installed my Smittybilt SRC Gen 2 front bumper. In my opinion easiest mod to date. Product came packaged in a heavy duty box I could use as a casket and wrapped in some type of foam wrap and bubble wrap. Only had one issue with install either I stripped the nut on the driver side while installing or the nut was bad to begin with. Simple tap and good as gold. Discounting that time total install time was little less than 1 hour using hand tools and light duty cordless impact wrench. The instructions say to drill out the bumper holes and to drill a hole in the crash bar below. I can say on my 2013 this is not necessary. The 1/2' bit went straight through without doing anything and the crash bar bolt hole already exist. I assume there was some change to the design to allow that to work, and no one told the technical writers. The bumper also came with brackets for aftermarket fog lights. I did not need them as I am running the stock fogs. My only two issues I have and one is specific with this bumper is the fact that the fogs stick out of the buckets a little more than I like. The second and applies to most if not all the bumper manufacturers and that is the lack of a routing mechanism for offroad lights. a simple hole in the tube work or at least a hole in the top plate to run the wire through.

http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150418_091133_zps3obsuzve.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150418_091133_zps3obsuzve.jpg.html)
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125020_zpsjrdivjgz.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125020_zpsjrdivjgz.jpg.html)
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125056_zpsi8pufdxt.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125056_zpsi8pufdxt.jpg.html)
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125028_zpsmro5tc6a.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125028_zpsmro5tc6a.jpg.html)
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125036_zpsk4mskzag.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125036_zpsk4mskzag.jpg.html)
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125044_zpszkjqgugs.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125044_zpszkjqgugs.jpg.html)
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125901_zpserinfpd0.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150420_125901_zpserinfpd0.jpg.html)

Interesting thing when I took this photo google goggles picked it up as a bar code.
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q546/ljvsnyder/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150418_091133_zps3obsuzve.jpg (http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/ljvsnyder/media/Jeep%20Wrangler/20150418_091133_zps3obsuzve.jpg.html)

[Timmy]

Very nice! How funny, I just put my ARB bumper on this weekend. Wish I could say my install went as smoothly, however, I learned just how in-accurate the Ausie's are in the fabrication process.

Here's the good/bad about the ARB bumper:

GOOD

Looks great
Powder coating is awesome
Has hi-jack lift points
Has some nice pre-drilled holes for mounting other gear
Cheaper than AEV (if you are looking for a full width.)


BAD

Fabrication is not exactly accurate, had numerous mount points not lining up
Instructions leave something to be desired, a few extra words here and there would save a ton of time, let alone more pictures (in color would be a plus.)
Some very stupid design decisions. They have you drill two new holes in the bumper when they could have just added a few inches on the bumper to reach to existing holes already in place.
Mounting of fog lights is retarded. Uses too long of bolts that get bent on install. Can't replace fog lights without removing the entire bumper.
They literally include a "bag" of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. Took me easily an hour to line up the right bolts with the manuals various steps and separate everything out in a logical manner.


1584

[KaiserBill]

Very nice! How funny, I just put my ARB bumper on this weekend. Wish I could say my install went as smoothly, however, I learned just how in-accurate the Ausie's are in the fabrication process.

Here's the good/bad about the ARB bumper:

GOOD

Looks great
Powder coating is awesome
Has hi-jack lift points
Has some nice pre-drilled holes for mounting other gear
Cheaper than AEV (if you are looking for a full width.)


BAD

Fabrication is not exactly accurate, had numerous mount points not lining up
Instructions leave something to be desired, a few extra words here and there would save a ton of time, let alone more pictures (in color would be a plus.)
Some very stupid design decisions. They have you drill two new holes in the bumper when they could have just added a few inches on the bumper to reach to existing holes already in place.
Mounting of fog lights is retarded. Uses too long of bolts that get bent on install. Can't replace fog lights without removing the entire bumper.
They literally include a "bag" of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. Took me easily an hour to line up the right bolts with the manuals various steps and separate everything out in a logical manner.


1584


How do you know your Jeep isn't built to the maximum tolerances or slightly beyond it?

[ljvsnyder]

Looks good. I was really surprised with the simplicity now i need a winch.

[Pznivy]

Very nice! How funny, I just put my ARB bumper on this weekend. Wish I could say my install went as smoothly, however, I learned just how in-accurate the Ausie's are in the fabrication process.

Here's the good/bad about the ARB bumper:

GOOD

Looks great
Powder coating is awesome
Has hi-jack lift points
Has some nice pre-drilled holes for mounting other gear
Cheaper than AEV (if you are looking for a full width.)


BAD

Fabrication is not exactly accurate, had numerous mount points not lining up
Instructions leave something to be desired, a few extra words here and there would save a ton of time, let alone more pictures (in color would be a plus.)
Some very stupid design decisions. They have you drill two new holes in the bumper when they could have just added a few inches on the bumper to reach to existing holes already in place.
Mounting of fog lights is retarded. Uses too long of bolts that get bent on install. Can't replace fog lights without removing the entire bumper.
They literally include a "bag" of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. Took me easily an hour to line up the right bolts with the manuals various steps and separate everything out in a logical manner.


1584

It looks great tho. Now that its on, do you l love it? Lots of bumpers require you to take the bumper off to alter fog lights.

[Timmy]

It looks great tho. Now that its on, do you l love it? Lots of bumpers require you to take the bumper off to alter fog lights.

Thx so much. Yep, love the bumper, love the way it looks. I didn't realize that so many bumpers required they be taken off to get at the fog lights. That is just retarded given how easy they are to access from behind. I was thinking I could replace the stupid bolt/nuts with a clip type bolt that I've seen used on license plate holder for vehicles (no idea what they are called, I just know I have two that are too large for this application but the idea is the same.) If I had those on, then it would simply be four screws to undo from the back and the fogs could pop right out. Truthfully, I could get the fog lights out easily, that's not the issue. The issue is in trying to put them back in because I would have no way of accessing the nut because it's sandwiched between the fog light bracket and the bumper itself. Sooooo dumb.

[Gunner]

Both you guys bumpers look great

[Yoinkers]

Both you guys bumpers look great

X2. The bumper is the first to go when i trade my rig in. I think i may copy the one with the bars all over the front. I like the "ill crash thru your store window" look.

[ljvsnyder]

thank you.