There are about a million different bumper systems out there for the JK. Trying to figure out which one is appropriate for you is ridiculously difficult and most often results in over analysis, frustration, then failure to make a decisions. I highly recommend going with a brand you trust, or the opinion of the local off-roaders in your area. Also look to the forums for opinions on what you feel are your highest priorities for a setup. Lastly, know what you want out of a bumper and try to prioritize. Find a bumper that meets as many of your priorities for a given budget. That's exactly what I did when went with LOD's newest rear bumper system.
My first experience with LOD was the Jeeplab install of the LOD Armor Lite shorty front bumper. You can find my article on that here on Jeeplab. Here is a link for the lazy among us. The install on the Armor Lite front went extremely well. It was lightweight but sturdy, well build but had great lines while integrating two extremely heavy recovery points. Oh, did I mention I got to keep my OEM fog lights (think cost saving), oh, and the integrated front skid plate, oh, and that I didn't have to relocate my vacuum pump? Yeah, LOD does bumpers right. Its held up extremely well over two years so I really wanted to go for a rear setup from them as well. Here was the front job upon completion.
Since this picture, Jesse's girl has undergone some drastic changes. The only thing besides the interior that hasn't changed much is the LOD Armor lite front bumper. I got to thinking that if I liked it that much, then maybe LOD made something that met some of my needs. I made a list that looked like this for my rear bumper priorities.
1. Shorty - yup, number one priority - I just like the look and it was very important do do along with the Metalcloak Overline fenders that are close to the body. Even a mid width bumper looks a bit silly with them.
2. Tire carrier - despite the pain in the ass that is carrying around a full sized spare, its critical when we have vehicles we have to drive to the trail. Its not like AAA will bring us a new 37 KM2 when we blow one out on the trail.
3. Swing away with the factory door. Call me lazy, but I just think it would be a nightmare to continually have to unlatch the carrier, swing it away, then swing away the door. Then close the door, then close the carrier and latch it down. No thanks.
4. Integrated hitch - my jeep is my truck, so I tow a little with it. Nothing crazy. maybe some mulch or an ATV, or just my bike rack. 2 doors don't exactly have a ton of interior space.
5. Recovery points integrated. This one isn't critical, but its a nice-to-have.
So fast forward about a year from install of my Armor lite front, and LOD starting to release some details about a matching rear bumper. LOD spent a good amount of time developing the rear lineup and I think it was worth the wait (though I'm honestly impatient).
I talked with LOD and they made a rear bumper for me that had basically every feature I wanted and a couple more too boot. They took their signature series shorty rear bumper (my priority 1) and integrated a tire carrier (priority 2) that swings away with the door (priority 3!) using a pretty cool design:
At the time, they didn't really call it the "Armor Lite Rear", but really, thats what it is. All of LOD's new bumper series use their Armor lite materiel making them 20% lighter than previous models. Its a higher strength steel that reduces bumper weight without sacrificing durability. I was waiting for this feature to be integrated as every pound added to the jeep means more weight to haul around every day.
The bumper hits my priorities 4 and 5 as well, integrating a trailer hitch and recovery points (shackle mounts) cleanly. I splurged a bit buying som lighting for a no-cost LOD-advertised feature that I probably could have done without, but was so badass that I chose to just include. LOD offers an integrated mounting setup for Rigid dually flush-mount LEDs. Seeing out the back of a jeep is hard as hell in a stock vehicle, especially with a hard top. These suckers are sure to light up the night when required so I figured that, in the long run, I'd do well to have them. Here they are on their full width bumper:
I got my bumper ordered and install details are to follow!
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