After a few years good service on the front of "Old Blu" and now been on the front of "XJ-Tourer" for a year it was time for a rethink. I wanted to recess/lower the winch about 2" to help airflow thru on our 100°+ summer days and tidy up to front before I rebuild a spare rear bar and sliders. Other upgrades are 33's, replace stock flares/cut out the fenders, D44, 4.88 gears and double locked.

Front Bar on "Old Blu"


Fitted to XJ-Tourer now sitting on 33's


Test fit winch


Painted ready to fit on the truck




Should have it fitted over the weekend and start the rear bar

 

I like it. Good job.

 

I like that a lot. Is the bumper a home built or one you picked up off the shelf? I like the narrow profile!

 

Thanks, I cheated and use Dirt Bound side frame plates because a mate was selling them cheap.
I designed and fabricated it myself from a sketch I did 4yrs back. Originally I planned to recess the winch into the bar but at the time I was only running 31's so mounting the winch on top to give me the best approach angle on the Rock Steps we regularly drove and it cleared the bottom step up by 1/2".
It's heavy duty as I built it from 1/4"x7" and 1/4"x2" flat steel and I made a template for the side wing's cutting them out using the plasma cutter. Weight comes in about the same as an ARB Hooped Winch Bull Bar but massively strong
This last mod still gives me awesome approach angle now I'm on 33's and 5" lift so now it's time to finish fabricating the rear bar this weekend.

 

Thanks, I sure like your rear bar build, that's very tidy and looks mega strong

I'd like to build my rear bar similar to yours but I need more corner protection because this is my holiday/ tourer rig(gotta keep it clean looking). My other project, a CJ6 I'm building from CJ, XJ, TJ, ZJ, FSJ & JK......... "Frank'n-Jeep" and is my heavy duty insane Wheeler on 37's

 

Thanks, cant wait to see what you come up with . I plan on adding some corner protection on my front so my header panel can stay in one piece. You got a build thread on Frank'n-Jeep ?

 

you got any pics of the build of this bumper? I really like it.

 

I've been looking for the pics of the original build but I don't use photo bucket so checking all of 20TB of Hard Drives...... Grrr , I'll post them when I find them.

I wanted a bar that would cope a huge hit but didn't want any hoops for a more clean look. The first trip out I was recovering a mates WH Grand when the front gripped up on a tree root in the mud hole, the truck went side in and bar hit the 3ft tree trunk at 15mph and it didn't bend or damage the XJ. In 4yrs of hard wheeling, I haven't bent it even tho its had some huge hits + side impacts.
Here's a pic from underneath and yes the bottom is also 1/4" thick and I've dropped down on it yet still no bending....... yeah the steering is on the wrong side, it's an Aussie XJ and our Hard Wheeling is a lot of huge rutted(we call them Wallaby Holes) on steep Hill's or rock shelf's/Creek Bed tracks are my favorites.


Note my el'cheapo diff protector is made from a stock cover cut in half after cutting out the filler plug with a hole saw and spaced 1/4" off the factory cover..... it's saved me heaps of grief LoL

 

Cut up diff cover is a lot cheaper than buying one tho not as pretty



I've cut the flange off the top half and flipped it, welded to the bottom flange to increase strength them spaced it 1/4" off the original cover for clearance

 

I've made a diff gaurd just like that for mine..I haven't got a chance to test out yet.

 

Mines had a few big hits over the years and worth its weight in gold.... I'm swapping it on to the replacement D30 I'm rebuilding with 4.88's atm

 

Here's it mounted back on without hoop