bumper build opinions
 

My factory xj bumper got in a fight with a tree a couple months ago. It lost. Badly. So a couple of beers and pieces of scrap metal later i had this:

Attachment 152405

Will do the job but i need a grill guard. Ive looked at a ton of bumpers but cant find a design i like, anyone have any ideas? I dont want to mount the winch untill i have something to protect it

Oh and i do have a pipe bender and plenty of pipe.

Looks pretty good to me. What specific designs are you not a fan of? Prerunners? Stingers? Push bar? Give us an idea of what you want your end result to be and we can offer up some suggestions.

I thought it looked pretty good also.

Also really like your loops. I'm not a fan of the D-rings. I'd feel like I was trying too hard to look cool or that someone would just steal them lol. A hoop to wrap my chain or tow strap through would be perfect.

The only thing with those is not knowing what tonnage etc, shackles that are weight rated. Gives you an idea of weight etc.

Well shackles are just screwed through tabs. The tabs are basically miniature versions of these loops. How can you know the weight ratings on the tabs? (Not trying to argue, I'm just a debater. A master one lol).

Thanks. Im usually in the woods, so i want something that will have alot of protection. That rules out prerunner and push bars. I thought about a stinger, then come up from each corner of the bumper to were its level with the hood, and out to the side of the stinger. I dunno?


Those were just laying around and i figured they would be faster and easier. Worth a try, if they arent strong enough ill replace them with shackles

In the past being a toolsetter putting large tools upto 52 tonnes, we were strictly monitored by SWL etc, and for insurance reasons all shackles and lifting gear had to be checked periodically and colour coded.
Thus I would be more comfortable knowing what the breaking strain was.
Not being a nerd or anything but my job every day was putting bumper tools in weighing 40 tonnes.
However if I was stuck in a ditch then home-made hoops would be better than no weight "tested" shackles.

They are actually hooks, i didnt thing of loops. They should work fine since xjs are so light. I think i have some loops from a powerstroke though, might use those instead

Loops? English you know, expand on terminology.

Im not sure what you want me to call it.. a circular towing device? A round extraction point? Lol. The more i look at my hooks the more im worried about them becoming a straight line.

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So could you not just do a decent weld of some high ton shackles onto the bumper?

Yeah i guess. Just wanted something different.

Those loops are more than strong enough and how well they hold is going to depend entirely on his welding. If his welding and tie in on the bumper itself is good enough to pull from those loops are more than good enough.

Go look under most any car. The tow points for tow trucks on most are 1/4 as thick as those and just welded to 1/8" plate.

Just saw this. Kind of what i was trying to describe earlier

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I just got on my computer and realised how bad the pictures are when posting them from the app. Just to clear up any confusion there hooks on my bumper not loops. Im going to keep them for small pulls but taking bullettooth2008's advice and putting a tab just in case i need a shackle.

It looks like the top of the hook is nearly touching the bumper, why not weld it there and make it a loop lol.

Stock tow hooks on cars are small yes but they're also designed to pull cars out of ditches and up ramps, not to pull someone out of several feet of sticky mud lol. Though I'm sure that has happened, too, just a lot less often.

I thought about that, but i think im just going to put a tab on it for a shackle just in case. I like the idea of just dropping a strap in the hook. And if the hooks ever bend i can put a shackle on the tab and use it as back up.