i made my own bumper but i would like to put better mounting brackets on it and i found these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

or should i just get this bumper which is probaly stronger then mine

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep-...item3a6518552e

 

they miss a steering box bolt but other than that they sont look horrible

 

I don't know about the E-bay stuff... but JCRoffroad has some good ones. they aren't 3/16" like those, the JCR ones are 1/4" and have hardware. worth the extra 20$ in my opinion.....
bumper mounting info www.jcroffroad.com
and the brackets they sell... bumper tie in brackets

these are to tie the factory style into the plates but easily made to attach a bumper to. just for other options...

 

I would pass on that bumper, just doesn't have enough mounting points. As for the brackets, if you are going to build your own bumper off of them they would probably save you a lot of time measuring and drilling.

 

honestly, just make one... it would be really easy... I am planning one soon myself

 

3/16 is actually overkill for that. Think about it. You have what 6 or 7 bolts? All the force is being pulled through the LENGTH of the tie in. I could see if it was being pulled to the side of the mounts.

 

I guess my mounts a super over kill than..

The mounts I had made up to base my front bumper off of are 1/2" thick and use 7 bolts including the steering box..

Alot has to due with how you use your stuff and how hard you plan to use it.

Me I've broke a few uni-body's over the years so I aim to not have that happen again..

 

sorry but that bumper looks f-ugly. If the tie-in plates line up then it seems like a solution at least. I wish they showed one mounted to verify fitment.

 

http://www.tntcustoms.com/Jeep/Chero..._Bumperxj.aspx

I have this bumper and it has everything you could want in a bumper. Winch mount, tow hooks, etc. It mounts really well (uses every available bolt hole and crush sleeves with big grade 8 hardware). Get their optional inner steering box brace too. It's worth the price. Great quality materials. Made in Wyoming, USA.

 

brackets are a little thin jcr with hardware better deal anfd the bumper look alot better at around 150 to 175 dollars jm2cw

 

I wouldn't use the first one on my Jeep even just for looks on the street. Those mounts are way to small and have no bracing for a solid recovery.


3/16 may be strong enough to get winched straight out, but... if you get stuck 100 times you may only have one time that the pull will be straight. The majority of the time it will be at an angle and it could be an difficult pull. You really don't want the mounts to bend and the welds break because they are weak. Can you imagine a 80 pound steel bumper flying through the air because it just got ripped off from the tension of the winch line. Build it, over build it, brace it, over brace the snot out of it.

 

For what your spending on that ebay bumper you should check this guy out here. He's part of the forum and makes a great bumper for just a bit more.

 

he most likely can make aas thick as you want

 

That's what gussetts and bracing is for.

 

3/16ths is hardly overkill to start off, a fair base for a starter bumper sure but No way in hell Overkill. I wouldn't touch anyone's custom made front bumper if it had something thinner that 3/16ths, thats just common sense. Some of those ebay bumpers aren't too bad, but dont even bother with that one, any idiot with a welder from harbor freight can make one of those for less than $120.

If you want a bumper that you can trust and know wont fatigue and possibly fail look for the basics...
-Tow points that pass through the bumper's main body
-NOTHING thats been constructed out of anything with steel less than 3/16th's thick
-Mounting plates that cover more than just the 3 factory bolt holes and that integrate into the bumper, not weld to it..
-Quality welding job

Just because a bumper has a lot of braces is gusseting doesn't make it a good bumper... it could still be a POS that supposed to be hung on a christmas tree