My375hp302

I'm starting my rear bumper build and I got the materials for free from work but now that I got it home I think I may have over done it. It's a 66.5" piece of 4x6x3/8 box tube and it's HEAVY! I would guess over 100 pounds. Now I'm thinking to myself how is the sheet metal "frame" of my Cherokee going to hold this thing up without bending and cracking? So how much weight is too much for a rear bumper?

xjmarc

That is a bit big, just make sure you mount to all 8 factory bolt holes as well as the hitch mount and you should be fine.

Ritter4.0

Mine weighs 115lbs. 4"x4"x3/16" box, 1"/3"/7" shackle tabs, 2"x2"x1/4" angle mounts into the frame rails, and 1/4" lower quarter quards welded on.


But I agree, free or not, 3/8" is a bit overkill for an XJ.

Swamp Donkey

Thats really not too big, being 6" wide is perfect. Being 4" wide is a little wide, but you might want it to stick out. You could always cut say 2"s out of the 4"s and weld it back together, or... cut it out and leave it like mine.. Heres my back bumper build before finished. its made out of a 8' fork lift fork extenders. 5 1/2" wide and 5/16" thick.

My375hp302

It's funny that both you and I repurposed steel to make out bumpers. Mine started out life as one of the arms on a garbage truck that picks up the trash cans. It snapped after a long hard life and the welding outfit I work for made new ones for them, that's how I scored the free steel. I think I'll cut out the back side since you can't see it anyway, that should cut the weight by at least 25%

Swamp Donkey

Heck ill take any of the free used steel i can grab as long as its usable. Your piece has seen the hard life. I ended up with both fork extenders, so i had enough to build a front matching. Where i got them from was where i worked until they shut the place down and they were gonna throw them away, i said hell no you aint, i got an idear for those babies lol. Heck fork extenders are high dollar. Id cut all except about 2"s out of the back, that way if you want the bumper tucked in you can still reach in behind it and start the bumper bolts.

limegreentj

3/8ths is way ridiculous for ANYTHING!

i will only build bumpers out of 1/8th inch stuff, because even 3/16ths is too thick.

a jeeps frame (a wrangler) is 1/8th inch, so i dont want to build a bumper out of anyhting thicker than that because when you hit something (or something hits you) you would much rather the bumper bend than the frame. JMO

96_xj

I run a 3x6 3/8" front bumper. It came in at 88 lbs with tow point, 1/4" mounting brackets and all welded up. I say go for it! nothing wrong with it! just mount it like the bumper pictured above!!


btw my 80" piece of 3"x6"x3/8" weighed in uncut at 115lbs

limegreentj

just hope you dont hit anything too hard or get hit too hard

96_xj

I see no issues personally. The load is spread out over a great enough area on both sides of the frame so where it would have to be a VERy big hit to do anything. I have definitely abused it in the rocks(ledges, waterfalls side hits) and i took out a concrete post that protects gas station pumps(avoiding getting hit) with out so much as leaving some paint missing. I am very thorough about checking my unibody for cracking.

It is plated on both sides with 7 bolts per side extending 17" back on the frame rails, inside and outside

Tankerblade

Did you ever get that video of that gas station hit? Sorrry off topic...

I say go for it. Regardless if its 3/8" thick, you'll be able to take that thing to hell and back. As long as its mounted to the frame correctly you and the jeep will be fine. Plus its good to hit people with and not worry about having anything done to yours...96....haha

Dogberri

X2 on this, the load will only be spread evenly if you hit a stationary object dead center and how often does that happen?