jeepman25

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone has ever welded their front bumper on. I'v pulled mine off once before and it left me stranded. I would have my buddy with a Hobart stick welder do it for me. He is a certified welder. What's your input? Weld or not to weld? If I didn't weld how could I possibly beef it up?

JerrytheJeep

Stock bumper?

Atmos

I welded my bumper to my frame plates. It's also tied into my steering box bolts. It ain't going no where and I never plan on taking it off. So welding was obvious for me.

My advice: frame MUST be plated before anything is welded to it. That mean's the only thing you should weld directly to your frame rail, is frame plates

kirknd4spd

If it's the stock bumper, it will get destroyed no matter how you attach it. It's made out of thin, flimsy sheet metal, and shouldn't be used for recovery. If it's an aftermarket bumper, like a winch bumper, make some real mounts for it that go farther down the frame rails. I don't see any point in welding the bumper on, if it's a bumper worth having, it won't come off when it's bolted on. My bumper has been pulled on hard, and I use it to jack up my Jeep to work underneath, its not going anywhere.

JerrytheJeep

This.

Fred/N0AZZ

Long story short NEVER!!

Lowrange2

lol, No. Don't weld it.

Like has been said, a decent bumper wouldn't "rip off".

If it did rip off it would also take the steering box and the front half of the unibody with it.

salad

Yes. Get a real bumper before someone is maimed or killed. Don't think I'm serious? This is what cheap **** does: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f9/reminder-use-straps-no-hooks-graphic-193359/

93gc40

NEVER weld anybumper to the body.... Even aftermarket. First off the stock bumper is never suitable for pulling on.. second you want the BOLTs and bumper to fail in the case of a bumper being pulled off rather than having the body/frame itself being torn.

Fred/N0AZZ

Damn cheap crap and not rated for what it was used for.

jeepman25

It's not stock. It's a heav duty bumper. I'v pulled it off once. Before the Grade 8 bolts tho.

JerrytheJeep

Show us a pic. How far back does it tie in?

one_speed_heuer

My jeep had an after market heavy duty bumper on it, got ripped off, the front 2 bolts got torn out of the frame screwing up the frame. So my frame is kinda screwed. But I would say dont ever weld a bumper on, even if you think its permanent, you may hit a deer/tree just enough to damage the bumper but not the jeep seriously and you want to replace the bumper. Having the bumper welded on makes that a even worse job than it should have been.

Fred/N0AZZ

On my rear bumper the bumper mounting holes are used along with all of the Class III Receiver Hitch bolt holes. In fact a new nut strip was included with my bumper in cast the XJ didn't have them.

Like others my front bumper used stock mounts and steering box ones also, along with a added hole in the frame rail on the passenger side. In recent years I have questioned myself about using grade 8 bolts in this type of app instead of a grade 5. The 5's will bend as we all know as where the 8's just snap, has anyone tried this by choice?

All my life I had used chains and cables for recovery coming from the wrecker business and had several accidents using them over the years in CO. doing mountain recovery. When I started with my jeep hobby they were out, chains that is but wire cable was my choice for a winch because of sharp rocks and short life span when used very much.

Straps (where from the video says broke also or came loose) should have never happened period, it wasn't hooked up correctly using D-Rings and straps of the proper rating. When I started buying straps 3 HD ones 25'000# 25's rated and one rope 50,000# 35' I already had along with chokers they mount up quick. But after all your betting your and others life's on them so money doesn't even factor in.