I am looking for an after market rear bumper for a 99 XJ, any suggestions?? I have a warn front bumper, so i am looking for something really strong and reliable.
BPI Fab, just installed mine last week. http://members.myactv.net/~mikesmowing/86xj/86XJmods.html It's built real HD & weighs about 85-90 lbs, is a very clean looking bumper, and mounted easy with really beefy mounting set up. The part I like the most is the way the reciever is in the bumper and not under it. http://www.bpifab.com/
Mike B.
It is supposed to be available now (as of last month they said April). The bumper retails for $430. Clevis tabs can also be added to the bumper for $30/pair. They are also coming out with an exo-cage this summer or fall. $750 for a 2 door and $850 for a 4 door.
agreed. get the receiver version, and the brackets that tie the bumper solidly to the frame, and it should be able to withstand anything, and you can pull off it.
A mistake many people make when choosing XJ bumpers is to get really heavy boxy metal beasts that are designed to mimic stock plastic. There are two problems wtih this approach: weight/strength ratio and clearance.
I used to run a Custom 4x4 front winch bumper that weighed like a thousand pounds. Yet it dented so easily because the metal can only be so thick (usually 1/8") when there is that much of it. I replaced it with a custom prerunner bumper that weighs about 1/4 of the c4x4 and handles rock contact far better and has much better clearance. I just reused the C4x4 frame mounts and had the tube welded into them.
The other problem is clearance. If you rock crawl, replacing plastic with metal for coverage on the rear quarter panel gives large rocks something nice and solid to slam up into the sheet metal (metal is ok, but I'd like to see it raised four or five inches over the stock molding clearance). It is very difficult to engineer upward support with that kind of system extending forward from the rear bumper to provide quarter panel coverage, and it is problematic when low hanging.
Ideally you want to trim the sheet metal and install something that is raised up high, not down low like stock. A tubular prerunner design braced into the frame would be a good choice, would cut down on weight by probably 75% or more, and would handle rock rash a lot better.
If looks with better rigidity and durability than stock are your goal, the c-rok looks great...but it's gotta be awfully heavy and the low hanging molding replacment section is just ripe for getting hammered if you get serious in the rocks. I left my plastic molding attached because they just bend, and when the sheet metal underneath gets bent it is hidden by the plastic (this is a Tomken bumper on a '97). It's gonna get replaced by some major trimming and a prerunner design very soon. Heavy 1/8" wall bumpers just don't make much sense for serious usage.
What does the warn front bumper for the XJ look like. I just bought 2 warn front and rears for our two TJ's and the price was outstanding, $800 for all 4. How does warn handle the front corner end caps ??
Think I'll stop up at pocono 4 wheel drive and price one out. Might also pop the one of my daughters and see if a TJ bumper could be mounted on there. Especially if they follow the XJ trend an start the prices at $400 like everyone else...
A tubular prerunner design braced into the frame would be a good choice, would cut down on weight by probably 75% or more, and would handle rock rash a lot better.
