So if you have read my other post you know my XJ got rearended. Anyway. My insurance company will give me the cost of a new rear bumper and everything (~$300) so I can get a new aftermarket one. So I like those Custom 4X4 Fab. ones. I can buy the tire carrier later, and they have quarter panel rock guards, all for $325. Does anyone have one? I have a 2000XJ. Any others I should consider? What else is nice? Waiting 6mos for a AVE is not an option. I need to decide quickly. Thanks everyone.
-
Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.
I need quick rear bumper advice. C4X4?
- Thread starter Powerman
- Start date
firegod33
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Battlement Mesa, CO
Tiffster, on ILJ has the C4x4 rear. I think she has a write up about it, too.
jammerjamesharmon
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- austin
Awesome piece of hardware Do it for sure. Check out my rig at www.geocities.com/jammerjamesharmon
tlman
NAXJA Member #20
- Location
- Arlington, VA
The bumper and tire carrier are available separately, it just bolts on so you can add it when you get the cash. Just make sure you have them drill the bumper for future expansion, as you can get them without the holes if you never plan on adding the carrier.
I have researched this over and over for the past six months and IMO the C4x4 or BPI is the best option for the money. I have had an AEV on order for six months as well and after talking with Jeepzz who has had his on order for over a year. I decided to give up on it and look at different options. There is about 10 other companys that I have found that are making rear bumpers with tire carriers. Either they cannot deliver, didn't have the options I wanted or were to pricey. I decided to go with the BPI since the C4x4 didn't have the integrated hitch. I am pleased with the BPI bumper and it is built very well, but I am not totally happy with it. I have found a couple others that are in prototype stages and I think they will have more to offer when they are made available in early 2004. As far as the price goes, C4x4 is the best route to take and you can add the tire carrier later on.
R
roke40
Guest
Bear...Why not totally happy?
Bear, I've been considering the BPI as well. What parts of it aren't you happy with. Your's is the first post I've seen that the buyer hasn't been totally satisfied.
Bear, I've been considering the BPI as well. What parts of it aren't you happy with. Your's is the first post I've seen that the buyer hasn't been totally satisfied.
Thanks guys
Well the C4X4 is on the way to powder coat!!! It was close with BPI, but I like the fact that I can add the carrier later. I don't have the money now since I have to pay a $500 deductible since the drunck doesn't have insurance
So the bumper assymbly is going to cost $350, and the C4X4 will be $375 w/ ship., so $25 out of my pocket. That's a great deal if you leave out the $6000 worth of damage to my XJ, and my loved ones hurting for a couple of days. I can put you in touch with the guy if you would like a simillar deal! Thanks alot guys.
Well the C4X4 is on the way to powder coat!!! It was close with BPI, but I like the fact that I can add the carrier later. I don't have the money now since I have to pay a $500 deductible since the drunck doesn't have insurance
So the bumper assymbly is going to cost $350, and the C4X4 will be $375 w/ ship., so $25 out of my pocket. That's a great deal if you leave out the $6000 worth of damage to my XJ, and my loved ones hurting for a couple of days. I can put you in touch with the guy if you would like a simillar deal! Thanks alot guys.4ward
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Dayton, OH
Spill it Barry, what don't you like about that bumper? Did you have fitment problems?
Okay! You had to ask...!
I feel that the tire is mounted about 4” higher than it should be. It seems to be made to accommodate 38” tires. I think it should have been made to accommodate 35” tires and you would have to modify it to fit larger, not the other way around. The brackets were very nice 3/16" and zinc plated, but they had one minor issue. Although BPI did supply the nut rail inserts for the frame, they were not correct. This is going to be a little difficult to explain and I wish I would have taken some pictures of these. The nut plate inserts they sent were zinc plated and well made, but they only allowed enough nuts for the bumper mounting, three on the passenger side (one for the exhaust hanger) and two on the drivers side. I had purchased two new nut rails from the dealer prior to ordering the bumper so when I put a bumper on, I would be setup for the gas tank skid. The factory ones have an extra nut that hangs out over the frame rail edge. The mounting brackets didn't leave enough room for this nut and you have to either grind the brackets at the bottom of the horizontal mounting plate or cut the extra nut off. I choose to cut the nut off since you would be able to reach it from underneath if it is ever needed for anything. Also, with this type of mounting bracket, you have to tighten it down before installing the bumper. I had to take the bumper off three or four times to adjust these so the bumper would be in the center of the Jeep. I do not see anyway around this though and you will just have to measure it closely or take the bumper on and off until you get it. I would prefer the latch to be like the factory tailgate latch. This would allow "one hand operation". This style of latch works well and it can be done one handed, but you have to fumble with it. I am also not very happy with the long swing arm either, it really puts a lot of weight on the passengers side when it is open and you have to have 4ft of clearance behind you to open the tailgate. Which means you have to park it near the front of the garage to get it open. The latch pin on the pivot side locks/holds the swing arm open, but they have it latch at the close position too. This means you have to unlock the latch on the drivers side and then go pull on the pin on the passengers side to swing the arm open. This is a nice safety feature, but a big pain in the butt. If it were to slip from your hand or have some kid swing on it, it might damage the bumper at the pivot or worse yet miss the stop hole and slam the side of the XJ. The side plates to replace the bumper caps are kind of a pain to put on because you have to remove the trim on the inside to get the nuts on. It is a real pain on the drivers side because of the gas tank fill tube runs through there and you have to reach way in there blind. If you were to drop a nut, it would be gone for good.
I will post some pictures once imagestation comes back up.
I feel that the tire is mounted about 4” higher than it should be. It seems to be made to accommodate 38” tires. I think it should have been made to accommodate 35” tires and you would have to modify it to fit larger, not the other way around. The brackets were very nice 3/16" and zinc plated, but they had one minor issue. Although BPI did supply the nut rail inserts for the frame, they were not correct. This is going to be a little difficult to explain and I wish I would have taken some pictures of these. The nut plate inserts they sent were zinc plated and well made, but they only allowed enough nuts for the bumper mounting, three on the passenger side (one for the exhaust hanger) and two on the drivers side. I had purchased two new nut rails from the dealer prior to ordering the bumper so when I put a bumper on, I would be setup for the gas tank skid. The factory ones have an extra nut that hangs out over the frame rail edge. The mounting brackets didn't leave enough room for this nut and you have to either grind the brackets at the bottom of the horizontal mounting plate or cut the extra nut off. I choose to cut the nut off since you would be able to reach it from underneath if it is ever needed for anything. Also, with this type of mounting bracket, you have to tighten it down before installing the bumper. I had to take the bumper off three or four times to adjust these so the bumper would be in the center of the Jeep. I do not see anyway around this though and you will just have to measure it closely or take the bumper on and off until you get it. I would prefer the latch to be like the factory tailgate latch. This would allow "one hand operation". This style of latch works well and it can be done one handed, but you have to fumble with it. I am also not very happy with the long swing arm either, it really puts a lot of weight on the passengers side when it is open and you have to have 4ft of clearance behind you to open the tailgate. Which means you have to park it near the front of the garage to get it open. The latch pin on the pivot side locks/holds the swing arm open, but they have it latch at the close position too. This means you have to unlock the latch on the drivers side and then go pull on the pin on the passengers side to swing the arm open. This is a nice safety feature, but a big pain in the butt. If it were to slip from your hand or have some kid swing on it, it might damage the bumper at the pivot or worse yet miss the stop hole and slam the side of the XJ. The side plates to replace the bumper caps are kind of a pain to put on because you have to remove the trim on the inside to get the nuts on. It is a real pain on the drivers side because of the gas tank fill tube runs through there and you have to reach way in there blind. If you were to drop a nut, it would be gone for good.
I will post some pictures once imagestation comes back up.
ltgguy
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Tucson, AZ
I put one of those on my moms jeep (2000 sport) after she backed into a pole. The bumper itself was easy to install, but the quarterpanel guards took some work. There is this lip they hang from and I really had to force them into the grove.
It does look nice though...
It does look nice though...
btl_fed_xj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
MY XJ REARENDED AS WELL
Dude!
My XJ was rear-ended about 3 weeks as well and I did the exact same thing you did... I ordered the C4X4 rear bumper but I ordered it without the spare tire mount on the outside. They seem to be a good company to work with, so far mine has been built and it's being powdercoated now. I was hit by a little Dodge Neon just after lifting my Jeep a few inches so she destroyed her little car.
-Jamie
Dude!
My XJ was rear-ended about 3 weeks as well and I did the exact same thing you did... I ordered the C4X4 rear bumper but I ordered it without the spare tire mount on the outside. They seem to be a good company to work with, so far mine has been built and it's being powdercoated now. I was hit by a little Dodge Neon just after lifting my Jeep a few inches so she destroyed her little car.
-Jamie
btl_fed_xj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
The story of getting rear-ended
I was at a traffic light and this Neon runs into me. So I get out and make sure she's alright (her car was done). I start to talk to her and find out it's a rental car and she was on her way to return it. I am a college student and I offered to give her a ride to the place and she is very greatful for not being mad. (How could I be mad, I was thinking, "I am getting a new HD bumper and they are going to have to replace my 6 year old custom dual flowmasters") So we get the the rental place and tell them what happened so now she is wondering how she's going to get home. Again, being a gentle man, I give her a ride home and we once again chat and I find out that she is a professor at the college I go to and that she is 27. I should probably note that she was a fit 115 lb. blonde girl that was from Ukrainia and had quite a nice accent. On the way home she says how sorry she is and that she would love to take me out to dinner as a form of appology. Being 21 years old and in college this is a very good offer (actually I think being pretty much any age it would be a good offer). So we have a nice dinner at an Italian place which she picks up the tab for and then on the ride home (in the Jeep of course) I discover that she is new to the area and has a dog so I offer to show her around a bit. I give her a ride down to a nice park and field and we get out for a walk because "it's such a nice night". Fortunately my XJ doesn't have power locks which allows me to go around an unlock her door and start making out with her. The evening ended by me going back to her house and staying until 12:30...I'll spare you the details....let's just say what goes around comes around. I don't think I could have planned a nicer way to get rear-ended. By the way.. dammage to my XJ $1500, they pay the whole thing.... damage to the Neon $6,900.
All things considered I think it was worth it!
I was at a traffic light and this Neon runs into me. So I get out and make sure she's alright (her car was done). I start to talk to her and find out it's a rental car and she was on her way to return it. I am a college student and I offered to give her a ride to the place and she is very greatful for not being mad. (How could I be mad, I was thinking, "I am getting a new HD bumper and they are going to have to replace my 6 year old custom dual flowmasters") So we get the the rental place and tell them what happened so now she is wondering how she's going to get home. Again, being a gentle man, I give her a ride home and we once again chat and I find out that she is a professor at the college I go to and that she is 27. I should probably note that she was a fit 115 lb. blonde girl that was from Ukrainia and had quite a nice accent. On the way home she says how sorry she is and that she would love to take me out to dinner as a form of appology. Being 21 years old and in college this is a very good offer (actually I think being pretty much any age it would be a good offer). So we have a nice dinner at an Italian place which she picks up the tab for and then on the ride home (in the Jeep of course) I discover that she is new to the area and has a dog so I offer to show her around a bit. I give her a ride down to a nice park and field and we get out for a walk because "it's such a nice night". Fortunately my XJ doesn't have power locks which allows me to go around an unlock her door and start making out with her. The evening ended by me going back to her house and staying until 12:30...I'll spare you the details....let's just say what goes around comes around. I don't think I could have planned a nicer way to get rear-ended. By the way.. dammage to my XJ $1500, they pay the whole thing.... damage to the Neon $6,900.
All things considered I think it was worth it!
4ward
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Dayton, OH
Barry, is there any way that we can make it "better" the next time you come up this way? I think that dropping the tire height would be easy. The rest may take a beer or 2 to fix.
Sean
Sean
OneTonXJ said:
That was my plan...
The mouting issues are basically resolved, but I think BPI needs to take note on using stock nut rails. I have been thinking of lowering the tire mount a couple of inches. I might not gain alot of visibilty, but I would think that I can gain some center of gravity. I'll come by sometime and we can look at it. Also, I have been thinking Rock Rails.
SARgroundpounder
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- San Jose, CA
Pretty happy with C4X4
I got mine after I was rearended too. I've had it for about two years. The company was great to work with and the bumper works and looks great. I have the tire carrier and the hi-lift mounts.
I wish that it had a better departure angle because I do hit it A LOT on the Rubicon. I've actually been toying with finding another bumper with a better angle.
I also wish I could mount a gas can beside the tire instead of behind the tire. I'm thinking about modifying the hi-lift mount to accomplish that.
I wanted the AEV for the integrated receiver but decided not to wait (It's a good thing I didn't -- like I said, it's been two years). I ended up going with a Hidden Hitch which works really well with the bumper and doesn't drop too low. I use a warn receiver shackle for the rear recovery point.
So for a great fit and great look, the C4X4 is a good choice.
-Kevin
'89 Laredo
San Jose, CA
I got mine after I was rearended too. I've had it for about two years. The company was great to work with and the bumper works and looks great. I have the tire carrier and the hi-lift mounts.
I wish that it had a better departure angle because I do hit it A LOT on the Rubicon. I've actually been toying with finding another bumper with a better angle.
I also wish I could mount a gas can beside the tire instead of behind the tire. I'm thinking about modifying the hi-lift mount to accomplish that.
I wanted the AEV for the integrated receiver but decided not to wait (It's a good thing I didn't -- like I said, it's been two years). I ended up going with a Hidden Hitch which works really well with the bumper and doesn't drop too low. I use a warn receiver shackle for the rear recovery point.
So for a great fit and great look, the C4X4 is a good choice.
-Kevin
'89 Laredo
San Jose, CA
CajunCherokee
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lafayette, LA
C4x4!!!
