The Frog Blog

[rocknxj]

Nice. It better be incredible, they've made like a million of those.

My rear bumper didn't fit when I got it. LOL

Welds are very good and it provides a very clean and durable option for a non-tire swing rear bumper. I don't particularly like the square corners and it does not tie in to the side protection as well as I would have liked, but it is well manufactured and a very nice addition to the Frog. Photos to come, as well as minor mod plans. Where's my cutting wheel?

I had to shim the top bolts to align the bumper, as the mount really needs a 2* angle to compensate for the correct angle. It still may need a tad more shimmage, but at this point I don't have time to R2 the bumper again. Should be good enough. Again, photos coming soon. Might post later tonight.

 

[rocknxj]

I finally took some time away from my bathroom remodel and finished up the rear JCR Stage II bumper install. Here are some initial pics that shows the excellent build quality of the bumper. The welds and precision of this thing are spectacular. Well worth the $$ and it really trimmed out the Frog nicely.

Photo 1: Overall shot of the bumper. Note the beefy D-rings, side protection, and built-in 2" receiver.

Photo 2: Inside view of the bumper. Receiver is strengthened by welds inside and out. Pre-drilled mounts provide for easy installation, and additional tie-in brackets give the bumper a recovery ability.

Photo 3: 3/4" D-rings. Pure beef.

Photo 4: Close-up of the mounting points.

Photo 5: A look at the integrated side protection. This may be my only complaint. (More on that later when I post the install pics).

Photo 6: Unnecessary close-up of the receiver. Sexy, though.

Photo 7: An internal (better) view of the receiver. Unfortunately, the bumper was upside down when the pic was taken.

Photo 8: JCR logo laser cut into the steel. Nice touch.

Photo 9: Inside view of the logo and bumper caps.

Thanks for the pics, Kevin. Nice job.

<end>

 

[FlexdXJ]

If you triple what you paid for that one you get one of these:

Totally worth it!

 

[rocknxj]

Now that the bumper pics are posted, I'll add a few for the installation. I had this thing on and off three times now, mostly due to the weather. Rushed or partial installation is never good, but thanks to the non-stop rain we've had lately, that was the best I could do. I plan to do some trimming and slight adjustments when the weather improves in a few months.

Photo 1: The "before" shot showing the ugly stock bumper and a few of my odd mods.

Photo 2: Thankfully, the install enables you to remove the weak rear bumper brackets. Anybody need a set of these?

Photo 3: Brackets removed and prepped for the new Stage II.

Photo 4: Anybody need a tow hitch?

Photo 5: Here's the bumper primed and painted awaiting install. It would not fit on my parts tree LOL.

Photo 6: Freshly painted tie-in brackets hanging in my favorite parts tree. Nice Jeep in the background.

Photo 7: Bumper installed..just in time for the rain. This is a good shot of the mounting brackets that mount to the stock location.

Photo 8: Neat appearance, despite an obvious alignment issue.

Photo 9: The bumper comes with mounting hardware and pre-drilled holes for easy installation. However, I had trouble lining up the bumper to match the tie-in brackets without the use of spacers. I may pull the bumper and re-install at a later date, in hopes that I goofed the install someplace. It seems to be the bumper needs to be raised by 1/2" but I could not see how that would be possible unless I open up the mounting holes a bit more. I figured a few spacers would be the easiest solution for now.

Photo 10: Profile shot of the tie-in brackets.

Photo 11: Underside photo of the tie-in bracket.

Photo 12: As mentioned, I have an alignment issue. If I cannot lift the bumper, I'll end up trimming the bottom of the sides with my cutoff wheel.

Photo 13: Final shot.

Photo 14: OK, this is the final shot....

 

[JOSEJALAPENO]

That look very nice & you add some more tow points.

 

[Letterman]

Photo 3: 3/4" D-rings. Pure beef.

Photo 5: A look at the integrated side protection. This may be my only complaint. (More on that later when I post the install pics).

Kind of shocked there is no shear stress support or that it is just a surface mount weld on the D-ring shackle mounts.

I always weld shackle mounts to both sides:

Even on my early bumpers with the double sideded D-mount I always put in extra support for shear force:

Nice Welds :gag:

and to weld the D-shackle direct to the bumper mount is still the best way to go:

But most my bumpers were really UGLY:

UGLY!!:

Well this one was hot:

:eye:

 

[srmitchell]

Damn, looks good, but yeah, It needs to go up like an inch.

 

[connor0770]

the bumper looks good!! hopefully you can get the mounting right. You know with the stocker bumper you can move it up and down right.. So maybe you just have that bumper on the lowest setting?

Also, i will be proceeding to bigger lift and tires soon and had a question for you. I know your running 5.5 coils and short arms. I ordered RC LA's and 5.5 coils for the front. My only problem now is what tire size to get. I know if i ran 35's i am going to need to re-gear. But i have been reading up on 33's and a lot of people say it gets pretty tippy. How do you like your 33's??? pros & cons. Thanks!

 

[srmitchell]

You can go pretty much anywhere on 33's.

I keep up with all these guys, and Im on 32's. But I am going to 33's also, because taller is better in snow.

 

[connor0770]

You can go pretty much anywhere on 33's.

I keep up with all these guys, and Im on 32's. But I am going to 33's also, because taller is better in snow.

taller is def not better in snow!!! i wish i had 35's in the snow. It would raise my axle off the ground more! I just feel like im going to regret running 33's and feel like it might get a lil TOO tippy (the one part i HATE about 4wheeling)

 

[rocknxj]

Just say NO to Tippy, Connor.

I have felt tippy in off-camber situations when aired down and 150 lbs on my rack. Otherwise, I like the height advantage of my 5.5" lift/33" tire combo package (aka value meal #6). I also agree with Sean that 33"s, a locker, and proper protection can take you almost anywhere (sans little sluice) in Nor Cal. That being said, I have not been everywhere in Nor Cal, but I have had good success with what I have wheeled. Superior driving skill, notwithstanding.

I'm a few inches taller than my kid's Jeep, who runs value meal #4 (4.5" SA lift/32" tires), and his Kevlar's are as tall as my BFG KM2's. That's another story, but just know that he rubs badly and I don't. Difference being his 11.50" tire width and my 10.50" tire width (same rim backspacing).

This reply is all over the place, so allow me to summarize. I'm happy with 33" tires. My next set will definately be 33x11.50's for a wider tire. Not that I'm against my skinny rubber, but I just want something different. Too soon to plan for that, but 25k miles per year will quicky wear down my new KM2's. I have enjoyed them in all conditions, from street, to snow, to rocks. Uh, mud...not so much, but I don't have to tell you that.

At risk of offending the 6.5" LA/35" tire guys (yeah...value meal #8), I would not run 35" tires on an XJ for a couple of reasons. Largest concern is budget. Think stronger axles/gears, longer shocks, more expensive long arm lift, upgraded steering, better brakes/rotors, etc. I love the look, but 35's require more $$ than I'm willing to spend.

Another reason is height. I'm not too concerned about getting tippy (say NO to Tippy), but climbing in the rig with value meal #6 is difficult enough right now. I need to stretch properly before climbing in my rig, and at my age, things don't bend like they used to. Another few inches taller and i'd be sucking air from the stratosphere and scraping hair on the overpass.

Good luck with the decision. Just say NO to Tippy.

 

[connor0770]

I hate tippy!!! I always say NO haha. Thank you very much for that. I'm gonna go with 33s because that is all I can afford. Now I'm stuck on tire size. How does your son like the mtrs. Or whatever he is running. So your basically saying your 33s aren't TRUE 33s? Im pretty sure I'm running 12.50 right now but I'm not sure. And Kelly, you are re geared right?

 

[rocknxj]

I'm geared to 4.56 and that seems perfect with 33" tires. The kid is geared to 4.10's and runs Goodyear 32x11.50's. We measured the other day, and his 32" tall tires are about the same height as my 33" tires (unofficial). What does that mean? Not sure.

He likes the Goodyear's, but he's in college and is working. His daily routine is driving on pavement and he has not been on the trail much. I will say that I out performed his Kevlar's with my KM2's the last time we drove Strawberry. Neither of us aired down, it was raining and slick, and I walked all over his a$$. Of course, there are other differences, such as my front locker, his rear locker, tire width, and superior driving skill ha ha ha ha.

 

[XJensen]

I would bet it had more to do with the front vs. rear locker.

I love my Kevlar's.

Josh

 

[blondejoncherokee]

id bet it has to do with the fact that it was strawberry and stock on 30s open/open aired down could make that trail look easy...sorry i had to do it, had a few too many drinks tonight.
i stopped carrying weight on the roof so when i get off camber its not so bad anymore with 5.5 LA and 35s on stock shafts
although its always a rush going down the really steep stuff side ways and leaning down the mountain ...

ive seen short armed xjs on 33s do alot ...locked front and rear.

my 33s were like maybe 32s and my 35s would be lucky to be called 34s (pro comp xtreme terrains, love them)

"At risk of offending the 6.5" LA/35" tire guys (yeah...value meal #8), I would not run 35" tires on an XJ for a couple of reasons. Largest concern is budget. Think stronger axles/gears, longer shocks, more expensive long arm lift, upgraded steering, better brakes/rotors, etc. "

not offensive, but a decent setup is cheap
id say run 35s on short arm, get a JY zj steering setup and carry spares( 2 zj tie rods at pnp would maybe run like 36$) carry spare 297 shafts with unit bearings attached(42$ each at PNP with bearings) and take it easy on the skinny pedeal,

and a zj rear disc swap set me back about 300$ on my dana 44 doing it all myself (tj backing plates, new bearings and seals, zj studs, backing plates, rotors, pads, lines, grinding for hours, )

but its way cheaper on a 8.25 or 35 (c clip, not the semi floating 35s) since the bearings are in pressed in the axle housings not on the shafts, that saves 40$+ on tj plates, $80-$100+ or so on bearings/seals

so a zj disc swap for a non44 rear (160$) +WJ booster and master(100$ at j and W)+ zj prop valve inner spring(free at jy, allows more rear braking) + spare shafts with unit bearings ($84) + zj tie rod and spare(36$) RE trackbar brace (80$, assuming a HD RE trackbar) and steering box brace (50$) . i just use stock rotors and pads front and rear, the cheapest AZ has, i like my brakes alot. i dont run a parking brake tho, some like those
thats like 400$. its not as bad as you would think. do long arms after you up grade your brakes and beef up the front frame rails and steering and carry spares...

its some cash, but if you buy some used 35s and save a ton of money you can afford all of the above on the same budget as new 33s i would think

 

[blondejoncherokee]

id bet it has to do with the fact that it was strawberry and stock on 30s open/open aired down could make that trail look easy...sorry i had to do it, had a few too many drinks tonight.
i stopped carrying weight on the roof so when i get off camber its not so bad anymore with 5.5 LA and 35s on stock shafts
although its always a rush going down the really steep stuff side ways and leaning down the mountain ...

ive seen short armed xjs on 33s do alot ...locked front and rear.

my 33s were like maybe 32s and my 35s would be lucky to be called 34s (pro comp xtreme terrains, love them)

"At risk of offending the 6.5" LA/35" tire guys (yeah...value meal #8), I would not run 35" tires on an XJ for a couple of reasons. Largest concern is budget. Think stronger axles/gears, longer shocks, more expensive long arm lift, upgraded steering, better brakes/rotors, etc. "

not offensive, but a decent setup is cheap
id say run 35s on short arm, get a JY zj steering setup and carry spares( 2 zj tie rods at pnp would maybe run like 36$) carry spare 297 shafts with unit bearings attached(42$ each at PNP with bearings) and take it easy on the skinny pedeal,

and a zj rear disc swap set me back about 300$ on my dana 44 doing it all myself (tj backing plates, new bearings and seals, zj studs, backing plates, rotors, pads, lines, grinding for hours, )

but its way cheaper on a 8.25 or 35 (c clip, not the semi floating 35s) since the bearings are in pressed in the axle housings not on the shafts, that saves 40$+ on tj plates, $80-$100+ or so on bearings/seals

so a zj disc swap for a non44 rear (160$) +WJ booster and master(100$ at j and W)+ zj prop valve inner spring(free at jy, allows more rear braking) + spare shafts with unit bearings ($84) + zj tie rod and spare(36$) RE trackbar brace (80$, assuming a HD RE trackbar) and steering box brace (50$) . i just use stock rotors and pads front and rear, the cheapest AZ has, i like my brakes alot. i dont run a parking brake tho, some like those
thats like 400$. its not as bad as you would think. do long arms after you up grade your brakes and beef up the front frame rails and steering and carry spares...

its some cash, but if you buy some used 35s and save a ton of money you can afford all of the above on the same budget as new 33s i would think

 

[rocknxj]

Good points, Jon. Twice.

I figured my value meal #8 comment would offend some of you, but just know that I'm not a 35" tire hater by any means, and 35's implies more capability, and who wouldn't love that? Again, I'm basing that opinion or budget to build a rig using new parts, as I did with my XJ in 2010. Good used parts will easily reduce overall costs, but with my time and skill, I prefer to buy new (no welder, torch, or modification e

 

[srmitchell]

I didnt see your comment as offensive. You like 33's!

I could afford to put 35's on mine, but I choose not to, because I have nowhere to wheel that needs 35's.

If I lived near you, where I could just cruise over to some awesome trails, maybe.

I might finally be on 33's in a couple weeks too.

 

[rocknxj]

Good points, Jon. Twice.

I figured my value meal #8 comment would offend some of you, but just know that I'm not a 35" tire hater by any means, and 35's implies more capability, and who wouldn't love that? Again, I'm basing that opinion on the expected costs to build a rig using new parts, as I did with my XJ in 2010. Good used parts will easily reduce overall costs, but with my time and skill, I prefer to buy new (no welder, torch, or modification e

I thought I lost the entire reply, but I guess it actually posted in part. I'll finish my thoughts...

I figured my value meal #8 comment would offend some of you, but just know that I'm not a 35" tire hater by any means, and 35's implies more capability, and who wouldn't love that? Again, I'm basing that opinion on the expected costs to build a rig using new parts, as I did with my XJ in 2010. Good used parts will easily reduce overall costs, but with my time and skill, I prefer to buy new (no welder, torch, or modification equipment) and bigger tires mean more upgrades, overall. That's pretty much all I was implying.

Now, my next rig, be it another XJ, an LJ, or TJ, may in fact be built on 35's. If I build the Frog knowing what I know now, I'd probably have taken more time and collected parts before starting the build-up. I'll need to sell the trailer that is in my garage first so I have a place to work on it. Hmmm, that sounds like a good plan. Anybody with an LJ for sale?

 

[rocknxj]

I would bet it had more to do with the front vs. rear locker.

I love my Kevlar's.

Josh

My kid was doing a brake job on his XJ the other day and I noticed that two of his Kevlar's are mounted backwards. No matter how he rotates, two of the tires will be facing backwards, according to the sidewall tred. You got that problem too, Josh?