There's an aluminum bumper out there now that is stronger than the steel ones from AEV and ARB: pronghorngear.com
The aluminum ones out there that are just shells or C-shaped aren't very strong.

They have a rear bumper on the way as well.

 

Without both bumpers and the winch, my Jeep would still sink into mud and snow!

I'm happy to be averaging 15 mpg. Light and nimble aren't things I'd ever expect from a JK

matthew

 

jeeps are made to float through mud and snow! Haha. Different goals i guess ya damn krawlers! But light and nimble is what a little jeep is all about in my opinion. Compared to an offroad truck at least, maybe not a porshe though lol. I just want to maximize floatiness and mpgs in my jk considering it is my dd and i do mostly mud and snow wheeling.

 

I guess I'm not clear on your definition of float...

I've got 37's and my Jeep has been configured to handle the extra strain from the bigger tires etc.

matthew

 

basically float on top of mud and snow. Obviously i dont mean actually hovering but if you are light and keep moving you can stay on top of the soupy stuff

 

A JKU weighs just as much as some full sized trucks... Light and nimble is not how I'd describe a jeep... Maybe a Suzuki samurai or sidekick, but not a jeep...

 

and thats why i prefer 2 to a 4 dr

 

I've owned both and haven't wheeled my 2dr yet to make create an opinion but still, a 2dr is still pretty heavy...

 

lighter is better, but it costs a lot to reach the balance of light and tough. Show me professional off road racer who would not love to trim 500 lbs of weight off a rig. handle better and go faster. It is fine if you enjoy your heavy weight armored jeep but I can not think of many conditions where a lighter vehicle would not win out other then in a pulling competition and don't see a lot of wranglers in those.

 

I agree that a lighter jeep is better for off-roading, but the cost in doing it (the right way), far out weighs the gains IMO...