Ive been looking for a tire swing/rear bumper combo just cuz i want one...I found the Rugged Ridge XHD and Smittybilt XRC are both in my price range, but dont know which one to go with. Any input on either of these would be great. Any finish/powdercoat problems? Install ease? etc. Thanks in advance

 

few issues with xhd, powdercoat chipping, not lining up properly on a few, and the tire swing latch SUCKS. But, I still love it.

 

They both have pro's and cons.

XHD is known to rattle and is a little flimsy with the way it mounts to the bumper. The XRC handle is known to come loose from the latch, but Smittybilt has released a fix for it.

 

XRC; the original bugs are now fixed. The latch is tight, it's beefy and can hold other company's attachments aka Rock Hard Jerry can mounts. It's not the best, but for price it rocks!

 

How hard of an install was the XRC? Does it require a lot of drilling?

 

It's really easy to install - I would say about a little over an hour to do both bumpers and wire the winch.
There's instructions to drill but I didn't and everything fits perfectly. I'm sure others have done the same.

 

No drilling at all : complete bolt on.

 

XHD 8 months old. No issues, no problems, no rattles, still looks new. The rear bumper / tire carrier convinced me to go with RR XHD front and RRC Side Armor rails.

 

This is true and untrue.

 

Nice ride, Defender! Hua SF!